The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-09-15
NOISELESS GUN AWEs.
Official Tests Show Fearful Possibili-
ties-Inaudible at $50 Feet.

LII the presence of committee Of
United States army officials, Hiram
Percy Maxim, the veterans inventor,
last week as Springfield, Mass, de-
monstarted beyond all doubt that the
noiseless gun which he has contrived
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 within $50
feet of II person without detection by
him. n
10 make clear to the minds of the
officers the tremendous revolution
which this gun would cause in war;
fare, Maxim utilized a little cricket
which was found in II bush. The Off
GERS could hear the cricket chirp at
distance of fifty yards. And they
heard it chirp even when the Maxim
gun was fired. S'5
Those present at the test, which
was the official government one, were
Mr.. Maxim, Major Morton, Capt. AL
len, Lieutenant Meals, Henry Southey,
city engineer of Hartford, Conn.,. and
six enlisted men.
The party went to the armory,
where tests for penetration, noiscless-
ness and accuracy were conducted.
One of the soldiers, crack-shot with
the rifle, fired the regular army gun
several times, the explosions ringing
out above the noises of the factory
whore Uncle Sam makes small arms.
Then Maxim adjusted his "noise-kil-
Ter" to the weapon.
The sharpsllooter took aim at tar
get far down the yard and pulled tho
trigger. From the white plat, more
than hundred yards away, there
/ came sharp metallic ring. The bull
1 let had ploughed into the steel-but
not sound excepting soft one, as
of fingers swapping, came from the
gun.
Then, showing, slight kissing, so
slight as to be hardly audible was
heard, and the officers looked at one
another in bewildcrment. The soldier
who did the firing looked at the
weapon 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 Civ
: ell to the marksmcn. Tie officers
posted themselves 1000 yards from
where the sharpshooter stood, and he
was given the word to fire. Methodi-
cally he sped bullet after bullet into a
: 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 with
in $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
Sec either smoke or fire coming from
the weapon.
Not contcntcd, Maxim invited the
experts to the lake near North Will
braham. One of the soldiers was
: posted across the water five hundred
yards distant. A target was erected
: near little booth he occupied. Eight
times they heard the steel jacketed
bullet plunge into and flatten on the
3disc, but he heard no other sound
although the place is wilderness and
= even the low murmurs of the town
Ido not penetrate it.
5& The officers made calculations and
!15 agree that the gun is n per cent
noise less. 1t was Il moody, cogitatinc
group Chat returned to the armory
+ late in the evening. The men bore
lo air Of triumph. Each probably
|3 was thinking Of the dreadful possibili-
= ties 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 sc
grains Of smokeless powder were us
;d in each cartridge, a charge capable
# hurling bullet more than 1,50C
ards with fatal results
1 CLEVELAND'S GENUINENESS