Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-02-11
he CAN PUSH SO, 800 POUNDS.
woNDEnFuL PERFORMANCE OF l..
GEORGE G. srMGes.
a baltimore Hercules Ha. beaten All
Records and Now wants sometning
Heavior-Ha. Nothing to Compare
Himself with.

lSAfLlNlVltr ENus . lotNi
IL George @. Sprlggs, the unassuming
strong man, Is not really the champion
Hercules. his friends think he IS. lie
added another 10 his long list OF ac-
ehievemcnts recently by pushing "A
Ir.ss-ht car at the Baltimore and ohio
yards at Mount Clare whose total
weight was 10000 pounds. This make''
new worlds record for feat OF TINS
| kind, the record up to this date being
claimed by John Whitman, who ON
May 20. 1891, without any outside aid
or appliances, Is said TO have pushed
a car that weighed 5000 pounds dis
/ lance OF thirty feet at the Hudson
I River Railroad depot 10 New York.
Spriggs was anxious TO try his
l strength on The heavier car and the
/ only reason the attempt was not made
at once was because there was no
heavier one in the yard. He says his
record VIII not be satisfactory to him
| self until he has done the trick with
q 10000 pound weight.
The feat was done In the presence
| OF company. who satisfied them
/ selves OF the weight OF the car and Its
SJnients. Mr.. Spriggs sent his car
only three feet. IA the track was close
~ occupied by other freight cars. and
that was all the room he had. That he
could have sent 1t thirty feet or hun
dred seemed possible to those who OBJ
terved the comparative ease with
which the feat was accomplished. In
addition. the shove was slightly up
hill, as Spriggs gave II a pun, and It
returned to it's first position by gray
ity.
The strong MATS intuntlon and am
billion was to move box car loaded
with grain, and 1t was thought that
grain was in this car. 1t was Ohio
Southern car No. 1880, and It's weight
unloaded is $4,000 pounds, Sprggs
took u low grip with his face toward
the direction In which he was about TO
push 1t. lie set his feet firmly In the
ground and against 50 much OF the
greatest cross tie as was above the
ground, and without any fuss started
the huge mass and walked 1t along
Its track limit.
"Pshaw, that's dead easy" he ex-
claimed. 81 was told there was grain
In The car, but l doubt H. An ex-
animation was made and 1t was found
to contain bran. The weight OF the
load was ascertained to be % 900
pounds. This with the weight Of the
car, made the total $4,000 pounds.
The feat seemed incredible, eOnald-
cring that 1t was performed by a man
Weighing but 40 pounds Sprigga
himself was disgusted when he found
that the weight was not up TO the
figures OF his ambition. and he set
about finding more worlds to conquer.
He next tackled Baltimore and ONO
box car No, 40,33J Weighing wnen
empty, 1880 pounds, rhis car was
sealed nnd marked general merchan-
disc" Sprlggs mas strong imaglnu.
tlpn az wei as strong muscles, lie
moved this car as easily as the other
and thought he had made the high
water shove. II was found, however.
that the merchandise only weighed
G.3l6 pounds. making the gross weight
35,Sl6
This performance alons ecllpses that
of Whitman, except as TO distance,
but there was not enough space on the
track TO push It further than two feet
ard half.
Sprisgs has met several competitors
and has not yet found his match. one
Of Ills recent contests was with George
Hare, at the New York road. whom he
left behind In the contest when he lift
ed from the ground with his neck $50
pounds. The weight was raised by a
strap, the hands not being used. lie
then met Samuel H. Harrison. the
champion OF Philadelphia, at Carroll
Park. IN this city. Sprlggs raised
1000 pounds dead weight three inches
from the ground, while Harrison. hav-
Ing made 5lA unsuccessful attempts,
gave up the contest. Two weeks ago
80 -" lNuhHA VI MS bhNk
at the Merchants National bank.
one would never suppose from
Springs personal appearance that he
possesses such remarkable strength.
He ls apparently Of slender build.
weighs 40 pounds. and stands Ave feet
ten Inches IN his stocking feet The
young Hercules Is only 20 years old.
lander, the heavy weight litter and
strong man, who won the Sandow
medal. now has SprlggR In charge. and
predicts n great future for him. Nr
SpriEgs Is very unassuming in his
manners, and bears his honors mod
estly. He IL daily hesought by young
men, sports and society athletics who
try TO learn the secret OF his strength,
80 That they may adopt hls method.
Az u Va ms much n-Inystery TO sprigga
as TO any one else, he generally turns
his callers over TO lander.