Iron History

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09/04/2003 Entry: "Sep 05, 2003 Ironhistory.com by Joe Roark"

Recently, a friend in England, Graham Noble, sent me some clippings from Health and Strength magazine. This week, I would like to share the one from November 17, 1928, wherein Thomas Inch writes of the passing of Apollon, whose name Inch consistently incorrectly spells as 'Appolon'. Though Inch does not give the date of death, it was October 18, 1928- one month before this piece was published. Apollon died at age 56 years and nine months (shy three days).

(Please keep in mind that Apollon never had an opportunity to try to lift the Inch 172.)

From H&S:

"I have just heard, with a pang of sincere regret, of the death of Appolon (sic), that good-humoured giant who always seemed to me the living embodiment of Dumas's famous character, Porthos.

"For Appolon (sic) was a real strong man; he was the only strong man I ever met with a forearm which, measured straight (none of your American bent-arm tricks!) could register over 16 inches, and he was no less than 22 inches upper arm. Prodigious!

[note: Apollon's arms were NOT 22"- closer to 20. But I suspect, because Inch had claimed a nearly 20" arm for himself (19-7/8" and he commented he was tempted to round it off to 20) that he knew anyone who compared Apollon's arm to his would KNOW Apollon's dwarfed Inch's, so perhaps Inch inflated Apollon's arm size to cover his own claim? Also, please note the British method of measuring the straight forearm, not the goosenecked, bent forearm as Americans were in the habit of measuring. So comparing the measurements of Brits and Yanks requires we KNOW which style the American used, because we do know what style the British lifter used. Apollon did in fact have a 9" wrist.]

"I first met him as Messrs, Hana's famous photo studio, where strong men are wont to call in to see if they can break the camera, and he was very obliging, and assisted me willingly with a set of photos for the Continental system of training for weight-lifters. [note: what year would this have been? Inch had previously stated that by the time he had occasion to meet Apollon, the Frenchman was past his prime, but according to the following paragraphs, it appears that when Apollon showed Inch what he could lift, that Inch was relieved the Inch 172 was not near. Also, whatever became of these photos of Apollon- where were they published?]

"He showed me some feats with the weights which made me fear Appolon (sic) as the one man who might lift my challenge dumbbell. I glanced at his nine-inch wrist and 16-1/2 inch forearm, and somehow I felt glad that my dumbbell was safely at home locked up in the box.

Slow but Great: "He was wont to swing two kettle-bells, both held in one hand, about 190 lbs weight, and such feats as he performed he went through in very leisurely fashion, just using huge strength and bodily weight, none of the express speed and science of the present day lifters.

"I heard a story of his prowess in a Parisian school, when he was challenged to pick up with one hand a thick-handled bell which no one had been able to lift clear of the floor. Appolon (sic) was not content with picking up the bell knee high; he snatched it and threw it down with a gesture of disdain rather comical to behold- funny to all except the school proprietor, who was looking askance at his wrecked school floor where the massive bell had fallen.

[note: would this be the Desbonnet dumbell incident? If so, Inch is incorrect about no one else getting the bell off the floor. By the way the modern Millennium dumbell is, so far as we know, a replica of the Desbonnet bell. Also, if this refers to the Desbonnet bell, then other versions indicate that Apollon lost his grip and the bell went flying backwards- he did not throw it down after a completed lift.]

"Appolon (sic) appealed to me as a man who could rise to really superhuman feats if only he could be roused. He appeared to have a lethargic temperament, with great reserves once he could be induced to really exert himself.

"Looking down the long years, one finds that just occasionally we do get a mountain of a man like Appolon (sic) who seems to have somehow received more than his fair share of strength and muscle. I cannot say that such men belong to the past alone, because to-day we have the huge Gorner, who appears to hardly know his own strength.

"But the passing of poor Appolon (sic) does give rise to the thought: 'Are the present-day strong men an improvement on the past or not?'

"It is a most intriguing question, and personally, after running through the names and ability of giants of the past whom I have known, I have no hesitation in saying that the lifters of today stand out as far more scientific and speedy.

[note: who, other than Apollon, slow or fast, could snatch or swing two separate weights on one hand totaling 190 pounds overhead with power in reserve?]

"Clever brains have not been at work since without it being fruit bearing. I have no hesitation whatever in saying that the men of the past could not hope to hold their own with to-days competitors at, say, the Olympic Games tournaments.

"Still, they were, standard-bearers; they were pioneers, their figures are still outstanding and regarded with respect.

"We have lost Sandow, Saxon; now Appolon (sic), and it is not long since the mighty Louis Cyr breathed his last. [note: Cyr died in 1912]

"But their names will always remain with us as long as the iron game lasts, and we shall always have a kindly thought for the giants of the dim past, even though they may not have lifted with the speed and science which is a sine qua non to-day."

Comments: Three months earlier in H&S magazine, Inch had written regarding his challenge dumbell of 172 lbs that "� to this day [Aug 11, 1928]it has never been lifted an inch off the ground�".

That is because he was very cautious about whom he allowed to try the bell. His acknowledgement that Apollon's casual one hand snatch of 190 lbs with two weights held in the same hand, and his admission that Apollon toyed with a bell no one else could lift off the floor, all point to the fact any student of Apollon already knew: he would have toyed with the Inch 172 also.

One other point. Inch had apparently forgotten that in 1907 he reported that someone had been awarded a prize for best effort in lifting the 172. How does one determine the best effort if the bell never leaves the floor? Best grimace, best groan, best shout, what?

And in 1908 he wrote of a couple of men who had moved the bell though neither man lifted the bell very far off the floor. So the bell did leave the floor, but he apparently did not recall those two incidents when writing in the summer of 1928, nor did he recall them when writing even later of the bell's history.

It is safe to assume that if Apollon could grasp the handles of two bells using only one hand, and swing or snatch the 190 pounds aggregate overhead, the 172 Inch would not be a roadblock, especially since even Inch acknowledged that Apollon performed the 190 pound feat casually, and not as a one rep maximum lift.

Thank you, Graham for sharing this article!