Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-19
MODERN GIANTS.
Men and Women Who Were More
Than Eight Feet in Height.

Marie Fassnauer, TyrOlese woman,
towers to the height of eight feet. But
Marie. in spite of her many inches. is
not the most exalted lady who ever
lived. Just quarter of a century ago
the world gazed with craned head and
open mouth at still taller giantess
who looked down on her admirers from
height of eight feet two inches and
who was said to be 'still growing"
Marian" as this remarkable maiden
was called, had been born only sixteen
years earlier in Il village near the
ThurIinSian mountains, and the Anna
son Princess was for some months the
gre atest attraction in the spectacle of
"Bahil and BijOu' at the Alhanbra
Theater-a character in which she
wore a wonderful suit of armor and
was crowned with towering head
dress, the topmost plume of which was
god ten feet from the stage.
Nor was Marian distinguished only
by her great height. for she had a
beautifully proportioned figure, Il dis
tinctively pretty face and q most
amiable disposition. This magnificent
creature had d very brief tenure OF
two years later and before she had
seen her eighteenth birthday.
In 1869 and 1870 Miss Anna II. Swan,
tlia Nova Scotia giantess, caused con-
sid. rable sensation. Miss Swan SEEM
cd destined from the cradle to be Il
woman of abnormal dimensions, for
though her father. Scottish immi-
grant. was barely five feet six inches
high and her E,othcr was half foot
shorter still, Miss Anna reached six
feet at the age Of eleven, and at fifteen
was the tales. person in Nova Scotia.
For time she was the chief attrac-
ton of Barnum'S great show, and dur
ing that period twice narrowly escaped
death from fire. She had, too, some
histrionic ability. as was proved when
she appeared as Lady Macbeth in New
York. and before going to England she
made a triumphal tour of the United
States.
In her prime Miss Swan was but a
few inches short of eight feet, and she
found an appropriate husband in Capt.
Martin Bates. the kentucky giant,
who was actually two inches taller
than herself.
Chang. the Chinese giant, who ended
his days at Bourncmouth not many
years ago. was man of enormous
size, standing over eight feet in his
SOCKS, but he used to declare that he
mad a sister at home in China who
could easily look. over his head. This
remarkable lady was eight feet four
inches in height and had a hand Wit,
span of two feet.
Robert Hales, the Norfork riart. who
caused great sensation in England
about half century ago, was a MEM
Der or very remarkable family.
which included some women of OK
traordinary stature. His father. a far
mer, was six feet six inches high. and
although his mother was but a naItrv
SIN feet 1t is said that she had an an
cest"r In the sixteenth century who
stood four inches over eight feet.
OF the children of this couple tho
tCGr sons averaged six feet five inches
ana five daughters but one and one
haf inches less. Robert, the tallest
member of the family, was a little
over seven and one-half feet high. and
measured sixty-four inches and six
ty-two inches around the waist and
chest, respectively, while the tallest
OF the sisters. who died at twenty, was
seven feet two inches in height and of
propOrtionate build.
proportionate build.-St. Louis POST
Dispatch.