The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-06
sAMsoNs OF TIE 81 DAYS.
Wonderful Performances OF Strength
by Athletes of This Generation.


From the Boston HeruId-
Who is the strongest man in the worldl
There are at least a dozen before public
notice to-day who claim TO be that man, and
each performs certain feaJs Of strength
which would seem to warrant his right 10
that title. 1t is difficult to determine, how
ever, which one OF the lot is superior in
physical strength, because, invariably. each
is able to perform some particular feat
which another cannot
The popular regard for physical strength
Is inherited and undying. Ii was mani
Tested by the people of the time of Milo Of
CrotOn, twenty-five centuries ago, and is
shown to-day at all athletic games.
The Samsons of modern times are men
who have been naturally endowed with
great muscles and enormous strength, but
who have increased and added to both by
constant training aud practice. Attention
Is given particularly to their strongest mus
Giles, and these eventually become abnor-
maliy developed. Other muscles are neg
lected, 50 that the spectacle of a giants
arms and trunk upon an ordinary mans
legs is very commonly presented. Few of
the ''strong men" of to-day are physically
well proportional, for they have given all
their attention to the development of certain
muscles.
The most remarkable of all the strong
men is Louis Cyr of Quebec, who is now in
New York. He is a giant in strength aud
| stature, as will be seen by a consideration
of his measurements. He Is only 81 years
| of age, but he weighs 1913 pounds. The tape
showed his physical dimensions to be as fol-
lows: Hight, 6 feet 1917 inches; chest i'm
tiated), So inches; waist, 4S inches; biceps,
2l19 inches; thigh, 80 inches; calf, "a inches
neck, % inches. Cyrs speciality is the lift
ing OF heavy weights and the putting up of
big bells.
He can take an ordinary man and toss him
about as if he were nothing more than a
bag of oats. He scarcely knows his own
strength. An idea of the enormous power
of his arms can be gained through the state
ment that he lifted a dumb bell weighing
265 pounds, with one hand from the ground
/ to the shoulder, and then slowly pushed it
| up from the shoulder to arms length, using
only the one hand. There is probably not
another man in the world who could do this.
Another time he tied a pair of bells to-
gether, which weighed 40 pounds, attached
| a string three feet long, and then lifted this
great weight from the ground with one
| finger.
| he has also put up 100-pound bell with
one hand twenty-seven pounds in success
sion. His greatest display of strength was
made about year ago at Montreal, in 8
lifting match with man named Barre. On
a small platform weighing 40 pounds were
several dumb-bells weighing 7S9 pounds, a
barrel of -four and seven heavy men. Cyr
put his giant arms arms around the plat
form and lifted the lot. The aggregate
weight was 9, 1928 pounds In another way
he lifted 1856 pounds of pig iron at Berthir-
vile, Canada, on Oct. 1, 1885 The iron was
placed on plank, which rested on tres
tie. Cyr got under the plank, and, pushing
up with mis- back. arms and legs, raised the
weight clear of the trestle No other man
in the world hes been able to approach this
performance.