The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-26
How It Works.


 trace the murder.
 How It Works.
 The proposed silencing of the noise in this weapon is accomplished by preventing the gases developed by the exploding powder from emerging into the air with the bullet. In an ordin- ary frearm the bullet, when it emerges from the muzzle, liberates the high pressure gases behind it. and the latter striking the air suddenly at the muzzle cause the loud explosion that is heard. In the new gun the gases are shut off just before the bullet emerges from the muzzle. This is done by means of piston valve slid ing across the bore of the barrel just as the bullet passes. This valve is actu- ated entirely by the gas pressure in the gun barrel, and is free from all actuating mechanism. After the bull let has passed out of the barrel, the gases are allowed to escape gradually through small holes. This annuls all noise except slight hissing sound.
 The piston valve is arranged to re- turn to open position when the gases have all escaped and safety device working in connection with the firing mechanism prevents the firing of new cartridge unless the valve is in place. The construction Is extremely simple. the gun having the appear ance of the usual rife with a small cross piece in the barrel about five inches from the end
 An important feature is the ability to use standard ammunition. Ordinary gun powder and lead bullets may be used or the new steel forged bullets and smokeless powder. With the latter no smoke is formed to give visual in dlcation of discharge, which in com bination with practical silence consti- tutes a combination of terrible posslbll- tiles.
 The Inventor.
 The inventor of this device is member of a famous family of gun and explosive makers. His father is Sir Hiram Maxim, inventor of the Maxim machine gun, well known all over the world. His uncle is Hudson Maxim of New Yc k the inventor of the most powerful explosive known to-day and also one of the most sue cessful smokeless powders.
 MT. Maxim is 39 years of age, being the oldest of the younger generation. He was born in Brooklyn. N. Y., where he received his early education. His talents tending toward the me chanical he was sent to the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology to complete his education where he was course.
 From college he went into business immediately, taking places in various companies through the east and mid dle west. In 1890 he answered the call of his family blood and became superintendent of the American Pro jectile company in Lynn, Mass. This company was engaged in developing armor piercing projectiles for the navy making them by an electric welding process which had just been develop cd by Prof Eliho Thompson, now of the General Electric Company. Young Maxim made many inventions in the ordnance line here and formed the ground work for his later study with his uncle, of aerial torpedoes. Some of 1a ot | factories and used in some of the pneumatic guns mounted on the ex- perimental dynamite throwers tested by the navy department.
 From the experiments with the tor pedoes Maxim saw the possibilities in the explosion principle for engines, and in 1895 began the building of motor driven carriage. This finally attracted the attention of Col. Albert A. Pope. who at his Hartford factory was looking for someone to develop an automobile. MT Maxim was final ly engaged ,by Col. Pope and moving to Hartford began the development of the automobile
 Starting at the very beginning of the automobile movement he has remain ed in it to the present bringing out every type of motor vehicle from the heaviest trucks to the llghtesf electric pleasure carriages
 He has been an old applicant at the patent office in Washington, having had some 25 patents issued to him. Automobiles could not prevent his mind from turning to implements of war. however, and as he adapted from war implement the idea of the auto mobile. so he now adapts from the automobile what promises to be the most terrible weapon that has been placed in the hands of man.
 Does Not Intend to Build Guns
 Himself.
 Although fully aware of the import ance of his invention, the inventor