COMPARATIVE PULLING STRENGTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 15

COMPARATIVE PULLING STRENGTH.

The Scientific American publishes a table showing the results of pulling trials recently carried out by garnum and Bailey's circus, at Madison Squar£ 3jwd»n, New York. It is as follows: — •

The last column, in which is tabulated the amount pulled per pound of weigh* of tho man or animal, as the case may be, shows that the best result was obtained by a team of horses of 16001b weight, which pulled 187iiu per horse, or 11721b per lib of their own weight. It was much better than that obtained when six horsos were coupled up, although tho six horses were individually ii*!x"Y.c-j.\ Ti-is is exj'lai.iid hy tho iact that there was difficulty in getting -the six horses to pull together. The men showed up well, the results with 50 men on the rope boing very much better ithan with 100 on. This was to be expected, the hundred men being so close together that there wa-s no opportunity to get a good footi&s, or to ge-t a pull in line with the

rope. Assuming an average weight of 1501b per man, which is the commonly-accepted average, wo find that the mien, with 50 on the rope, did almost as well in proportion >to their weight as the horses. Understanding the conditions, they gave a longer and steadier pull, snrl were not discouraged by the fact that the load did not move. The elephant, a seasoned veteran, "that has done a great deal of hauling and pushing of car^ and waggons for the cirevis, did his best work when hitched up by a couple of l?in ropes to the dynamometer, with the spring interposed. His weight is 12,0001b, and he pulled 87501b. This, although it looks like a splendid result as an effort of a single animal, still ranks lowest of any in tho table when tested on a basis pull per pound of weight, the result being only .7291b as against 1.1721b for the horse. Bricks are being delivered on trucks at Patea at £2 per 1000.

•si 1 "o So. Description. 8 '3 S 1 2 50 LOO 6 2 I 1 Horses „ .. Men „ ;. .. Men „ .. .. Horses .. .. Camels .. .. Elephant . ■ 1,600 150 150 1,800 1,800 12,000 3,750 8,760 12,000 8,875 2,750 8,750 1,875 175 120 1,479 1,375 8.7 c 0 1*1721b 1 -1561b. Q-81b. 0 -8221b 0-7641b. 0'7291b.