, 1889-09-26
sAMsoN,s MODERN Rival.
The Hercules who Is Astonishing the Pub
lie in London.

The Hercules who Is Astonishing the Pub
lie In London.
There are many Delilahs, but only one
Samson, and he is performing at the
Royal aquarium, London. at present,
where his feats Of strength are certainly
of an original and marvellous character.
The spectator, as he watches. feels that
it is better to be friendly with such a
man. With a blow of his fist he breaks
an iron chain hat will bear a pressure
Of 5000 pounds. With his two hands
grasping a short chain of $500 pounds
ascertained pressure he makes a momen-
tary effort and pulls the iron chain to
bits, and in what seems the most won-
derful feat-namely, fastening two tight
iron chain bracelets or armlets round his
biceps-the spectator may view the pro-
cess from beginning to end. One hears
the strong nan take a long breath, sees
the muscles OF his arm growing bigger
and bigger, the cords of his peck SWELL
ing with the sustained effort, his face
c~rimsoning, and then, in tho silence,
those nearest the stage can hear a curl
Gus little sundering snap. 1t Is the
double chain arInlet that has broken and
that the next second falls ringing to the
floor. When Samson's fist is clenched
n he is ready to strike the measure
ment of his upper arm round biceps and
triceps is 1871 inches, which, we may
casually remark, is considered q tolera-
BILE waist for a young lady.
Among some of his minor feats-if
such displays can be called minor
Samson o n penny piece from one of
his audience, and at one trial he bent it
with his fingers, as one may bend a rail-
way ticket, held it up to view for a
second, and then deliberately broke it in
half, and returned the pieces TO the
owner. A very little practice will con-
vince amateurs Of the hopelessness of
breaking pennies with finger and thumb.
The strong man next bent a four foot
iron gas pipe round his neck, and cheer
fully Strengthened it again by repeated
blows on the left arm, such arm being
for the nonce a species of anvil. Four
teen men came upon the stage, by invi-
%tation, to pull against him; but Samson.
not deeming them enough, or sizing up
their athletic capabilities with a profess
sional eye, expressed a wish for four
more. These men no divided into nine
a side, the two sides nearly the width of
a mans stretch apart, and each side be-
ing provided with and grasping a strong
and lengthy iron rod. Before placing
himself between them Samson stimu-
lated their ardor by promising e100 to
them If he failed TO move them, and ap-
parently there vas a grateful determi-
nation on tho mems faces to win the
pour-boire. Then there was n short,
sharp struggle; the men held their ground
for a brief space.swere pulled together
and the next thrust apart, and
finally, swaying rs they went, were car
ried away by the intensity of one strain
ing man in their midst.
Samson is n man of French origin, a
native of Alsace-Lorraine. He comes to
us from America, and This is his first APP
pearance in England. At 10 years of
age he entered the Circus RAM as an
athlete and pulled against horses and
elephants; at IS he commenced to wrestle,
and from that time TO the present he has
left untried no means whereby he can
maintain, train and develop his extraor-
binary strength.-Pall Mall Gazette.