New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-11-24

Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, Ameri-
can-born, was one of the most famous
inventors, civil, mechanical and cleo
trical engineers of Great Britain. He
was most widely known as the in
ventor of the Maxim machine GIN
which makes the recoil of the weanon
serve as the power for reloading and
which is the weapon largely used in
the European war today.
He was born in Sangerville, Me-,
February 5, 1910, the son of Isaac
Weston and Harriet M. Maxim, and
received only a common school educa-
ton, but he acquired scientific knowl-
edge by reading and attending lee
lures, He went to England in 1881,
and had resided there ever since. He
was knighted by Queen Victoria in
1901.
His son, Hiram Percy Maxim, is
we'll known inventor in the United
States, known particularly as the in
ventor of the Maxim silencer.
Saw Menace in Air.
For many years Sir Hiram was a
director in the firm of Vickers Sons
and Maxim, but resigned that post in
1911. For more than thirty years he
experimental in aeronautics and in
vented flying machines. In the light
of the present war with it's numerous
German airship raids on England, it
is remarkably interesting to recall
that eight years ago Sir Hiram took
the British nation to task for it's small
interest in aeronautics, and pointed
then, at a time when aeroplanes were
in the infancy, that England was in
grave danger of bomb ardment by
airships.
docs any one doubt for a NOM
ent,' said he, that in case we find
ourselves at war with a continental
power, airships will be used for bonn
harding English towns, both on the
coast and inland? The city of Lon
don within years time can be at
tackled without our enemy needing to
fear the boosted British fleet"
Following the success Of the Wright
biplane, Sir Hiram renewed his long
continued interest in aviation and in
1910 perfected a machine which he
declares had certain advantages over
the Wright's. 1t was he who, with
others, interested the British govern
ment in beginning it's organization Of
an aerial navy, and though he was
then seventy years old he lived to see
the great war bring air fighting to
pass in even greater measure, prob
ably, than he himself had dreamed.
Had Many Other Inventions.
In addition to his gun and aero
plane, he patented many practical in
ventions including incandescent lamps
self-regulating current machines, sew
eral nieces of ordnance, and a smoke
less powder
The aged inventor took a keen in
terest in the war, and from time to
time there were unconfirmed reports
of his invention of devices to meet the
needs of the war one Of them being an
apparatus to counteract the effects of
the poisonous gases which the Ger
mans were first to bring into use. In
1915 he was appointed a member of
the inventions board Of the British
munitions department under Lloyd
George.
Sir Hiram applied himself so siren
uouslv to science throughout his long
life that even his recreations were
given by him as reading scientific
books and studying the abstract sci
ences.' He wrote many important ar
ticles, and an autobiography, "My
Life" in 1915.
He was a chevalier of the Legion
of Honor, a member of the American
Society Of Civil Engineers. the Royal
Society of Arts, the British Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Science
ad numerous other scientific bodies.