Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-13
Browns, has a striking force of I,72O

pounds
There is an old and easy standard of
comparison between prize fighters. The
hardest hitter knocks his adversary upon
the fiat Of his back. There are other
standards of comparison, almost all
equally easy, In all other athletic feats
Betting a base ball is unique for the
entire absence hitherto of a standard
Of comparison.
The striking power Of men expert with
their fists has been subjected to measure
ment for some TIME. 1t is known that
champion James j. Jeffries can strike
Lug pounds. Bob Fitzsimmons can back
up MS blows with more than a thousand
pounds. Tom Sharkey is another fighter
whose arm has the force of pile
driver. Sharkey's blows have been
hkened to the kick of a mule
It occurred that il the blows with the
nst could be measured, blows with the
bat may also be computed in pounds.
George Stone, the hardest-hi.tins player
or the st. Louis Browns, agreed to lend
his strength to an experiment Stone car
rled his favorite bat in leather case.
We rode out to DelInar Garden and went
back on the pike John G. Keefer had a
strengthening machine which registers
the force of blows struck with the fist.
The dial registers as much as 500 pounds.
The average hard blow with the fist-a
blow which is not followed up with the
weight OF the body, but fairly and quickly
struck against the leather-cushioned but
ton-ranges from 400 to 600 pounds.
Quick Blow Hit.
How much would Stone make with a
bat?
We discussed it pro and con- Some of
us thought quick blow with bat would
not have a greater force than 900 pounds;
others of us thought 1t would not exceed
500: still others thought it would exceed
1000 pounds, and even others believed
the machine would be smashed, the blow
falling with such lightning-like velocity
and such thunderbolt force that the deli
cate mechanism Of the machine would be
broken by the shock.
Keefer had faith in the machine. He
thought 1t would stand any shock that hu-
man strength could give 1t. He offered to
eating that he didn't think Ajax, falling
upon it with his great bludgeon, could
hurt 1t. keefer had never seen the pc inter
make one complete turn except when 1t
was forced by strong shoulder. but he
thought 1t would turn twice or twenty
times. according to the force with which
II was driven. Once around is 800 pounds.
Stone slipped his bat from its sheath
and stepped up to the plate. He Is
sturdy. we'll muscled fellow, as hard as
nails and as quick as a cats eye. He
weighs 166 pounds stripped. He is left
handler.
We all stepped back off the firing line.
Stone swung his bat back and struck the
big cushioned button a sharp, straight
blow The steel finger few to $40 pounds.
"A singler' shouted the deep-sea diver
observing that the batter had only tapped
the machine.
Stone swung his bat further back and
raped IL again. The finger sped to 100
pounds.
"A doubIe!" shouted the ancient mar
liner.
third time the bat swung back. This
time the batter raised slightly to his tip
toes. His lips closed tight and his
muscles ceased flowing and stood hard
as whalebone. His arms swept back and
turned, and there was fash of wood,
and-bang! Fifteen hundred and eighty
pounds!
"A three-bagger!" said the kelp comber.
We closed in. thinking the latter had hit
his lick. The machine was quivering.
Int it seemed to be standing up to the
work.
Il think can hit 1t harder" said Stone.
He stepped up to the plate again. and
we backed away from the range of his
bat. This time he poised himself for a
terrific blow. He turned three-quarters
away from the machine. gathered his
strength and then whirled like flash.
There was a swift stir Of air, a CLINT of
white wood, and bang!
Hits for 1,720 Pounds.
The steel finger went faster than the