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.

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 armorv and in
the fields near North Wilbraham that
his new gun can be fired within 80
feet Of a person without detection by
him.
To 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 bush The Off
GERS could hear the cricket chirp at a
distance of fifty yards. And they
heard it chirp even when the Maxim
gun was fired. ....
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, 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-kil-
ler' to the weapon.
The sharpshooter took aim at tar
get far down the yard and pulled the
trigger. From the. white plat, more
than a hundred yards away, there
came a sharp metallic ring. The bull
let had ploughed into the steel-5ut
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 bewilderment. The soldier
who did the firing looked at the
weapon in his hands and held it from
him an instant, then laughed in
childish way.
The party adjourned to the fields.
Forty regulation cartridges we're CIV
en- to the marksmen. 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
i'm $50 feet Of the soldier, they heard
"a faint sound. It 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 eontented, 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
lines they heard the steel jacketed
bullet plunge into and flatten on the
disc, but he heard no other sound
although the place is wilderness and
even the low murmurs Of the town
do not penetrate it.
The officers made calculations and
agree that: the gun is "A per cent
noiseless. twas moody, cogitating
group that returned to the armory
late in the evening. The men bore
no air of triumph. Each probably
vas thinking Of the dreadful possibili
lies shut up in that little secret device
which had been adjusted to the ordi-
harry service guns.
An idea Of the severity of the tests
may be- gained from the fact that so
grains of smokeless powder were US
ID in each cartridge, a charge capable
, f hurling a bullet more than 1,500
Eards with fatal results.
CLEVELAND'S GENUINENESS.