The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-03-20
MAxIM.s AUTOMATIC ouN.

MAxIM's AUTOMATIC GUN.
me Most Ingenfous and Dssfrooe1vo
weapon Of War Yst Invented.
The Maxim automatic mitrailleuse.
| and tho Maxim gun with. other Names
| Is certainly the most Ingenious and tho
wickedest.of all the curious weapons
of warfare recently invented. Tho
inventor first won prominence IN con-
nection with an electric light. and
then, among other things, turned his
attention to means for killing people
Illegally. Up to this time only q small
gun. forty-five caliber, believe, has
been made. bgzssIiss is the intention to
manufacture them up to the size OF a
tsix-inch cannon, which will automatic
ally fire about six hundred rounds in D.
minute. This, OF course has been ex-
eeeded by the Calling and other guns.
carrying very snail projectiles. but
these, compared with the Maxim. are
cumbersome to operate. require more
attendants, are. much heavier and far
less accurate. One man can operate
ftfe Maxim gun, or enc woman, or one
child, for that matter, and after setting
it going the gentleman gunner can
stroll away while his gun is engaged
in killing a few hundred people, or the
4 lady gunner can sit behind bullet
proof. with which the weapon is pro-
,ided, and continue her eroeheting.
The. gun has heavy breech, in
which the automatic mechanism is
chiefly concealed. Into the side of
this brcech passes a belt containing
the ammunition. that is like nothing
else so much as the belts worn by
sportsmen which hold their car
tridges. This belt may be made
to hold any number OF car
tridges. The number is only limited
by the length.of the belt They may
be carried in box beneath the gun,
or they may be- run out to the gun
from an improvised factory indoors
while the weapon is being used in a
street fight, and the belt made simply
endless concealed workmen@The
gunner sits on Il seat at the rear OF the
gun behind his bullet-proof if he de-
1 sires to use one. When he wants to
iaew down an army in a few minutes
he simply waits till the aforesaid
army gets into position favorable for
his pleasant work. Then he pulls u
crank which fires the first cartridge,
and the work OF the automatic ma
chinery begins. The explosion of the
first cartridge causes recoil which
throws the empty she'll out OF the
| breech, brings another she'll into place
and fires it tt he recoif= of that-cxpfe-
/ sion does similar service, and SO on
to infnity. 1t is murder in perpetual
motion. The gunner may now leave
his post. sneak around to the flank of
the enemy and watch with intense
satisfaction the deadly operation OF
his weapon, or, as was suggested by
a high officer of the navy he may GO
to his club and indulge in dinner in
courses and a bottle OF champagne
while waiting for the gun to exhaust
its ammunition. Now isn't that just
the sweetest thing in the shape of q
killing apparatus of which you have
ever heard.
One form OF Mr.. Maxim's invention
! contains gentle message to excitabfe
and revolutionary mortals. 1t is
| caftffeSd tho riot gun, and is a light
! little affair that can be transported in
ones arms with enough ammunition to
drive any ordinary mob out Of the
streets or out of existence. tits curl
] GUS how all Of the most recent inven-
tions in this line look toward a GER
tainty of riotous mobs, Since when
did the inventor turn prophet Well,
4 this ''riot gun" can be worked at the
rate of ten murderous shots per sec.
ond with the gunner all the time con-
cealed and in perfect safety, even from
a mob armed with guns or pistols, pro-
vided that some mob does not conclude
to make rush and capture gun and
gunner. 1t seems TO be expected by
inventors like Mr. Maxim that modern
mobs will stand in the streets to be
shot down without acting either or
the defensive or the aggressive, and
that they will not stand. around safe
corners with bombs, Or blow up OF
burn a city in their frenzy. However
this may be, he has done all he can in
4 the Way OF ii gun for mebs.- This lit
tie weapon can carry ammunition with
| = 20 ala nj
and in u few seconds, and it can be OPP
Grated from wallis or windows=with- as
/ great facility as in the open street
With twist of the wrist it can be
turned upSpr down on the point of it,
carriage, and made TO kill directly be-
low orabove the gunner without en-
dangcring the life sor limb OF thai
devetee of the fine art, of murder
Washington Letter.