Savannah morning news., 1885-01-25
An AUTOMATIC AnnihiIator

a full description of the new machine
gun of the distinguished inventor, Hiram
S. Maxim, of Philadelphia, shows it to be
a far more wonderful irearm than the
celebrated "PeacemakeT" gun of DR.. j.
Fl. Mclean, patent pill man and politician
of st. Louis. 1t Will be remembered that
the martial devices Of the latter caused
him to be rendered the position of Minis
ter for War by the late Sultan Of Turkey,
a salary of $4,000 being rendered him in
addition 20 the honor and the right TO have
as many harems as he might think proper.
The present Sultan will probably make
similar offer to Mr.. Maxim, should
O'Donovan Rossa not anticipate bin and
secure a monopoly Of that gentleman's
talents.
The gun can be mounted Oh tripod or
carriage, or solid base, according to its
size and the use for which it is intended.
1t fires 600 shots per minute from a single
barrel, which is kept cool by means Of
ice water circulating in jacket. The
cartridges are arranged on a canvass belt
of any desired length, and are fed to the
gun and fired automatically by the recOil,
The balls are SO made that the bore is
| cleansed at each shot, and the elevation
and direction Of the gun can be changed
by the gunner or by clock work while it is
firing. OF course any desired weight of
gun can be constructed from pocket size
or pistol, which is adapted to small shot,
up to thousand Founders.
1t is claimed, and not without appa-
rently good reasons, that this gun will
revolutionize the art of war. When it
/ shall be adopted by the different nations,
the real fighting force of each of the great
powers will probably be reduced to, say
! 100 experienced gunners. Armies may be
| formed in the event Of war, bat only such
| persons Will be drafted as it is necessary
should be killed to reduce the surplus
population. But one man will be needed
1 in each fortress or war vessel to start the
! guns, when he can retire to place OF
safety and the firing will continue as long
/ as may be desirable, the cartridge belt
/ being cut after the manner of time-fuses
/ Probably the rules of war will be Sc
! changed that the victory will be conceded
| to the side that has the largest number OF
men killed and that fires the last shot.
Special patterns of the gun may be
made for hunters, cowboys and New Or.
! leans politicians. Electric wires or cords
can be so arranged as to start the firing
! by means OF trigger placed under ground
to be tripped by the game or victim. BY
this means parties accused of murder
could overcome the usual difficulties in
proving alibis, and the verdicts of Coro
ner's juries would almost invariably be
suicide or accidental death.
Should the gun prove a practical sue
cess the dynamiters could at once order 9
supply Of different sizes, land them al
night on the British coast, attach wires
and, after re-embarking on fast steam
yachts, start them to firing. OF course
the English would all be killed, and
O'Donovan Rossa could then return ant
have himself crowned the King.
There can be no doubt that the princi-
pie on which the gun IS constructed is as
correct as that of the Keely motor. Only
some difficulties in manufacture remain
to be overcome, and the details worked
out and perfected.