The Noiseless Gun.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 1, 2 November 1908, Page 32

The Noiseless Gun.

The exhibition of the powers of Mr. Hiram Maxim's soundless gun has proved that beyond a hundred and fifty yards there is no sound, and for much of the distance all the sound audible is a sort of hissing that no one in his senses would dream of associating with a firearm. Moreover, it seems impossible to tell the direction. Imagine an army of a front of twenty miles blazing away with no sign of their existence except the bullets killing regiments and battalions! Imagine the private murderer with his victim ! Imagine a law prohibiting the making of such an engine of destruction ! The two first of these imaginings will give you honour. The third will cause men to want to lock you up m a mental hospital. Such is the world ! Here is the invention part oC the business. It is ingenious and as simple as in-

genious, a combination which proves Mr Maxim to be the worthy son of a most able father. The new device does not, to the outward view, appear to differ from the ordinary rifle or revolver, except for a small erosspiece in the barrel a short distance from the muzzle. The escape of the gases r^ following the discharge of the explosive is shut off just as the bullet emerges from the muzzle. This result is obtained by means of a piston valve sliding across the bore of the barrel immediately after the bullet passes. This valve is actuated entirely by the pressure of the gases themselves, and is not operated by any intricate mechanical arrangement.

The inventor is said to be filled with a sort of crocodile fear, which does not prevent him from taking money for his awful engine, lest the thing should fall into the hands of the criminal classes. Prominent police officials are already insisting that its manufacture and disposal shall be protected by law, for it is only too well suited to the art of private assassination. "If only there were some way to prevent its use, except by police or the military, for whom it was intended, my conscience would be much easier, ' ' said the inventor.

Book (Joinery). — "Modem Practical Carpentry," In George Ellis, published by B. T. Batsfoid, 94, High Holbom, London, 1906 (12s 6d. net), was, undoubtedly, The best book of its kind issued up to date Biinitul ot thoughtful and piaetical matter, it was piofuselv illustrated by something like a thousand eaiefully piepared woiking drawings, and by numeious photogiaphs, all of them fully desenbed in the lettei press Possessois ot that valuable treatise have :n it a mine of instruction. But Mr. Ellis has now gone one better. ] refer to his new and revised, as well as much enlarged edition, entitled "Modem Piaetical Joinei y," which lias -ju^t been issued bv the same excellent publishei. The fiist contained 390 pages His la&t one contains 4Sb, together with many additional illustiation&. The book is conveniently divided into twentv-&ix chapteis, concluding with a useful glossaiy of technical terms used m the trade The parts lespectively tieat, and exhaustn ely, upon tools and woikshop management, l.iboui -saving machines, doois, panelling win-

(low-frames, shutters, shop fronts, airtight cases, bank, church, and other fittings, staircases, hand1 ailing, timber, etc. The whole forms a complete encyclopaedia of e\erything that appertains to joineiy geneially. E\en as little diops of watei make an ocean, so the exceptionally intelligent observations and expeiiences of a lifetime devoted to the study of his craft have, combined with unwearying application, enabled Mr. Ellis to pioduce a volume which, lo every ciaftsman, yea, and to evciy aiehiteet, too, is worth more than its actual weight in gold. By all means, therefore, if not aheady possessed of the original edition, pioeuie the now 311 st published. Having done so, and well studied and masteied its contents, every owner will ha\o good reason to bless the name of George Ellis foi the rest of his days. — "Hariy Hems," in Caijunlrr and Builda . Ebony, after cutting, must be soaked for twelve months.

What has been with some justification described as one of the finest building sites of the United Kingdom — the central area of the site of the old George 's Dock at the Liverpool Pierhead — has been sold to Messrs. William CubMtt and Co., London. The area is 7150 square yaids, and the price is £85,000 — equivalent to £11 18s. Id. per square yard — and the purchasers promise to spend over £300,000 on a building. The land was purchased by the corporation from the Mersey Docks Boaid, which erected its magnificent dock offices on one side, while the other side is to be occupied by the headquarters of the Koyal Liverpool Friendly Society. *«M. Jf. M. J,'. '<f W W A An ingenious machine has been invented by means of which sound can be visualised. All sound comes from air vibrations, which radiate from the centre of a circle, just as when a stone is thrown into a still pond the water vibrates into little waves. The air waves of sound are, however, invisible, and though they can be measured they cannot be seen. By using a small flame and rapidly rotating mirrors, Mr. Brewer Brown, the inventor, is able to show a continuous picture of the vibrations caused by the human voice, which vary, of course, according to the note sounded. It is very difficult for a person to hear whether his own voice is sounding a correct note, but by means of Mr. Brown's machine he can see for himself. #*# # * It is clear that tubercle bacilli can hardly enter by inhalation through a healthy nose, but can readily gain admittance when an individual breathes through the open mouth. The view that mouth-breathing predisposes to phthisis, and that the normal nose is a valuable protection, is becoming widely accepted, and is borne out by the large proportion of cases of nasal obstruction to be found among consumptive patients. Additional support is afforded by the fact that patients with atrophic rhinitis, whose noses have lost their filtering function, are decidedly liable to phthisis, w w 7? *<i* The extent of China's coalfields has been put at 400,000 square miles — more than seventy times the aggregate extent ot all the coalfields of Biitain. Glass brushes are used by artists who decorate china. They are made of glass fibres so thin that they seem like spun silk.

A German not long ago invented a horseshoe of paper, prepared by saturating with oil, turpentine, and other ingiedients. Thin layers of such paper aie glued to the hoof till the requisite thickness is attained. The shoes thus made are said to be durable and impenetrable by moisture. The Tartars are supposed to have, as a nation, the most powerful voices in the world. The Germans possess the lowest voices of any civilised people. "- $ * z < A needle machine turns out 1,500,000 needles a week. & *$ * * * In Northern Siberia the giound is frozen to a depth of 600 feet.