The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-09-09
NOISELESS GUN AWES.
Official Tests Show Fearful POssibili.
ties-Inaudible at $50 Feet.
Beaufort, S. c.,

Springfield, Mass, Aug. 29.-In the
presence. Of committee Of United
States army officials, Hiram Percy
Maxim, the veteran inventor, today
demonstrated beyond all doubt that
the nOiseless gun which he has con-
trived is a success. He proved during
the tests held today in the armory and
in the fields near North Wilbraham
that his new gun can be fired with
in $50 feet Of a person without de-
lection by him.
To make clear to the minds Of the
officers the tremendous revolution
which this gun would cause in war;
fare. Maxim utilized little cricket
which was found in q bush. The Off.
GERS could hear the cricket chirp at
q distance Of fifty yards. And they
heard it chirp even when the Maxim
gun was fred. ..
/, Those present at the test, which
was the official government one, was
Mr.. Maxim, Major Morton, Capt. AL
len, Lieutenant Meals, Henry Southey,
city engineer Of Hartford, Conn.,, and
six enlisted men. - gA~..
The party went to the armory,
where tests for penetration. noiseless-
ness and accuracy were conducted.
One Of the soldiers, a crack-shot with
the rifle, fired the regular army gun
several times. the explosions ringing
out above the noises Of the factory
where Uncle Sam makes small arms.
Then Maxim adjusted his "noise-kill-
er" to the weapon.
The .sharpshooter took aim at a tar
get far down the yard and pulled the
trigger. From the white plate. more
than a hundred yards away, there
came sharp metallic ring. The bull
let had ploughed into the steel-but
not sound excepting soft one. as
Of fingers swapping. came from the
gun.
| Then. showing, a slight kissing.
so slight as to be hardly audible was
heard. and the officers looked at one
another in bewilderment. The soldier
who did the firing looked at the weap-
on in his hands and held it from him
an instant, then laughed in a childish
way.
The party adjourned to the fields.
Forty regulation cartridges were
given to the marksman. The officers
posted themselves 1000 yards from
where the sharpshooter stood, and he
was given the word to fire. Method
ical!y he sped bullet after bullet into
distant target, each time the service
gun emitting roar that was audible
5000 feet away, In the village.
After Maxim adjusted the noise
killer" the soldier fired again and
eight times he hit the target. All the
time the officers were coming closer
to him. They could hear the steel
projectile smash against the target
but nothing else. Finally. when within
$50 feet Of the soldier, they heard a
faint sound. 1t was the hammer Of
the gun striking the cartridge. But
they heard nothing more, nor did they
see either smoke or fire coming from
the weapon.
Not contented. Maxim invited the
experts to the lake near North Wilbra-
ham. One Of the soldiers was posted
across the water five hundred yards
distant. A target was erected near q
little booth he occupied. Eight times
he heard the steel jacketed bullet
plunge into and hatten on the disc bit
he heard no other sound although the
place is a wilderness and even the
low murmurs Of the town do not. pSnl
citrate 1t. y
The officers made calculations and
agree that the gun is "A per cent.
noiseless It was a moody, cogitatfns
group that returned to the armory
late In the evening. The men bore no
air Of triumph. Each probably was
thinking Of the dreadful possibilities
shut up In that little secret device
which had been adjusted to the ordi-
nary service guns. =.
An idea of the severity of the tests
may be. gained from the fact that 40
grains Of smokeless powder were used
In each cartridge, charge capable
Of hurting a bullet more than 1900
yards with fatal results.