The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-01-21
MAxiM'S AUTOMATIC GUN.
The Most Ingenious and Destructive
Weapon OF War Yet Invented.

\ weapon Oh w NJ Yet invented.
The Maxim automatic mitrailleuse
and the Maxim gun with other names.
is certainly the most ingenious and the
wickedest of all the curious weapons
Of warfare recently invented. The
inventor first won prominence in con-
nection with an electric light. and
then. among other things. turned his
attention to means for killing people
legally. Up to this time only small
gun. forty-five caliber. / believe. has
been made, but it is the intention t.
manufacture them up to the size OF Q
six-inch cannon, which will automatic
ally fire about six hundred rounds in q
minute. This, Of course, has been ex.
ceeded by the Calling and other guns,
carrying very small 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
the Maxim gun, or one 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 few hundred people. or the
lady gunner can sit behind bullet.
proof with which the weapon is pro-
vided, and continue her crocheting;
The gun has a heavy breech, in
which the automatic mechanism is
chiefly concealed. Into the side of
this breech 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 by concealed workmen. The
| gunner sits on a seat at the rear of the
gun behind his bullet-proof If he de-
sires to use one. When he wants to
NOW 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 a
crank which fires the first cartridge,
and the work of the automatic ma
chinery begins. The explosion OF the
! first cartridge causes a recoil which
throws the empty shell out Of the
breech, brings another shell into place
| and fires it The recoil of that explo-
sion does a similar service, and so on
to infinity. 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
n high officer of tile navy, he nay so
to his club and indulge in dinner in
courses and bottle of champagne
while waiting for the gun to exhaust
its ammunition. Now isn't that just
the sweetest thing in the shape of a
killing apparatus of which you have
ever heard.
One form of Mr. Maxim's invention
contains a gentle message to excitable
and revolutionary mortals. 1t is
called the riot gum" 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. 1t is curl
GUS how all of the most recent inven-
tions in this line look toward a GER
J tainty of riotous mobs. Since when
did the inventor turn prophet? Well,
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 on
the defensive or the aggressive. and
that they will not stand around safe
corners with bombs, or blow up or
burn a city in their frenzy. However
this may be. he has done all he can in
the way of gun for mobs. This lit
tie weapon can carry ammunition with
it to clean out a street at one round,
and in few seconds, and il can be OPP
Grated from walls or windows with as
great facility as in the open street
With a twist OF the wrist it can be
turned up or down on the point of its
carriage. and made to kill directly be-
low or above the gunner without en-
dangering the life or limb of that
devotee of the fine art of murder
Washington Letter.