Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-09
THE MAXIM GUN.
Admired by the British at the Invent
OFs' Exhibition.
A Weapon Which Discharges Six Hun
dred Rounds Minute.
How Germany's SlOw-BHrning Powder
is Made.


the Inventors Exhibition which attraC
more attention, it may be safely said
than all the rest of the show combined
the Waltham watch exhibit, with it
miniature factory at work, the Troy laun
dry, and the Maxim gun. This last i
the marvel OF the town, the thing abou
which everybody hears first Of all from
those who have been to the exhibition
and the object OF a deeper interest among
military men. than any other invention
has evoked in many years. The Prince
of Wales, Mr.. Gladstone, the Duke o
Edinburg, Field Marshal the Duke O
Cambridge, and everybody else wOrtl
mentioning, from the public or aristo
cratic point OF view, have visited the gun
set it in motion, and united in declaring
it the most wonderful of creatures the
authorities at the War Office regard it as
revolutioniZing the science of war-and
the crowds at the Exhibition hang around
the section where it is displayed all day
long in the hope that the inventor NAV
come and explain it to somebody in their
hearing. 1t has been very fully described
over here, both in technical and general
papers; but, save in the Scientific AHeri-
can, which reprinted the article from
\ ILtytNttftItD, tlbllC W -ldAt IDCGI
said about it in Mr. MaXim's own
( country.
Conceive L weapon weighing only sixty
/ five pounds, mounted upon light tripod
which can be lowered, raised, moved
( laterally with one hand as easily as a
garden hose, and which pours out auno-
matically 600 shots lninutel There is
no crank TO turn; there is no labor OF
feeding. One man simply sets the fright
ful stream of bullets going, and then
directs it at will, raking whole regiment
front if he likes, or keeping the fire within
a range of five feet or five inches. This is
a gun, too, which cannot jam, which can
not get overheated, and which would 90
on firing just the same il its operator was
shot down at the start.
TIE BASIS OF IT ALL
Is the utilization of the recoil force to fire
the next shot. Each time the recoil en-
ergy, instead OF being wasted in kicking
the gun over, is used to eject the empty
cartridge, cock the gun, place the next
pie as the result is wonderful. The car
tridges are taken in from the bottom in a
chain, just as the perfecting press takes
paper from the roll. Each OF these chains
has 333 cartridges packed in Il box which
is get in Il groove under the gun. The
operator has simply to start the gun-a
matter of seven turns OF the hammer
cranlz-and then, when the chain OF cart
ridges is nearly exhausted, fasten new
chain to the hook at the end and push
out the old box with a new, full one. For
the rest he can devote his attention solely
to training the weapon. This cOntem-
plates the possibility of its being worked
by one mana thing entirely feasible. OF
course with two men, the one to point
the gun around at will, the other TO con-
meet the chains and shift the boxes at in
ervais of half minute or SO, the maxi
mum speed could be kept up for an hour
if necessary without fatigue or intermis
sion. In quarter OF that time, resisting
a charge for example, 1900 balls would
be hurled out OF a barrel which was
sweeping the line as telescope sweeps
the sky. One need not see the gun itself
to be able to realize what destruction
such Il capacity implies.
Difficult as it is to portray mechanism
with words, some idea OF the Maxim
guns peculiarities may be gained by
imagining low-set Photographic camera,
with long tube in front, and, instead OF
the belloWs-like arrangement, a black,
coffin-shaped box stretching out behind.
The tube is of brass, and contains not
only the 45-inch barrel, but casing for
water, which prevents heating. The box
is made of hardened steel, and ifs lids
lift up from the two ends, disclosing the
machinery. On the right side OF the box,
well in front, is an indicator running on
a half-gauge, which has Il number OF
figures on it, from ten to the right ana
COO on the left. You push this indicator
TO 10 if YOU want that number OF shots a
minute. or to 200 or 600. It's position
regulates the speed precisely. Then, on
the same side, but at the back, there IS a
little crank with a half motion. 10 start
fs,e Gun the tape of cartridges Is attached
underneath, and with the hand the crank
is Dushed backward and forward IN seven
motions. That takes up six cartridges
into the magazine and puts one III posi-
tiou to be fired. Then you put the lndl-
Gator where you want it, and the iirlng
begins ii it be at a slow rate, the crank
at fhe side slams back and forth with
Zach revolution of the machinery, and
report follows each slam. If 1t be up 10
400 or more. the crank works SO fast that
the eve can with difficulty follow it, and
the rafting Of the firing is like Il thou
sand packs of fire-crackers being set OIL at
once.
on THE LEFT SIDE
OF this cofiin-shaped box is an aperture
through which the empty cartridge sheiiS
are tossed. At its fastest there are always
six of these shelIs in the air at once. At
the end of the box is a brass handle,
with which the operator can move the
onn about. Underneath are two simple
systems of screws by which the levels OF
the gun may be accurately fixed and line
sighting done. When this is not needed
MS in a charge or similar movement,