Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-05
INSTRUMENTS OF DESTRUCTION.
Combination of the Maxim Gun and
 SmokeIess Powder For Warfare.

Smokeless Powder For Warfare.
 Especial Correspondence.l
 WASHINGTON, July 2.--Uncle Sam is in Vestigating machine guns just now with the notion of supplying his little army with something moro efficient and up to date in that line than it now possesses, and the chances seem to favor the adoption of the almost ficndish gun invented by Hi ram Maxim and called after him tho Max i'm gun. Although he is an American by birth and although he offered his weapon to tho United States before taking it else- where some dozen years ago, Uncle Sam would have none of it then, being quito satisfied at the time with the Gatling gun, also an American invention. Hiram Max i'm was greatly dishcartencd by his failure to interest his own government in his gun and sailed away with it to England, where John Bull snapped it up in short order.
 It was not many years before the Eng fish had chance to use their new acquisi- tion with great effect. In the Zulu war its execution was of the most deadly sort, on one occasion nearly 500 Zulus being killed by bullets from one Maxim gun in the course of very few minutes, as was found by counting their bodies after the close of the engagement Within radius of 900 feet the bodies of 4S9 dusky war
 
 cleared away, and those of the savagcs who were left had fled before the murdcrous lit tlc machine. Considering that many must have been hit who were not killed and who had strength enough left to take themselves away, it is probably fair to as sumo that a full 1, ,OO0 were struck.
 That was before the Maxim gun was anywhere near so effective as it is now, for it could then fire but ten shots a second, or 60 minute. Now it can throw 100 bull lets every second, or GOO a minute. This sounds like an incredible story but it is vouchcd for on the most unimpeachable authority. So fast indeed will this gun pump lead that it is almost impossible for tho operator to maintain sufficient control over it to fire one single shot. A pressure upon it's trigger as long continued as that required to fire an ordinary rifle would be sufficient to discharge dozen shots or more. There are but one or two men liv- ing who arc expert and quick enough to remove the pressure in time to Save dis charging at least five or six shots, and they have given great deal of time to the study of the machine.
 Gatling's gun was invented in 1861 and was received with considerable suspicion, which was dispcllcd only after successful work in tho field. During the Franc J. Prussian war the French used a machine gun which they called the mitrailleuse. It was modelled in a general way on the Cat ling weapon, but neither of these was as effective hy a great deal ns Hiram MaXim's $ invention.
 Lately this gun has been having fresh tests at the United States proving grounds at sandy II ok where its execution has excited the most enthusiastic admiration, The broadp nciplc upon which the Maxim Isr,s,, { force of Cac, explosion, developed in the form of rec il, to reload almost instantly after each diNchargr. Besides loading the mechanism is so constructed that it will tbrow out the empty shell after each shot There is also a scheme for keeping the gun cool hy drluging tho outside of tho firing chamber with water, what is known as the water jacket being provided for that purpose.
 An army on tho defensive furnished with Maxim guns would be very formi dablc force to charge upon, and it would bC madness for the advancing party to go for ward in close order. No doubt the com | bination of Maxim gun and smOkeles: | powder is tho most effective combination | in infantry warfare today. If now pow | der shall br made which shall explode l without moi @ as well as without smoke | the problem of bringing about peace by 1 reason of absolute certainty that nearly cv l cry one of those who go to war will bt | killed will be almost surely solved. CHARLES APPLEBEE.