The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-06-04
Strongest Man in the World.
SOME MARVELLOUS FEATs OF STRENGTH AS
EXHIBITED BY MAN IN RENO, NAvADA

The strongest man in the world at the
in Reno, Washoe county, New. A San Fran
cisco Chronicle reporter witnessed the aston
ishing feats of this remarkable man, and was
fully satisfied by what Re saw that he is real.
ly all that has been claimed for him. His
name is Angelo Cardelna, an Italian, aged
thirty EIGHT years stature, five feet ten inth-
es weighs, 100 pounds occupation, labor
or; habits, temperate. In personal appear.
a1ce he is not remarkable merely a good
uatured looking son of Italia, with bro, d,
heavy face noble development of chest
and shoulders, and large feshy hands. His
strength was born with him, for he has had
no athletic training. When stripped to the
buff, however, marked popularity in his
spinal column is at once apparent. His back.
bone is, we might say, double iointed, with
the vertebral articulations unusually large
and prominent Though he is not man Of
unusual size, his spinal column is double the
ordinary width, and his other bones and joints
seem made on a similar large and generous
scale. After some solicitation, he finally con-
sented to favor the reporter with an exhibi-
ton of strength, which proved to be such an
astonishing, exhibition of lifting power as
scarcely to be believed. The reporter, ,wh,s
weight is $50 pounds, stood with one foot on
the floor and arms outstretching, his hand
being lightly grasped by two friends, one on
each side, to preserve the balance of his body
The slight assistance, however, had no ten
dency to raise his body, being merely to keep
him from topping over. Cardela then stoop.
ed down and placed the third finger of his
right hand under the hollow of the reporters
foot upon which he was balancing, and, with
no pcrceptible effort, raised the reporter to a
height OF four feet, and deposited him stand.
ing, on table near at hand This feat he
repeated, and then grasped the reporters
ankles with both hands, raised him above his
head, and gently lowered him to the table in
sitting posture. Cardela had pipe in his
mouth while lifting and continued smoking,
as much as to say, per Daccho, tits nothing
a way We have in our country -
On former occasion he raised Mr.. Law,
ooot - 5SheiSh"u SNhhcStSu WIN lDt
staff of the Reno Gasetee, in similar way
with one finger, carried him across the room
and lifted him standing on the table. He
had aso lifted by the same plan. using only
his third finger (which seems to be his most
reliable one) several Reno heavy weights one
weighing over 200 pounds. He can strike a
blow with his fist with a power OF 500 pounds
measured on register. 1t is said that two
Irishmen, near Verdi started in to whip him
one night, but concluded to give up the con
tract as he grasped one in each hand and beat
them together until the life was nearly ham
mered out Of them. Many other tales are
told of his extraordinary strength, and there
can be no doubt that, in his particular spec
iaity, he Is unrivaled, and, indeed, h,sus
nature, when the peculiarities of his physi-
cal'make-up' and his almost limitless power
are considered. He states that his father
could strike blow equal in power to 1000
pounds, SO that the strength seems a direct
inheritance. Cardela has not much education
and an imperfect knowledge OF English. He
dislikes to show his strength and fails to real
ize.his own value. Ii he were to give pub
lie exhibitions Of his wonderful power he
would doubtless be recognized and acknowl-
edged to be the most powerful man in tht
world in certain lines Of strength