Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-02
A MAN MADE OF CAST IRON.
New York World.l

John Charles Collins, the ''Cast- Iron Man."
lies in ST. Luke's hospital with some alloy in
his composition. While he was acting last
fall as teacher Of sparring in Col. Monstery's
Academy in Sixth avenue he was suddenly
attacked with a sense of suffocation. He
was removed to Bellevue hospital and after
wards to st. Luke's, where he was found to
be suffering from paralysis Of the vocal
cords-the little organs whose vibrations
cause sound and which, when paralyzed,
fall together and prevent the entrance of
air into the lungs. The only immediate
relief of Collins was an operation that would
allow him to breathe from point below the
vocal cords, and SO a hole was cut in his
throat, or, as the doctor would put it, the
operation of laryngo-tracheotomy was per-
formed, and o double silver tube, open at
both ends, was introduced into the windpipe.
Collins was Immediately able to breathe
without the use or his nose or mouth and
in spite of the paralysis of the vocal cords,
and his life was saved. Since the operation
he has been doing well, and the doctors are
now treating him with view to cure the
paralysis. The case is a peculiar one, as
there are few instances on record of 9
paralysis of the vocal cIrds, and Collins
disease is further complicated by the facl
that the cause of his affection is unknown
Before he was attacked he had suffered from
slight cold, but was otherwise, as he had
always been, in the best of health.
A reporter of the World found the s'Cast
Iron Man, sitting up N bed attentively
reading newspaper, and wheeling through
the silver tube. 1t may be imagined thai
under these circumstances conversation was
difficult, but the "Cast Iron Man, endeav.
ored to make himself equal to the emergen
| cy, for taking long breath through the
tube he stopped up the orifice with his finger
and then began to talk with the air he ha6
introduced in this way into his lungs. His
voice, however, was only a hoarse, louG
whisper, and his speech was like that of 6
| venlriloquist. 81 don't know what gave me
this" said he ''for it came on all of sud
den. I nearly died. But last night wa
worse off. / got cold and the tube wal
stopped up. I tried to pull it out, but
couldn't, and / ran to a nurse, but b.
couldn't do anything with it either. Will
they were gone for doctor keeled over
anu when the doctor came he squeezed no,
ribs. But it was long time before I CAM
around"
Collins took another long breath through
his vicarious larynx, and throwing open hi
shirt, revealed chest that looked as if j
were clothed with the pelt of some grizzlet
animal. He pointed to an enormous swell
| ing on his left collar bone and asked, "Dt
you know what this is?''
The reporter arose to examine it.
"It's where the gentlemen tap me il
sparring.'' And the "Cast-iron Man." b.
way of illustration, "tapped" the reporter o.
his lett collar bone. Tue reporter student
resumed his seat. "I've been tapped ther
so often," continued Collins, taking anothe
breath, that that swelling came there. tn
doctors say it's curious thing, and they n
going to make cast of it,
| For few moments the "Ca t-Iron Man
gave himself up to breathing. AS he sat il
his bed he looked like a giant. His frame
immense in breadth and his great muscle
seem to have been turned into stone. Blu
his hands are small and very dextrous an
| flexible.
collins came here q good many year
ago." said Colonel Monastery. HE wa
originally sailor in the British navy, wher
be became known as the Cast Iron Man OF
account of his great endurance and his pow
er to stand great deal of physical punish
ment in the rough and tumble fights il
which he was frequently engaged. He wa
brought into prominence here by his fgh
with George Rookie. middle-weight cham
pion, at Fishers Island in 1867. Rookie wa
a very heavy middle-weight and he stoo
about six feet two, while Collins is onl
about five feet seven. Rookie whipped him
but Collins stood up SO under the punishment
that he fairly earned then, if not before, hi
title of the 'Cast-Iron Man. Afterwards b
went into the United States navy, and afte
leaving the service became teacher @
sparring in the Washington gymnasium. Fl
did we'll there. Sartoris, Grants SON. in Law
was in Washington at the time, and he wit
his friends used to spar with Collins. Sal
toris was delighted every time he could sue
coed in knocking the 'Cast-Iron Man dowr
and every knock down was as good as
twenty dollar note to Collins. The Marqui
de Potestad, of the Spanish legation, wa
also great friend of Collins, and offered t
give him 81, 900 any time he wanted to G
into business for himself. The marquis
now in Paris. He will probably be her
soon, and have sent him a letter abor
Collins. When Sartoris and his friends lei
Washington business became bad with Co
Inns, and he went on the United State
Scholarship as master alarms. When hi
time was out he came here as teacher c
sparrIng."
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