Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-31

| this remarkable paper, for Mr.. Isaa
| Maxim has himself published it in tn
| New YORK Herald over his own signature
we think that this is the first time tina
| a letter of this description has been pub
lished to the world by its writer Thi
letter was SO placed among other contri-
buttons Of Mr.. Isaac Maxims in the New
YORK Herald that il was yeTy apparen
| what the consequences womb be II hi,
demands were not met. Mr.. Isaac Max
m however, soon found it impossible &c
. ma IA, ne position he had assumed as
the sore inventor of the Maxim gun, Oh
indeed the inventor of any gun but he
appears TO have thought that he might
az least snare the honours with the reaI
inventor we therefore find an immense
amount of his contributions to tho pub-
lie press attacking his brother ana
canning lS ms inventions SO that no doubt
PIE. at all events in the United States.
think that IT IS a debatable question az
to who really is the inventor of the Max
i'm gun. As matter of fact however
neither Mr. Isaac Maxim nor Mr. Hud-
son Maxim. as he calls himself. ever i'll
vented, made, or patented gun IN any
s1untry in the world.
Many Of the newspaper attacks. which
Mr. Isaac Maxim has made upJn Hi
brother, arc. extremely interesting lie
appears to nave generally commenced
them somewhat as follows:-"It is ex-
trcmciy painful to me to have to attac,
brother, hut ! am forced To do 80 IN
sclf-dCfence." This would lead, not on;v
me ne WSpdpcf written 10. nut others. 10
the belief that some attack had been
really made upon him, and that he was
simply replying 10 it, when. as Il matter
Of fact. up to that time 1t does not APP
pear that his name had ever been men
toned or referred to in any article ever
written BY his brother. Some newspa-
ptrs. believing that there was contrp-
NCrSy, inserted such comments as these.
1t is painful to see the Maxim broth
crs dcnouncinE each other in the public
press. The Maxim brothers ~ not
seem To understand the first mIXims Of
dcc"ncy. Why do they not attack each
other with their own guns. instead of
washing their dirty linen in the public
prc-S" II IL curious that these attacks,
counttr-dttacks ana dcnuucidtiOns. which
Were supposed to be- taking place in an
alleged controversy. should all hHv" been
written by one party, ana that the news
papers should have commented uDDn
them in thc manner they lid for a long
time, without al least finding one of the
letters That th" attacks were supposed t.
rcply t0.
W. lire w tha opinion that Mr.. Hiram
Stevens Maxim has been badly advised.
We think that il would have been fan
better I'm him tl have written tu th-
the case, instead II waiting for IN,
world 10 ina 1t out itself. II remained.
however. Ter The Spear % be the first I'D
make the trar state uf affairs IN this r.-
mark1Ule ease known. ana 10 give w tn.
world fpr the first timc an insight i'm,
what has been considered by some To be-
most remarkable CONTROVERSY. hun an
pears ~ nS KIP be most remarkable
case vi persecution. W. SIN worse.
The following letter has been received
from an expert On patents
1}. Exeter House.
]. DDshir+-Strytt. pUrt!and-pl4cp
London. W, February >th. 1850
To the Editor of The Spear:
Dear Sir-l have duly examined ar af
the Maxim IN ents which In ANN VAN rr-
late 10 "A system Of throwing aerial trr-
pedoes for destroying ships at sea" and
ma that system Of this kind. Including
2 very large gun lI Special construction
was patented under series Of letters BAL
tent dating from l>>5 To ISIS. 10y Hiram
Stevens Maxim; but I have failed To fnd
record Ot any patents taken out III thl
name ot Hudson Maxim for such syS-
TEN or gun. ] hnd. however. that Ger
tain forms ~ project l-S pattutcd in In.
name Of Hudson Maxim. closely rcsem-
ME earlier patents taken out upln tn+
same subject by Hiram stevens Maxim.
The patents are as follows
In Nh Hiram : Maxim British pa
tent specifications d5Hl -. ISL >5. ana
1862 ", 4 complete system Of throwing
aerial tprpedoes il described. including
progressive powders. delayed action fuses
and pruject!lts tderiJl torpedoes) for con-
tanning high explosives. Sucn a. blasting
gelatiut ana nitrn-glycerine for the pur-
pose Of destroying ships at sea; ANA de-
tailed reference i also made to Il large
gun IF special construction.
! hay. also witnessed The testimony NJ
high British government official. tO the
etfect that This gun. inventor ana patent
ed by Mr. Hiram :. Maxim. was in
speCted about the same date upon which
the application for the British patent
The subjecj-matter Of these specitica-
ti"nS | lind almost identical with the
main features of the article entitled THE
Deddliest Weapon in the W lrld. which
appeared in The Spear under date Of Jan
uIry 3lst. 1880. and which purported To
deal with certain alleged inventions n