The Portland daily press., 1890-05-10
GIANTS OF MODERN DAYS.
Men who surpass Ancient Heroes
In Strength.
,TBoston Globe.l

Sayants tell us that by distributing
weights over mans body in such q
manner that every part of his frame will
have to bear its share, he can be made
to raise weight Of over 1850 pounds.
The savants are right, as the perform
ance of w. B. Curtis, Of New York, will
show. December 20, 1858, Mr.. Curtis,
with harness, lifted $3.50 pounds. AS a
horse is about seven times larger than a
man, it should be able to carry seven
times the number Of pounds lifted by
Mr.. Curtis, but the horse never was born
that could accomplish such feat.
Speaking of wrestling and strong men
reminds me that centuries ago there was
born in Crotona, Italy, babe who in
after years became a famous Greek
athlete. At husking bees, house warm
ings and country fairs he was the high
roller of all the men of muscle who
gathered to show what they could do in
feats of strength. He was the pet of the
young ladies, and his name was Milo.
At the Olympic and Pythian games he
threw all Corners in wrestling, and one
day, just to show how strong he was, he
carried 4-year-old heifer four times
around the Olympic race course.
At another time Milo lifted thousand
pound OK, and didn't seem to exert him
self greatly in the attempt, either. His
strength, however, gave him what the
moderns call a swelled head, and one
day while in the woods he noticed a tree
which some wood chopners had rart1v
spnJ open. A wedge neltI the two sides
of the tree apart, and the wood choppers
were gone. Milo, first to give himself
an exhibition of his own strength, in
serted bis hands in the opening and tried
to rend the tree asunder. He pulled the
breach little wider, just wide enough,
in fact, to let the wedge drop out, and
then his strength began to fail him. Like
vice the tree closed on his hands. and
he was held prisoner until nightfall.
when pack of wolves held high links
over his bones.
A POWERFUL EMPEROR.
History also tells of another man of
prodigious strength, Maximinus, one of
the Roman emperors. Toward the close
Of the Second century he first saw the
light of day in Thrace, and when old
enough to work was sent to the fields in
charge Of sheep. From earliest boyhood
he was celebrated among the lads of his
neighborhood for marvellous feats of
strength and agility, and one day
when the Emperor Septimius Severus
was passing through Thrace on his re-
turn from the East his attention was at
tracted by the young shepherds fieetness
of foot and other remarkable feats in
athletics.
The young Thracian was over eight
feet in height, and was perfect model
Of physical manhood. He was offered a
place in the army of the emperor and
accepted. Although barbarian he rose
from rank to rank, and was finally pro-
claimed emperor of Rome. He reigned
for many years, hated by everybody, and
was finally killed by his own soldiers. It
is related that in one day Maximinus
overthrow twelve of the strongest men
that could be produced. On his thumb
ne Wore his wife's brocelet, and it took
forty pounds of meat day to appease
his appetite.
In 1903 there lived in Kent, England.
man named Joyce, who exhibited such
feats of strength that he was called the
second Samson. To Joyce is due the
credit of having discovered many tricks
n lifting and pulling against horses. He
ronr1shed for about ten years, but when
DIS secrets became known he dropped
out Of sight.
THE STRONGEST MAN OF TODAY.
In the early part of the Eighteenth
century German named Van Eckeberg
attracted good deal of attention. Like
most strong men of the present day he
TOOK the name of Samson. His most ex-
traordlnary feat was the holding of
massive cannon, which he suspended
rom his girdle. To accomplish this he
stood on q framework over the cannon,
Whch rested on rollers, and when all
was ready the supports were knocked
out from under the weight, leaving it
hanging IN the air. In performing this
feat all depends on the natural strength
OF the pelvis bones, which form double
arch, capable of sustaining a great
weight.
Probably the strongest man of today
Is Louis st. Cyr, the Canadian. His feat
OF hfnng 1886 pounds of pig iron has
never been equaled. The iron was
paced on a platform at Berthierville,
canada, Oct. 1, 1883, and st. Cyr pushed
II up with his back, arms and legs until
the whole weight was clear of the trestle
upon which it rested st. Cyr also puts
up the 245-pound dumbbell from fioor TO
shoulder, and from shoulder to arms
length with one hand. In March, 1885.
me-, ne lifted platform upon which seven
men Were seated, and which also con-
tanned barrel of -four and seven dumb
S 6eils, the whole weighing ., SIS pounds.
st. Oyr Is about 20 years old, stands
1913 pounds. "N 40
Inc pest on record lift with the hands
4 p was accomplished by David L.
Dowd, who some years ago had charge
Of gymnasium in Springfield rms Mas.
Dowd succeeded in raising 1,44$ -
pounds of pig iron clear from the SPRING
held opera house stage, using no artif-
clal means whatever. = r-..I--S >-'-----'s
HoI1 l.