The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-14
TRICKS OF THE STRONG MAN
a GOOD DEAL OF HUMBUG ABOUT
THEM, SAYS Il CIRCUS MAN.

hui THEM, SAYS Il CIRCUS MAN.
Fake Observation-Disclosures of Breaking
stones with the Fist-Fents Witi
the Teeter Board-Biting Nails m
Two.
There are tricks in all trades" sale
the old circus strong man, but the
trade of the circus Hercules is mostly
all tricks Anybody with ordinary
strength can do the feats that seem sc
Wonderful when done by these tar
bark Samsons. In fact few of them
require any particular muscular eXer-
Elton, but are accomplished simply by
trickery
"The dumbbells used by the perform
ers are always hollow and weigh much
less than the figures marked upon
them would indicate. When you see a
Imam pretending to put above his head
ii bell marked 400 or 500 pounds you
may safely conclude that he is trying
&to fool you. The very greatest weight
lever lifted in this way was 245 pounds,
sCyclops accomplishing the feat in
Clevefand in 1893. Genuine dumbbels,
closely resembling the hollow ones are
Thrown out into the audience for in
spection, but these are never the ones
used by the strong man or woman.
Another common feat that arousea
wonder is the breaking of stones with
f11e fist Spectators think that a man
who can bring his clenched hand down
Upon rock and flake a piece off with
one blow must have tremendous mus
Giles, but an ordinary man can do this
Idf he knows how, while on the other
hand old Samson himself couldn't have
done 1t unless he had been put on to
the trick.
'sYou will notice that the strong man
Railways provides a solid piece of iron
or stone upon which to crack his rocks.
! Now if he held the stone to be smash
4 ca firmly against this support he might
Eppund away at it until doomsday with
out hurting anything but his fist. But
notice closely and you will see that he
$}hOldB the sman stone a sixteenth of an
dnch above the support, and when he
hits 1t it's the conclusion that breaks
lE3t, Any one can do it neatly after a
INlfttle practice.
IA little more real strength in needed
4 Ii the feat of lifting a barrel Of water,
\ and two men with the teeth, but not
y much. A man Of ordinary strength can
accomplish it. To begin with the wa
barrel, which is genuine would
aigh with it's contents about 900
unds, has false top and bottom and
ids only enough water so that little
n be let out of the bunghole to de-
I've the onlool1ers. Fastened to the
trrel and to the waist of the perform
Il !, and concealed by a sash which he
L ears, is a rope This is deftly hitched
the barrel when it is lifted up for him
take the mouthpiece in his teeth.
N he mouthpiece exactly fits his
Il IN so that whatever weight comes
is usually sustained by the jaw.
comes the thrilling moent! Two
lift themselves upon the barrel and
I two other sturdy fellows to sup
his back and keep his balance, the
ug man slowly lifts the barrel
ding back he supports the weight
I in angle of about 45 degrees, ap-
Ently with his teeth, but actually
III l his chest. It's a sensational act,
as a matter Of fact, more strength
luired in the men who support him
in the star performer himself. Not
than 200 pounds was ever actually
5rted by any athlete in this fash |
The mOuthpiece used in this trick Is |
ployed in all acts where the per-
ners appear to hang by their teeth. |
4 rs so constructed that when one gets |
1t in his mouth he cannot let go of it |
until the weight is taken off. So cir |
1xc mr. Ivy irI
weight or the weight of any other OBJ |
sr7iy their teeth. 1t is actually on
VI eek that most of the strain comes
HlA Performer doing this stunt very
IN i get an abnormal neck develop !
II It. Nowadays my neck measure six /
sSh inches, but when I was in the |
siness it was ineteen inches
I'D.
ta sbout the only act that requires
IA strength Is that of supporting a |
II te on a teeter board, but even in
ii trick the most important needs are
,fve and wel-trained horse. Bodily
Aength comes third TIL never forget |
'Imy dying day the first time I tried
Ks. I had rugged up two chairs as
gcngly as possible in barn and fas-
#@ them to the floor, after which 7
.pport a teeter upon which I had
led my pony to walk. When the
5>-4 lal had learned his lesson thor
& Il lilly and would ascend the teeter and
ance at the word of command, l pre-
ed for the final test.
lin place Of the board connecting dhe
HRS I put on my own body. Across
chest put the teeter board. Then
king my feet firmly in one chair and
.sarns around the back OF the other
FILLED, Romeo"
lie came from the stall, straight for
1siteeter. Then my nerve failed me.
a slied, 'Whoa' wildly, but Romeo
h,t seem to know the meaning of
word. On he came, directly up the
4 GIine There was no backing out.
| hi that / could do was to hand on des-
krately and this I did. When Romeo
4 lit above my chest he balanced him
~ gracefully for while-it seemed
N. to me though it was only a
onds-then he went off the other