Iron History with Joe Roark

Joe Roark's IronHistoryArchives.com

The HUGE library of Iron History compiled by Joe Roark.

Welcome to Iron History with Joe Roark!

Joe Roark has been studying the iron game since 1957, and by 1970 began a systematic gathering of information on index cards. By the time his first computer was acquired, there were several hundred thousand references to be typed into it.
For a few years he published his own newsletter called MuscleSearch: The Roark Report. By 1992 he was appointed as the IFBB Men's Bodybuilding Historian, and began writing about history for FLEX in his column Factoids. For ten years he contributed to Iron Game History from the U of Texas at Austin. Recently he also began writing All Our Yesterdays for FLEX.
His passion has always been the period between 1880 and 1920, with particular emphasis on the oldtime strongmen of that era. Joe will be offering bits of history for Cyberpump once per week, and the text will be relevant to the dates of the calendar for those events of yesteryear relevant to the coming week.
In this column, readers will also be able to ask Joe questions or comment on his posts. Note: The comments are solely for interaction between Joe and the readers only -- not reader to reader.

Apollon 2
Thursday, January 30, 2003
From VIM magazine March 1941, a letter written by Professor Edmond Desbonnet to Leo Gaudreau, October 7, 1931. Leo translated the letter from the original French of Desbonnet, whom Leo described as �in all probability� knowing �more about Apollon as anyone.�
�Monsieur,
�Louis Cyr did not come to France, I saw him in England, during his contest with Sandow.. Louis Cyr was certainly a man of extraordinary strength, but his feats were completely different than those of Apollon, it is not possible to say that he was superior to Apollon, moreover he was not.
�Apollon could snatch 220 lbs. with one hand using five 44 lb. weights, and he could snatch a bar of 225 lbs. with one hand, a very difficult bar that very powerful athletes such as Cyclops and others could not lift from the floor with one hand. Apollon used to lift every night his rail-way wheels which the youthful Rigoulot has just succeeded in cleaning and jerking. These wheels weighed 366 lbs. The difficulty of the bar was such that Rigoulot who can clean 401.5 lbs. had to train for several months before he could clean these rail-way wheels.�
[Roark note: So Desbonnet, who had seen both sets of rail-way wheels, asserts that the set which Apollon lifted at virtually every performance, was indeed the heavier of the two sets, the 366 pound set, which Rigoulot also had lifted on March 3, 1930- about a year and a half before this letter was written.]
�However it must be recognized that Louis Cyr was a man of great muscular power and we could place him directly after Apollon, but the structure of the two men was so much different, that at first view, a good judge of athletes would see right away that the strength of Apollon was greater and more natural than that of Louis Cyr, and more, Apollon did not train, while Louis very spirited and endowed with self-esteem trained enormously and he died relatively young because he abused feats of strength (I think that Desbonnet means that Cyr over-did certain strength feats that were more harmful than good.L.G.) while Apollon died at 68 years, quite intact, following an indiscretion. Having had an abscess in his throat he did not want to have it lanced as the physician advised, and more, he slept in a cold room, the abscess broke during the night and the pus poisoned him.�
�To resume, I recognize that Louis Cyr was an extraordinary man, but he did nothing to maintain, nor to prove that he was Apollon�s superior, Louis Cyr was especially strong in one and two arm presses and especially in the bent press, Apollon trained very little at these feats, but in contrast he did other things that proved his ineffable strength�.
Now Gaudreau offers: �Personally, I like to think that Apollon was the most powerful human that ever lived, but all my friends know about my great liking for stage and Circus and they would say I�m singing praises to another performer. Regardless I would not care to be so dogmatic as to nominate a man for that position. Saxon lifted more one hand and two hands than any man before or since. [1941] There are Gorner�s dead lifts, two hands over-grip style with 661 lbs. and one hand deadlift with 602 lbs. [Roark note: please notice Gaudreau does not use or attribute the higher poundages to Goerner that some do] How about Steinbach�s 341 lbs. Two Hands Continental Jerk with Dumb bells and press in the same lift with 309 lbs. Then we have Cyr�s great feats. As to Apollon, who beside him could lift nightly those iron car wheels or snatch with one hand either 4 or 5 forty-four pound weights or better the high figure he squeezed the Regnier Dynamometer to, in a half-hearted attempt, complaining it hurt his hand.
�John Valentine and I have been bickering over this for years; every time I mention Apollon he brings up the name of that great Italian strong-man Maciste, but facts about Maciste�s strength (much as I admire him) are relatively less than those concerning other strong men.�
Keeping in mind the above was from 1941, in fairness we should acknowledge that later, Leo gained some doubt as to which set of wheels Apollon daily lifted, mentioning in his classic ANVILS, HOSESHOES and CANNONS: The History of Strongmen, Vol 1, 1975, p 152, where after poring over 29 newspaper accounts of Apollon�s performances- accounts which lack important details, Leo found mention of the railcar wheels in only two reports, but Apollon�s piano lifting feat was mentioned far more often.
He concludes �Although all of the foregoing information is thin, there is no doubt that Apollon did own and lift a set of railroad-car wheels weighing from all accounts, 118 kilos, or 260 pounds. This needed to be told to understand and appreciate the second phase of this story�� Leo then goes on to discuss how Charles Rigoulot lifted the heavier set of wheels. A trail we will not follow at this time.
Returning to VIM magazine, now the April 1941 issue wherein Leo continues his story about Apollon, after my note:
[The most important factors in reading about oldetime stronmen are are:
1. Who wrote the material? (some authors deserve to be automatically and immediately doubted in their details, and their work serves only as a starting place for other researchers to doublecheck.
2. Do not read the text with blind acceptance, as the following paragraphs illustrates:]
�In his act Apollon, we are told, used to take a rectangular weight of 176 lbs., snatch it to overhead with one hand and then allow it to come down to a full stop at arm�s length in a hold-out. This weight is shown in a photo of Cadine which I own; it was also depicted in his huge poster, a photo of which I am fortunate enough to own.� [the image atop ironhistory.com shows this weight at Apollon�s feet, 80 kilograms]
There are ample tales of Apollon using his top-handled 176 lb weight in one arm snatches, and this level of strength he in fact possessed. But: to then slowly lower the weight to straight arm parallel to the floor and HOLD it there? Leo continues:
�About snatching this weight, I have no doubt IT WAS WELL WITHIN HIS POWER (Roark emphasis) because it seems to have been his favorite stunt. It was, however a common strength test among French athletes at the time. Three 44 lbs. rectangular weights snatched with one hand placed you among the elite. Apollon was unique because he could snatch four of these AT ANY TIME (Roark emphasis) and as was mentioned previously, San-Marin tricked him into lifting four of these weights that had surreptitiously been fixed to weigh- not their usual 176 lbs.- but 198 lbs.! At no time have I seen it recorded that any other strong-man snatched four 44 lb. weights with one hand. It must be realized that a man capable of one arm snatching a 176 lb. barbell in approved scientific style cannot compare himself in strength to a man one arm snatching four 44 lb. weights in a less scientific style.�
Now here comes the questionable part:
�However, I cannot believe that the 176 lb. rectangular weight was muscled out, even incorrectly. It was the custom among professionals to have duplicate block weights. Outwardly the appearance was similar. In weight, one was genuine and the other was false, or much lighter When in danger of being invaded by rivals the genuine weights were used; the false weights were used to conserve their strength or for purposes of trickery. Apollon was no exception to this rule and I suspect his hold-out with a 176 lb. rectangular weight was performed with a false or lighter weight of similar appearance
�You must also remember that these holdouts were not always held out by the ring; but the weight was held partly on the palm of the hand and extending up on the forearm. I speak now not only of Apollon, but of other athletes and weights credited to them.
�One lengthy newspaper account dated October 9, 1893, gives him credit for a hold out of 110 lbs. and further states that without a doubt to have held out such a weight he must surely have resorted to trickery. The word trickery here, I presume, refers to resting about two-thirds of the weight on the forearm.�
It should be kept in mind, though, that on the occasion of what Apollon deemed to be a challenge by the Rasso Trio, December 18, 1892, Apollon would NOT have employed his false weights (if he had any) because his reputation was on the line, and as part of his performance that day, �The famous 176 lb. rectangular weight was snatched with one hand and held-out for three seconds with considerable bend at the waist.�
My conclusion is that, if Apollon owned a false 176 lb weight (hollowed, or made of something lighter than cast iron), he would not have employed it when his reputation was being challenged by the Rasso Trio. Even today no one can holdout 176 pounds one handed! So the feat probably involved cheating in technique instead of cheating with the poundage. For every inch closer to the shoulder the weight is held out, the easier the lift becomes, plus the backbend described reveals his trunk was not vertical, which also may indicate the arm was not parallel to the floor, but upward, adding to the ease of the lift, so whatever happened, it cannot be accepted as a proper hold out with 176 pounds.
But please notice, that even by using these cheating changes to the proper form, we never hear of anyone performing this feat in this manner- even a cheating hold out with 176 lbs
Indicates a wonderfully yet horrendous, frightening level of strength.
Having said all that, it is also true that in his usual performances, Apollon lacked, or at least chose not to employ, skilled movements in his lifts, as Gaudreau describes: �All of Apollon�s chroniclers seem to concur that his lifting was quite unscientific, or, to be more specific, he assisted himself but very little with his legs. Believing these things and with knowledge of Rigoulot�s two arm jerk of 402 lbs. (performed through strict training) we must arrive at the conclusion that Apollon properly coached and trained would have arrived at a figure in the two arm jerk as unattainable by other strong men as Saxon�s 371 lbs. bent press seems to be.�
[for the moment we will bypass whether Saxon managed 386 in that lift]
However, Desbonnet�s description in the Kings of Strength regarding the ease with which Apollon could swing or could snatch- one handed keep in mind- four 44 lb weights as �easily overhead without the slightest effort� seems to be camped in Lake Make Believe.
We end this installment with a paragraph translated by David Chapman from the Kings of Strength, where the context is Cyclops, Sampson, and Apollon meeting at a pub, after Apollon had gone onto the stage during the performance of these other two men, and accepting their whispered pleas to �not take away a colleague�s livelihood�, Apollon graciously did not interrupt their performance. Then,
�After the show, the three strongmen met once more at a pub frequented by music hall artists, and Cyclops displayed his famous arm. At the request of several fans, Apollon bared his own arm, and the frightful arm of Cyclops seemed to be that of a child in comparison. Never in the athlete�s memory could he recall seeing an arm like that of Apollon�.
Let me offer this plug: David Chapman, as time allows, is perfecting his translation of the Kings of Strength. When ready we will announce it here, push it here, insist here that you buy a copy because it contains jewels of information that have been locked into French for many years and are soon to be breathing free English air! That may be several months away- or longer- a publisher must be found etc., and in the meantime we will but sparingly season out effort with David�s text. It is for him to get the honor when the text comes out as a whole.
Apollon 3 coming soon

Posted by TheEditor @ 07:49 PM CST
Necrology 2002
Thursday, January 16, 2003
I apologize for the sketchy information which follows- during 2003 I will be writing the necrology for 2003 and present it in January 2004, but for 2002, the idea came to me late, so this listing will be missing some details. Please feel welcome to supply them if you have them. Some references are offered for those who may have collected the older issues of magazines.
More information can be obtained from the 2002 editions of ironhistory.com for some of the following, but my current schedule prevents me from more investigation at this time. But, feeling you would rather have some information rather than none, here are some of the iron personalities that left us in 2002:
Deaths during 2002:
Joe Ponder, born Jun 7, 1923, died 2002.
See Ironman Mar 1979, Muscular Development Aug 1981, Muscle-Up Dec 1980 and Aug 1984 for more info
Al Berger, died 2002
Rick �Grizzly� Brown died Jan 6, 2002 at age 41
See Muscular Development Dec 1985, and Muscle Training Illustrated Sep 1991
George Eiferman born Nov 3, 1925, died Feb 12, 2002
I interviewed George on Jun 29, 1999- heartwarming, wonderful man, with a lifetime of physical culture memories, including being crowned Mr. America 1948 and IFBB Mr. Universe on Sep 15, 1962.
Anthony Ditillo died; born 1947
He began writing for Ironman in Jan 1968 and wrote nearly five dozen articles, ending in Nov 1986. Also 8 pieces in PLUSA from Jul 1979 thru May 1980, In Milo, Oct 1993 thru
Sep 1999 (I have not filed Milo in quite some time, so more may be there)
Hans Hopstaken born Jan 12, 1957, died Apr 12, 2002
Lou Thesz born Apr 24, 1916, died Apr 28, 2002
A wrestler, more than an iron guy, but from all accounts, he deserves a mention.
Dave Mayor, born Aug 1916, died May 27, 2002
See S&H May 1936, Sep 1964, Sep 1970; Ironman Nov 1977 p 70 for ref to his reverse curl with 175 lbs for 3 reps
Dr. John Gourgott, died Jul 19, 2002 at age 61
Wrote the Ask The Doctor column for S&H from Jan 1969 thru May 1971. Dr. John Pulskamp then resumed writing it. In Aug 1966 Gourgott and Starr wrote �Improving Your Olympic Press�.
Roland Essmaker, born Mar 24, 1916, died Oct 3, 2002
AAU Mr. America 1939, former radio announcer, splendid person.
Dr. Russell Wright, born Jun 9, 1904, died Oct 18, 2002
I have three articles as written by him in S&H: Mar 1968, May 1968, and Apr 1972.
Vic Boff, born Oct 22, 1915/1917, died Nov 9, 2002
Wonderful human being, and founder of the Association of Oldetime Barbell and Strongmen which held an annual dinner to honor the pioneers in our sport. The next dinner on Jun 28, 2003 will honor Vic- which would have made him feel uncomfortable in the way that only a truly humble man can. And he was that. So, Vic, sit back and smile as your friends sing your praises!
Armand Damon �Babe� Stansbury, born Oct 11, 1925?, died Nov 12, 2002
Stricken with polio as a teenager, Babe went on to develop a great upper body in spite of his legs being paralyzed. Later became a gym owner.
Johnny Perry died Nov 21, 2002
Up and coming strongman performer.
Abe Goldberg, died Dec 4, 2002
Won Mr. Eastern North America on May 28, 1948 as well as best arms, back, chest, and most muscular. My files show only four competitions.
Ron Orlick, died Dec 22, 2002
Son of E.M. Orlick
Ron Teufel, born 1947, died Dec 22, 2002
Bodybuilder who began by competing in nine contests in 1975, and trying several times for the AAU Mr. America, then switching to the IFBB pro circuit. Here are his IFBB placings:
Apr 4, 1981 5th at the Washington DC, Grand Prix
Apr 11, 1981 5th at the Lafayette, Louisiana, Grand Prix
May 8, 1982 7th at the Night of Champions
Aug 20, 1988 14th at the Chicago Pro
During 2003, please notify me if you hear of the passing of an iron personality, and I will try to follow-up on the information. Please do not assume that I have already heard of a person�s passing, especially if it is a regional news item, rather than a national one. Thanks!

Posted by TheEditor @ 06:27 PM CST
Apollon 1
Saturday, January 11, 2003

'Apollon' was the stage name used by two strongman performers: The J.C. Tolson, born on Jul 16, 1903 is not the one to whom we refer here. It is Louis Uni, aka Apollon (pronounced AP a lon) under examination.
In 1911, Professor Edmond Desbonnet, the founder of physical culture in France, published a book entitled: THE KINGS OF STRENGTH: History of All Strong Men From Ancient Times to Our Day. It is, of course, written in French, and has been translated by two Americans, working separately. Leo Gaudreau's finished work, he told me, was sent to Joe Weider many years ago, but has never been published. Leo died on Jun 1, 1990 at the age of 85, having been born Aug 9, 1904.
Here is an excerpt from Leo's letter to me dated Apr 9, 1986:
"Now for Les Rois de la Force. I have completed it and the MS. is in the hands of Joe Weider. My translation was done the hard way�I tried to hold to Desbonnet's original meaning. I am not a formally educated man. I have asked that not a word be changed but who knows what a publisher will do. I have no idea when it will be published�if ever! There are characters in the book that Anglo-Saxons never read about.
Your MUSCLESEARCH is INTERESTING.
Very Best Wishes, Leo"
That manuscript sits in darkness, somewhere, having never been published.
The other translation, by David Chapman, who currently writes history for Ironman magazine, has been a work in progress for several years, and it pleases me in no small measure to have sitting on my desk as I type this, a draft of that translation which is described this way:
"This first unedited version of The Kings of Strength is presented to Joe Roark by the translator David Chapman in grateful recognition of his help and generosity over the years. May we always be good friends, amiable colleagues, and trustworthy historians" May we indeed!
Please keep in mind that any references I may make in this series on Apollon will depend heavily on David's translation of this book- and without access to the meaning of Desbonnet's book, my research into Apollon, who frankly is my favorite oldetime strength performer, would be hindered considerably. So thank you, David, for your kindness. By the way, David is working on his final draft and we will most assuredly inform ironhistory.com readers when it is ready and how to acquire a copy, but this may be months away.
Desbonnet, after profiling many of the strength performers, concluded that two men stood above the field due to overall, multi-funtional strength capabilities: Louis Cyr, of Canada, who was about twenty-one months younger than Apollon, but who died in 1912, probably about the final year of Apollon's performing days, so Cyr died at age 49, sixteen years before that second super strong man, Apollon.
Louis Uni was born in Marsillargues, Herault, France on Jan 21, 1862. He died On Oct 28, 1928, and the only reference I have ever seen of his burial place attributes his resting place to Evreux, France. But a Frenchman named Amaury, who frequents the grip board discussion group recently journeyed to Evreux for the express purpose of locating the grave of Apollon. Here is his email to me:
"Hi Joe!
"I went to Evreux on Friday afternoon [Dec 20, 2002] and alas, came back empty-handed�
"The facts are plain: there is no Louis Uni buried in any of the four cemeteries of Evreux (South of Rouen, Normandy, France)! I hardly need to point out that I was bitterly disappointed when the janitor of the Saint Louis Cemetery told me the news after checking her files!
"Maybe Apollom died at Evreux but was buried elsewhere (well, we KNOW now that he is not buried in Evreux)?? Maybe the registry office could answer that?
"I don't know.
"I'm sure you're just as disappointed as I am!"
Indeed I am Amaury! And thank you for the kindness in attempting to locate the burial site of the greatest of the oldetime strongmen.
Apollon began his strongman career at age 15 (1877) and continued it until around 1912 when he was 50! His best and strongest period according to Willoughby was from 1889 to 1892 (ages 27 to 31).
He married twice, had three children and nine grandchildren.
APOLLON: One of the most helpful physical characteristics possessed by Uni was his hand size- a length of nine inches and a palm width of 4.7" His 6'3" frame carried various poundages through the years, ranging as an adult from 260 to 280 pounds. His wrist circumference was 9". His forearm, measured with the entire arm, including wrist, in a straight line, with clenched fist, but without goosnecked-wrist flexing (very important distinction) was about 16.5", which was, and remains today a monstrous size forearm when measured in this manner. Nonetheless, he was far from the magic, almost unattainable ratio of muscular forearm being twice his wrist circumference.
I am fully aware that other, larger, measurements have been attributed to Apollon- one other reference offering 17.75 instead of the 16.5 I just mentioned, and one offering that when the forearm was bent and goosenecked, a reading of 19.5" could be attained.
One wonders at his lack of push- he always lifted well within his limits, and would rarely approach his top shelf strength, lifting only enough to win, or enough to convince others that what they were observing was the best that could be observed. His training methods consisted not in systematic regimen, but more casual and sporadic training- one almost concludes he did not train much as an adult-other than using his performances as training occasions.
Terry Todd wrote in Muscular Development magazine Mar 1973 "Unfortunately, Apollon could only rarely be coaxed into trying anything near the limit of his strength. Only when goaded would he reveal the power of which he was capable." And David Willoughby offered in Ironman Jan 1975, "�He never 'trained in the systematic and long-continued manner adopted by present day aspirants in the sport of weightlifting".
But even this casual approach yielded him more mass than was carried by Vasily Alexeev.
As we examine Apollon and his various lifts, some thoughts should be refreshed:
1. The feats of his era often included one arm lifts, or lifts with two arms but with separate objects being lifted in each hand. The bench press was unknown (as were benches for this purpose), squats were not in vogue as they now are, gear, whether referring to internal or external aids (chemicals or cloth) were not allowed, and any strongman employing such tactics would have met with ridicule rather than approval.
2. Further, the styles of lifts have changed since the Uni unique days. Louis disdained dipping under a weight he was cleaning (and I am unaware that he ever continentalled a weight). He never pulled a weight to waist height and then thrust his body beneath it- his were more what today would be termed 'power cleans'-very little dip, very much strength. Even his snatches were high pulls.
3. Although plate loaded weights came into popularity during his career, so far as I know he never employed them in his public demonstrations. Arthur Saxon preferred training with plate loaded weights but used globes for his performances in many cases. In connection with this, some of the weights Apollon used were not balanced, that is, one end might have more weight than the other end, which of course, meant that extra wrist strength was needed to maintain level.
4. Apollon's hand size allowed him to use thicker bars with the same ease that a shorter handed man used regular size bars. For example: a man with a hand length of 7.5", as measured from tip of middle finger to first wrist line would find the circumference of the original Inch 172 pound dumbell had the exact circumference of 7.5" and would find that bell murderously difficult to elevate. But Apollon's hand length of 9" would be, of course, 1.5" of excess grabbing length as compared to a hand length of 7.5" on that same bar. (It would be as though the man with the 7.5" hand were grasping a bar of 6" circumference, or 1.91" diameter. Keep in mind the Apollon wheels bar had a diameter of 1.93", so Apollon's hand was three inches longer than it's circumference, which, again, for a 7.5" hand would be the same as a bar of less than 1.5" diameter. This should not be interpreted to mean that a hand length of 7.5" when encircling a bar of the same circumference, will find the middle finger tip and thumb tip touching. Far from it.
Please read that paragraph until you understand that Apollon's hand length removed many difficulties encountered by men of shorter hand length-that he SHOULD HAVE been able to perform many of the thick bar feats attributed to him! For Apollon to be on a level playing field with a 7.5" hand length dealing with the Inch dumbell, that is, the circumference of the bar matching the lifter's hand length, would have required Apollon to use a bar circumference of 9", or 2.86" diameter.
To digress for a moment: The purely fair way for lifting to take place in thick bar events is for the hand length of the lifter to measure the same as the circumference of the bar. Thus the above example where a 7.5" hand dealing with a bar diameter of 2.38" is in fact an equal playing field to Apollon using a bar diameter of 2.86. Put in other terms, for Apollon to use a bar circumference 1.5" less than his hand length (which is the original Inch dumbell) meant that someone with a hand length of 7.5" should be allowed to use a bar circumference 1.5" less than his hand length, or 6" circumference, which is 1.91".
I know this is tricky and thought provoking, but because it has not been fully examined before, many have not considered the full implications, and rather than understanding how such a hand size is an advantage, have instead simply doubted Apollon's strength.
For reference sake, here is the chart I composed for bar circumference and diameter, from our Extras section (click here).
This is, of course, very impractical in manufacturing terms, but very practical for each lifter to compose such a bar for home use. In this way the man with a 7.5" hand would be trying to lift the 2.38" Inch original dumbell, while Apollon would be dealing with a bar diameter of 2.86, which is half an inch thicker. [there is the factor of where the thumb is 'placed' on an individuals hand, because what really matters in a grip sense is the circle size formed by the lifters thumb tip and middle finger tip, which circle will be larger as the thumb placement on the hand is 'higher' or closer to the wrist.]
So, please keep in mind when reading about some of the phenomenal lifts attributed to Apollon that he had a tremendous gripping-surface advantage, coupled with an immense amount of strength. Cyr's hand length was 7.75" so he had a disadvantage in thick bar when compared to Apollon.
Leo Gaudreau, writing in VIM magazine in Feb 1941:
"Unfortunately, all photographs of Apollon now in existence, are poor, furthermore, it is common knowledge among old-timers contemporary with him that he never swelled his chest or bulged his muscles to impress." He was prone to 'relaxed' shots in bodybuilding terms.
Leo continues: "To add to this difficulty, Apollon was not a weightlifter as we know them at present (competitive lifters or record holders). We must delve into the records that have been written by appreciative men of his time to know and understand a strength that was taxed to its limit only once."
Leon See's 1906 account of that incident is then offered by Gaudreau.. See attributes it to Apollon at age 26 [ 1887 ], and I quote the version as presented in VIM:
"One evening, Apollon had to give out with all his strength, and the modern Hercules accomplished a feat that in all probability would have defied the strength of the Hercules of mythology.
"A number of years ago he was performing in the music halls of Paris, and other big cities in an unique and impressive strength turn. He was 25 years of age. His musculature was incomparable, his enormous proportions unmatched, and he was further endowed with a head as shapely as his physique, suggesting great reserve energy, a phenomenon of power that capricious nature produces only once in ten centuries."
See then mentions he has seen Sandow, Cyclops, and John Grun but "none of these 'turns' was comparable to Apollon's" [turns means performances]
Then Gaudreau switches from See's version to his own version based on "the large amount of material I have studied". Gaudreau attributes this to the year 1889, not 1887. Chapman also accepts 1889.
"We are comfortably seated in the theatre and eagerly awaiting the rising of the curtain, the start of Apollon's act.
"There is inspiring music; the curtain goes up.
"The scene is an old castle wall, barely discernable in the gloom.
"I rapid heavy step is heard, and through an iron-barred gate we see a dark form approaching.
"It is the shadowy form of a huge man wrapped in a great cloak, obviously one intent on escape. The alarm is sounded, the guards are in pursuit, shots are fired. The heavy iron gate obstructs the way of the prisoner.
"So graphic is the scene that the audience imagines that it is witness to a real life happening.
"The desperate man grabs the gate and tugs at it frantically as he hears the cries of the guards.
"Time is precious.
"Madly he grasps one of the bars and by a tremendous effort bends it back. Through the opening we see a great bare arm, and arm as big as an average man's thigh. It is well proportioned from finger tips to shoulder, with great bulging muscles like intertwined ropes of various sizes.
"The audience is awed at the sight of such a limb.
"With another tremendous effort born of desperation, the bars are pried apart. The man's cloak partly opens by the effort, and we get a glimpse of a bare leg that can be compared only to the pillar of a temple�
"Now through the forced opening appears the prisoner's head, shoulders, arms, body. All are brought hastily, feverishly into concerted pressure against the cold, resisting metal.
"The guards are almost upon him-but too late, for his enormous body comes through the forced opening. The prisoner is free, leaving behind bent and twisted bars, mute evidence of his superhuman power."
That was how Apollon began his act. Before the next performance, a blacksmith would straighten the bars in such a way that Apollon could again bend them- this was after all, the start of his show, not the finish. This was the only dramatically 'faked' part of his act. As was customery in those days among some strongmen, Apollon allowed the public to have access to the barred gates before show time- probably in the lobby during the afternoon or early evening. Certainly no normal man could bend the bars open, and thus when Apollon did in fact squeeze through the bars the local strongmen who had tried to bend the bars in the lobby, knew they were witnessing true strength.
Gaudreau continues:
"On one occasion, the smithy, supposedly ignorant of their purpose, heated the bars to a red hot heat, and straightened them. Instead of allowing the iron to cool off gradually he poured cold water on the hot metal. This, as anyone informed on the subject can tell you, made the metal harder and consequently the bars were more rigid."
Apollon was unaware that the bars had been tempered in this way, and was expecting the usual amount of resistance.
"That evening the scene opened as usual and all went well up to the point where Apollon attempts to bend the bars. From this point we go back to Leon See's writings. In the company of Professor Desbonnet in a theatre in Lille [France], he saw Apollon's greatest feat of strength, and the translation starts as Apollon grasps the bars of the iron gate:
"His two powerful hands grasped two of the bars, and the formidable muscles of this Colossus produced their effort.
"To his ineffable surprise, the usual things did not happen. He applied more pressure, but in vain, the iron was resistant.
"Without releasing the bars, he turned toward his wife in the wings, anguish written on his slightly low brow and with the unforgettable expression of a wounded animal, he exclaimed in a low choked voice:
"'I do not know what is the matter- I cannot pass'
"His wife believing him in a lazy mood, ordered him severely to hurry and apply more strength and proceed through the bars.
"So he applied himself to the task. All acting was forgotten, his huge cloak which embarrassed his movements, was thrown off his shoulders. Pressure was applied with all his power, the veins of his neck stood out like big blue ropes, it was terrifying.
"His efforts shook the whole scene, as if it had been in the path of a hurricane.
"Bit by bit, under his prodigious efforts, superhuman, the bars started to bend. In the theatre an unprecedented silence prevailed; the spectators held their breath; the only audible sound was the loud gasps from the depths of Apollon's enormous chest at every effort.
"The strong man, now maddened, was giving out for the first time in his life the extreme limit of power; he had now brought into proximity with each other two of the bars, his powerful hands grasped these and gave a great muscular contraction. When he released these bars they were touching each other.
"By forcing his shoulder at the expense of ugly lacerations, he was able to buttress his back against a bar and by applying pressure with concerted strength of arms and back the bars slowly bent and partly broke. Slowly, painfully, through an opening hardly large enough for his body, the giant's head, torso, and finally the entire body emerged.
"He had accomplished the greatest feat of strength of his career. Breathless, covered with perspiration, his great chest rose and fell like a bellows, and his breath was heard at the farthest corner of the theatre.
"He advanced to the edge of the stage, staggering slightly, eyes blood-shot, exhausted, he said simply: Behold there it is.
"When his weights were brought out, he was unable to lift them.
"A snatch of 176 lbs. went no farther than shoulder-height.
"His 176 lb. juggling weight was missed at first attempt.
"He advanced to the edge of the stage again and in breathless spasms said: Please excuse me, I do not know�what is the matter�I do not feel well�I am afraid to miss my tricks�and break the floor�
"He bowed, and with faltering steps, returned to the wings.
"The theatre remained silent. The audience, mute. Intuitively they realized that they had witnessed an extraordinary performance.
"Back stage, the athlete was sprawled in a chair, chin resting on his chest, his enormous forearms supported on his thighs were swollen to an enormous size. They must have measured nearly nineteen inches in this condition, and they had lost all regular shape."
Please notice what See wrote next:
"Apollon had a persecution complex, and it was his unshaken opinion that he had been the victim of the manipulations of a jealous rival.
In the Mar 1941 issue of VIM, Gaudreau recounts from Professor Desbonnet what happened after this:
"After leaving the stage Apollon went into such a rage that no one dared approach him. Even Professor Desbonnet who usually exercised a great influence over the strong man for the two-fold reason that Apollon was normally a person of docile character and because he placed great confidence in the Professor- the Professor, I say, thought it prudent now to leave out any talk of the evening's accident."
After midnight Desbonnet left Apollon and his wife, and they returned to their Hotel Bellevue apartment, where at ten the next morning Desbonnet, having determined that the blacksmith made a well-intentioned error, showed up to report that news to Apollon, but Mrs. Uni relayed that her husband had experienced prolonged nightmare's during his fitful sleep.
Desbonnet explained the mistake by the blacksmith, Apollon scolded his wife for not managing his stage props better, and one gets the impression that Apollon's anger had come from realizing that indeed his strength also had a limit - as did the strength levels of his fellow strongmen.
Though the above feat of bar bending strength is not measurable in any meaningful way, except that it drew Apollon to the edge of his strength for the only time in his career, it demonstrates the absolute extreme of that edge, and why, in most other lifts he demonstrated, he nestled in well away from that brutal border in a range of strength in excess of other men, but safely in his 'casual' zone.
PROBLEMS: The above version sets this tale in Lille, France. W. Parsley writing in Health & Strength Dec 1932 agrees that Lille was the location and the Variety Theatre specifically. But David Willoughby puts the incident at the Follies Bergere in 1889, when Apollon would have been age 27. Webster notes both versions but makes no choice in the matter. Obviously, it is unlikely that the bars were improperly tempered twice, and I cannot explain the discrepancy of location, except to say I side with Paris because the Hotel Bellevue was located there.
Later this month, Apollon part 2.

Posted by TheEditor @ 06:47 PM CST