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North Bend Giant

From Kook Science

The North Bend Giant was an alleged giant skeleton that was claimed to have been excavated from twenty-five feet down a well being dug by Wat Eckman[i] and Mike Shots for James Malson at North Bend, Ohio during 1857, described in a newspaper report of the National Emporium as measuring 23 ft. 10 in. (7.26 m.) in height and speculated to have been possessed of such strength in life that it could "have thrown a cannon ball weighing 18 pounds" from Cincinnati to Indianapolis, some 88 miles (142 km.) distance. No further information has been found regarding the claim at this time.

Press Coverage

  • "'And there were Giants in Those Days.'", Westfield Republican (Westfield, NY): 1, 4 Feb. 1857, https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031732/1857-02-04/ed-1/seq-1/, "A correspondent of the National Emporium, writing from Cleves, Ohio, Says: "A few days ago, while Wat Eckman and Mike Shots were digging a well for James Malson, Esq., near North Bend, Ohio, the skeleton of a man, or rather of a giant, was found twenty-five feet below the surface of the earth, who, when living, towered to the enormous height of twenty-three feet and ten inches." Professor Lind, who examined the skeleton, says: "'The os humerous of the skeleton measured six feet four and a half inches, and the superior condly, where it enters the glendoid cavity of the scapula, measured eighteen & three-eights inches in diameter.' Hence, says the Doctor, 'admitting the proposition demonstrated by comparative anatomy, that all muscular power depends on the magnitude of the articulating condyles of the limbs to which they are attached, we arrive at the startling fact this monster man, while in full vigor of life, was twenty-three feet ten inches high, and was capable of wielding the forearm with sufficient force to have thrown a cannon ball weighing 18 pounds, from Cincinnati to Indianapolis, or a distance of eighty-eight miles, or to have taken a large millstone in each hand and have walked with perfect ease at the astonishing rate of thirty-seven and one eighth miles an hour." Professor Lind's os humerous, we fancy, must be quite as great as that of the giant described." 
  • "Bones of a Giant Found", Athens Post (Athens, TN): 1, 20 Feb. 1857, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1949176/gb_north_bend_oh_1857/, "Not long since, while the workmen were digging a well near North Bend, Ohio, the skeleton of a man, or rather a giant, was found twenty-nine feet below the surface of the earth -- who, when living, towered to the enormous height of twenty-three feet and ten inches. The skeleton was critically examined by Professor Lind, who arrives at the startling fact, that this monster man was capable of wielding the forearm with sufficient force to have thrown a cannon ball weighing 18 pounds to Cincinnati to Indianapolis – a distance of 88 miles; or to have taken a large millstone in each hand, and have walked with perfect ease at the astounding rate of 37 ½ miles an hour. – J-e-r-u s-a-l-e-m!" 

Notes

  1. Wat Eckman appeared in another unusual story from a correspondent in Cleves, Ohio, in which he was reported to have been nearly buried alive following a bout of violent illness: "Suspended Animation.", The Medical World 2 (12): 284, July 1857, https://books.google.com/books?id=KstXAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA234&lpg=RA1-PA234&dq=%22Wat+Eckman%22 .