The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-24
A Native of Maine Who Was
Knighted by Queen Vic
tOria in 1901
WAS INVENTOR OF
AUTOMATIC FIREARMS
Weapons Which He Devised Are
Largely in Use in the War Today -
Experimental in Aeronautics and
Warned England of Great Danger.

LONDON, Nov. 24.-Sir Hiram Max
i'm, inventor Of the automatic system
of firearms, died at his nome early this
morning
Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, American
born, was one of the most famous in
ventors, civil, mechanical and electri-
cal engineers of Great Britain. He was
most widely known as the inventor of
the Maxim machine gun, which makes
the rccoil Of the weapon serve as the
powor for rcloading, and which is the
weapon largely used in the European
war today.
lie was born i'm Saug1ryillc. Me, Feb.
>. lslO. the son of Isaac Watson and
Harriet VI. Maxim. and received only
a common school education, but he ac-
qured scientific knowledge by reading
and attending lectures. He went to
England in 1881, and lived there ever
since. lie was knightcd by Queen Vie
toria in 1901.
His son, Hiram Percy Maxim. is a
wellknown inventor in the United
states, known particularly as the in
ventor of the Maxim silcneer.
For many years Sir Hiram Maxim
was director in the firm of Nickers
Sons and Maxim. but resigned that post
in 1911. For more than thirty years he
experimental i'm aeronautics and in
vented flying machines. In the light
Of the present war. with its numerous
German airShi2 raids on England. it is
remarkably interesting TO recall that
eight years ago Sir Hiram took the
British nation to task for its small iu-
terest in acronautics, and pointed then.
ut time when acroplanes were in their
infancy, that England was in grave
danger Of bombardmcnt hv airships.
90 Does any one doubt for a moment. 80
said he, "that in ease we find ourselves
OF war with a continental power, air
ships will be used for bombarding Eng.
lish towns, both on the coast and in.
laud} The city of London within =
years. time can be attacked without
our enemy needing to fear the boastcd
British feet. -
Following the success of the Wright
biplanc' Sir Henry renewed his ,ona
continued interest in aviation and IN
1910 perfected . machine which he de-
clared had certain advantages over the
Wrights $ II was he. who. with 9th
ors, interested the British government
in beginning its organization of an
aerial navy, and though he was then
10 years old he lived To see the great
war bring air fighting to pass in even
greater measure, probably. than he him
self had dreamed.
In addition to his gun and acroplanc
he patented many electrical inventions
including incandescant lamps self-regu
lating current machines, several piece,
of ordnance and a smokcless powder.
The aged inventor took n keen inter
est in the war, and from time to time
there were mconfirmed reports of hi,
invention Of devices to meet the needs
of the war. one of them being an appa
ratus to counteract the effects Of tn.
poisonous gases which the German,
were first TO bring into use. In 1871;
he was appointed a member of the In
vcntions Board of the British Mum
tions Department under LLOYD George
Sir Hiram applied himself so strenu
ously TO science throughout his long lif,
that even his racreatious were Given ID,
him as "reading scientific books am
studying the abstract sciences" III,
wrote many important articles and m
autobiography, "My Life. " in 1915.
He was a chevalier of the Legion "A
Honor member of the American So
eiety Of Civil Engineers, the Roval So
ciety of Arts, the British Association
for the Advancement of Science an,
numerous other scientific bodies.