Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-28
SIR HIRAM MAXIM,
INVENTOR OF MANY
FIREARMS, IS DEAD
Automatic System of Weapons
Now in Use Is Due to His
Inventive GeniuS-Devoted
Much Time to Aviation
tBY Associated p-ess. !,


LONDON, Nov. 24.-Sir Hiram Maxim.
inventor OF the automatic system of
firearms, died at his home here carly
this morning. g
Sir Hiram Stevens S4axjI1,. American
born, was one OF tile most famous In
ventors, civil, mechanical and flectrl-
cal engineers. of Great Britain He5was
most widely known as the 5glvenfoT OF
the Maxim machine gun. yhich makes
the recoil of the weapon serve as the
power for reloading. and which is the
WEAPON largely used III the European war
today.
He was born in SangerviIle, Ne, Feb
ruary 8, 1910, the son Of Isaac Weston
and Harriet NJ. Maxim. and received on
ly common school education, but he
acquired scientific knowledge By read
ing and attending lectures. He went to
England in 1881, and had resided there
ever since. He was knlghte6 by Queen
Victoria in 1901.
His son, Hiram Percy Maxim, is a
well known inventor in the United
States, known particularly as tie invent
or of the Maxim sflencer.
For many years Sir. Hiram was d.
rector in the firm OF Vickers Sons &
Maxim, but resigned that post in 1911.
For some thirty years he experimental
in aeronautics and invented flying ma
chimes. In the light of the present war,
with it's numerous German airshlp raids
on England it is remarkably interest
ing TO recall that eight years ago Sir
Hiram took the British nation 10 task
for it's small interest In aeronautics, and
pointed then, at a time when aeroplanes
were in their infancy, that England was
in grave danger of bonbardment by air
ships.
Does anyone doubt for moment"
said he, that in case we find ourselves
at war with a continental power. airships
will be used for bombarding English
towns, both on the coast and Inland? The
city of London within a years time can
be attacked without our enemy needing
to fear the boosted British feet
Following the success of the Wright
biplane, Sir Hiram renewed his long con-
tinued interest in aviation and in 1910
perfected a machine which he declared
had certain, advantages over the
Wright's. It was he who. with others
interested the British government in be-
ginning it's organization OF an aerial
navy, and though he was then 20 years
old he lived to see the great war bring
air fighting TO pass in even greater
measure, probably, than he himself had
dreamed.
In addition TO his gun and aeroplane
peLlChlCu iIldlAy SiCSSA lSdA AAlN SAAllJAAS
includinp fncandescent lamps, self-regu-
Iating current machines, several pieces Of
ordnance, and a smokeless powder.
The aged inventor took keen interest
IN the war. and from time to time there
were unconfirmed reports Of his inven-
ton of devices to meet the needs Of the
war. one of them being an apparatus t.
counterfeit the. effects OF the poisonous
gases which the Germans were first tc
bring into use. In 1915 he was appoint
ed a member of the inventions board OF
the British Munitions department under
Lloyd. George.
Sir Hiram applied himself SO strenu
ously to science throughout his Ions
life that even his recreptlons were
Given by him as reading scien'
tific books and studying the alb
stract sciences" He wrote many i'm
portant articles. and an autobiography
my Life" in 1915. ..s
He was a chevalier OF the Legion Of
Honor. a member OF the American So
ciety of Civil Engineers. the Royal So
cietv of Arts, the British Association roi
tue Advancement of Science and 7un1er
our other scientific bodies: