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Show ROM Of CANNON TO BE THING OnHEJAST "MAXIM SILENCER" WILL BE A SUCCESS. Contrivance Placed on Any Small Gun Makes the Explosion Inaudible. San Francisco, April 23. The roar of cannon and crash oft musketry seem dostined to become things of the past in the near future, though their effectiveness will be In "no wise impaired. This idea was sharply brought home to a group of spectators who watched the demonstration of the device known as the "Maxim silencer." silenc-er." The contrivance is the invention of Hiram Percy Maxim, and it is claimed claim-ed that any small gun equipped with it, can he fired without being heard over a few yards away. The invention inven-tion is being taken to the Orient by Joseph Keegan and Hilllard Rosen-cranz, Rosen-cranz, special representatives of the designer, who will demonstrate it to officials of the Japanese, and Chinese governments. The device Is a small, unobtrusive I looking globe, varying In size . with j the calibre of the gun it is on. It is fitted to the muzzle of the weapon and by changing the direction of the ' exploding gases 10 a rotary motion, an-j an-j nlhllaies the sound of the explosion. At the private test made here before gun experts, the only noise to be heard when a 30 30 rifle was discharged, dis-charged, was the impact of the bullet when it struck and tore its way through a steel plate a quarter of an Inch in thickness. The silencer does away entirely with the flash of the discharge as well. Mr. Maxim is at work perfecting perfect-ing his device for use on the great guns of the navy and coast defenses. |