Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-17
THE LARGEST WOMAN.
Death and Burial of Mrs. Emma
Markiey-Her Mammoth
Proportions.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 12.-Mrs. Emma
M. Markley, who was credited with be-
ing the heaviest woman in the country,
was buried from her home in this city a
few days ago. She was known to the
amusement public as Nine. Victoria.
Her advertised weight was over 600
puonds and her actual weight about $50
pounds. She was born in Reading, Pa,
about thirty-three years ago, and was
slim and delicate throughout her girl
hood. At nineteen she weighed but
ninety pounds, but from this age began to
gradually gain flesh. Between three
and five years ago. when she made appli-
cation for an insurance policy, she
weighed but 280 pounds. From this time
her weight increased rapidly, until she
enjoyed the distinction of being the latest
woman in the country, if not in the world.
This honor was officially conferred on
her at the "Fat Woman's Congress" in
this city last spring, when she carried off
the first prize. Aside from her great
weight she possessed very pretty and
intelligent face. and at the same exhibit
ton received the second prize for beauty.
During that display of ponderous women
Nine. Victoria was for the first time pit
ted against her rival in the matter of
avoirdupois, Hannah Bathersby, who up
to that time had been considered the
heaviest woman in the world. The Off
cial weighing at the congress. however,
gave the championship to Hannah Bath
ersby's youngest rival.
r.ln h1r.
exhibition as a fat woman in Trenton IN
1876, but retired ina few years. When
the "Fat Women's Congress" was con-
vened here last spring she was prevailed
upon to enter as contestant for the
prizes. This was her last public exhibit
ton. Two years ago she was placed on
exhibition for a short time at 729 Chest
nut street, and while here sustained an
injury that finally resulted in her death.
The platform on which her chair was
placed was hastily constructed, and the
giantess expressed her fears as to Its
strength Soon after she had mounted
the platform the supports gave away and
precipitated her to the floor. In her fall
her ankle was sprained, and soon after
ward she was attacked with erysipelas in
the leg. The disease was arrested Tor
time, but has broken out at Intervals
since, and the fatal attack seized her
about three weeks a 20. A week ago last
Sunday, while suffering great pain, she
fell out of her bed. A number OF strong
men tried to lift her back on the bed, but
failed. They succeeded in placing her on
a mattress on the floor, however, where
she lay until her death.
Her weight increased during her Ill
ness. and some time before her death
measurements of several parts OF her body
were taken. The circumference OF her
arm at the biceps was SO inches. Her
waist measured 621s inches, and from
shoulder to shoulder she measured 36@9
inches. The measurement across her
hips was lust 4 feet. On the night OF her
death it required the full strength OF nine
men to carry her body from the second
story front room to the parlor on the
ground floor. Early the next morning
the people gathered around the house,
all eager and clamorous to look on the
dead woman. Many of them were drawn
through feelings of love and gratitude to.
ward the woman, as she had befrlended
scores of poor, people in the neighbor-
hood. Ii took a large squad OF police to
hold in check the mob that filled the
neighborhood of her house before the
funeral
The body lay in a coffin that Was prob
ably the largest ever built. 1t was con,
structed of three-inch walnut piAnks, ana
was stoutly braced on the inside with a
dozen heavy iron bars. 1t was SIX feet
and ten inches long, and forty-six inches
wide and three feet deep. 1t was TOO
large to pass through the door, and was