The sun., 1916-11-25
SIR HIRAM MAXIM
Is DEAD IN LONDON
Best Known for His Invention
Of the Automatic Rapid
Fire Gun.
D ENGLAND IN WAR
Was Discoverer Of Sm0keless
Powder and a Pioneer in
Air Navigation.

LONDON. Nov. 2l.-sir Hiram Maxim.
the inventor, died at his home here early
this morning.
Sir Hiram Maxim. although best
known for his automatic rapid fre gun.
was an inventor In many lines, having
patents In his name for numerous cleo
trlcal devices. including ~ncandescent
lights and sel%f-resulating current ma
chimes, smokeless powder and other ex-
ploslves and contributions to the science
Of aerial navigation.
Sir Hiram and his brother. Hudson
Maxim, who has homes in Brooklyn and
Maxim Park Landing. N. j.. frequently
have been confused because both are
noted inventors Of explosives. Another
member Of the family. Hiram Percy
Ma kim Of Hartford. a son OF Sir Hiram.
Is the nventor of the Maxim silencer.
Hiram Maxim was Dor In Sanger
willie. Me. February 5. 1870. the son OF
Isaac and Harriet NJ. Maxim. His
father. It Is said. conceived the idea that
the recoil Of n gun might be employed
to reload the weapon. hut II remained
for his son to carry VI the idea. Hiram
patented many inventions In the United
States and went to England In 1881.
where he resided most of the time until
HIS death. For his inventions. some of
which rcvoiutionized warfare. he was
knightcd by Queen Victoria In 1901.
Aids England In war.
After the outbreak Of the European
war he gave all his time and energy ia
the perfection Of inventions which nigh,
49, a - L.. l-~r asAr "a - lac
the Central Powers. He set TO work or
an effective anti-aircraft gun. and one
OF his inventions was n simple means OF
combating chlorine gas liberated by thu
Germans by fire bombs thrown In ad'
vance OF the trenches. h hcav,
chlorine gas encounterlng tho heat and
flames Ii lifted and disslpatcd In the ali
instead OF continuing on to the English
trenches.
Mr.. Maxim vas made a Chcvalie
de la Legion d'Honneur In 1881 |,
Paris. The next year in Vienna, on tn
suggestion of an American friend. n
decided to go to work on a rapid AR
| gun. Having fred military rifles in tn
United States he had noted the powerful
kick" hat many OF them had. lie wa
convinced that this recoil could be use
to load n fire the .gur.
lie began Ia make drawings OF a
automatic gun and on his return to Lon
o established himself In a little work
shop where he 500 had manufacture
himself a gun that loaded and fire
Itself by energy developed from the re
coil.
one defect had been apparent in tn
preliminary trials and this resulted 1
the invention Of "corditc.' the Maxir
~sInokeless powder. In the trials n vas
cloud OF smoke hal been produced an
experts said hat This might make tn
new invention almost useless.
Maxim thcreupon started experiment
with combinations Of guncotton an
~nitroglycerinc and shortly was able I
order the manufacture of his new pow
der by a firm In Scotland. II vas Will
engaged In this work that Hudso
Maxim went to England and cooperate
with his brother in the experiments I
explosives. Ietu ming latcr 10 Amcrici
where he made additional important IN
ventions In this line. including MAJ
Unite" the first high explosive TO h
drcd through heavy armor plate. TIL
brothers at this time had difference
which lasted for many years. Sir IIiraI
accusing Hudson Of seeking to TAX
credit for the original invention O
smokeless powder.