Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 06.djvu/202

LEFT KAVBOCOBDATOS 160 MAXIMALISTS tion. It is soluble in water, and dyes silk and wood a beautiful purple color. MAVROCORDATOS. See Maurocor- DATOS. MAWSON, SIR DOUGLAS, British- Australian Antarctic explorer and geol- ogist; born in Bradford, England, in 1882. While still young he went to Australia, where he was educated at the Universities of Sydney and Adelaide, re- ceiving the degree of D. Sc. in 1909 from the latter institution. He was one of the members of the scientific staff of the Shackleton South Polar Expedition, and reached and determined the position of the south magnetic pole on Victoria Land. From 1911 to 1914 he commanded the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, mak- ing many discoveries of unknown land and gathering extensive and valuable scientific data. For his services in con- nection with this expedition, he was knighted in 1914. In the following year he made a successful lecture tour through the United States covering his Antarctic experiences. Besides many scientific papers, he has also published "The Home of the Blizzard." MAXENTITJS (mak-sen'shius), MAR- CUS AURELIUS VALERIUS, a Roman emperor, the son of Maximianus Hercu- lius. He declared himself emperor in 306. He was opposed to Galerius Maxi- mianus, who was defeated, and slew himself. Maxentius then marched into Africa, where he became odious by his cruelties. Constantine afterward de- feated him in Italy, and he was drowned in crossing the Tiber, in 312. MAXIM, SIR HIRAM STEVENS, an American inventor; born in Sanger- ville, Me., Feb. 5, 1840; received a com- mon school education; secured his scien- tific knowledge by reading and attending lectures; was employed in various iron works ; and removed to England in 1881. He patented numerous inventions, includ- ing incandescent lamps, self-regulating current machines, the "Cordite" smoke- less powder, etc. ; devoted much attention to the problem of aerial navigation; but was best known as the inventor of the Maxim gun. He was manager of the firm of Vickers, Sons & Maxim, and a member of numerous American and Eu- ropean scientific and engineering socie- ties. Early in 1901 be was knighted by Queen Victoria. He became a citizen of Great Britain, alleging unfair treatment of his inventions in the United States. His autobiography was published in 1915. He died in 1916. MAXIM, HUDSON, inventor and engineer. Bom at Omeville, Me., in 1853, was educated at the Maine Wes- leyan Seminary, later entering the print- ing and subscription business at Pitts- field, Mass, He took up the business of ordnance and explosives in 1888 and was the first to manufacture smokeless pow- der in the United States, submitting /;> .XV! HUDSON MAXIM samples to the government. Built dyna- mite factory and smokeless powder mill and sold his inventions to the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co., becoming consult- ing engineer to the company. His other inventions include motorite, for driving torpedoes, stabilite, a smokeless powder and torpedo ram. He is author of "The Science of Poetry and Philosophy of Language" (1910), and other works. MAXIM GUN. See MACHINE GUN. MAXIMALISTS, a group of Russian revolutionists who operated during tlie revolutionary disturbances in Russia dur- ing 1905 and later. They were a very secret organization, a branch of the So- cial Revolutionists, who deliberately adopted a policy of acquiring funds for revolutionary purposes by robbing gov- ernment offices, banks, etc. They would openly attack messengers carrying funds in the streets of large cities, not hesitat- ing to kill where resistance was offered. Eventually their operations were much hampered by the precautions taken by the government officials. This group was closely allied with the "fighting arm" of the Social Revolutionary Organ- ization, whose members adopted terror- ist measures. The word "Maximalist" has sometimes been applied to the Bol- sheviki, but this is through an error of