Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-07-15
THE NoIsELEss RIFLE.
shoots Without Enough Noise TO be
- Heard in Adjoining Room.
New York /, Sun. J

The first public demonstration OF
a noiseless firearm ever given was
! made before the Board of Managers
of the Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals yesterday after
noon by Hiram Perry Maxim, the in
yent0r of the weapon. Mr.; Maxim
levelled an ordinary .32 caliber Win
chester rifle, remodeled according to
his invented device. and loaded with
ordinary ammunition, atstwo city di-
rectories, placed one In front Of the
other, clicked the trigger and drove
a fat-nosed bullet six inches through
the solid paper Without noise enough
to be heard IN the next room. n.
Mr.. Maxim explained last night
that the demonstration he gave the
board Of managers Of the s. P.3C. A.
was pursuant to the urgent request
that had been made by the society
that he furnish the organization with
a more humane weapon for use In
Establishments. Pending the tests that
are to be made of his army rifle by
the Ordinance Department OF the
United States army Mr.. Maxim said
that he had designed noiseless rifle
to be used in the butchering Of ami
mails.
A gun which can drive a bullet
into the brain of q steer with abso-
lutely fatal results and without noise
enough to frighten all the other AMI
mails lined up behind in the killing
driveway WILL be much more effica-
cious, according to the statements
the s. p. G. A. officers made to Mr..
! Maxim yesterday after his test, than
the present haphazard and some
times cruel method of slaughering
beef with hammer. All of those
| who witnessed the test made in the
society's rooms were unanimous in
| the belief that the weapon which
may become the deadliest in war
| fare may also serve humane pur-
pose in a less glorious function.
The army rifle which the inventor
has now perfected and which he is
| testing In his workshops at Hartford,
Conn, preliminary to the demonstra-
tion which Is to be held before army
officers some time In the next two or
three months, is very different wea-
pom from that designed to slaughter
| beeves. Mr.. Maxim gave last nightSa
general description of the gtn's con-
struction and its capabilities as a
killer. He said:
Because / have not yet secured
my patents in Europe cannot enter
upon detailed description of the
main features Of my noiseless fire.
| arm or publish any pictures or charts
of It, for that could be construed bY
any European government as fai .
delivery of the secret of my invel,
| ton. can say this much: That my
new gun will differ from the present
army rifle only in the barrel. The
same ammunition In clips of six shots
can be used as in the present wea-i
pom, and there need be no change
either in the amount or the quality
Of the explosive behind the projec-
tile.
"The ordinance bureau of the army
has stipulated that cannot make
the army rifle any longer than the
present one and 1t has conceded that
I may be allowed to sacrifice 10 per
cent of the present velocity If I can
turn out noiseless weapon. j have
vigorously adhered to the rules they
lay down as to the position of the
bayonet, straps, etc., and have sac
rificed no more than 10 per cent of
the present velocity. I will have a
noiseless >'gin up to every standard
set at thersproving grounds at Sandy
Hook or Springfield when the army
officers are ready for the tests"
Mr.. Maxim said that Germany was
greatly Interested in the noiseless
| firearm and that he had beer" APP
preached unofficially by the German
government in the matter of an army
contract there. ,l -.s.,-