The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-01-01
A MAN MADE OF CAST IRON.
New York World. I

A MAN MADE OF CAST IRON.
srssseefI New York World.]
John Charles Collins, the "CastIron 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
ward. Ito 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 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
paralysis of the vocal rds, and Collins
disease is further complicated by the fact
that the cause of his affection is unknown.
Before he was attacked ne had suffered from
a slight cold, but otherwise, as he had
always been, in the best of health.
A reporter of the World found the ''Cast
Iron Man, sitting up N bed attentively
reading a newspaper, and wheeling through
tbs silver tube. 1t may be imagined that
under these circumstances conversation was
difficult, but the "Cast Iron Man. endeav-
ored to make himself equal to the emergen
cy, for taking a long breath through the
tube he stopped up the ori6ce with his finger
and then began to talk with the air he had
introduced in this way into his lungs. His
voice, however, was only a hoarse, loud
whisper, and his speech was like that OF {.
ven,riloquist. 81 don't know what gave me
this" said he s.for it came on all of sud.
E den. I nearly died. But last night I was
, worse off. l got cold and the tube was
stopped up l tried to pull it out, but
couldn't, and T ran to a nurse, but he
couldn't do anything with it either. Will,
they were gone for doctor keeled over
ana when the doctor came he squeezed NJ.
ribs. But it was long time before cam,
1 around"
Collins took another long breath through
|
Q shirt, revealed a chest that looked as if i
were clothed with the pelt Of some grizzle'
i animal. He pointed to an enormous swell
Q ing on his left collar-bone and asked, ID
you know what this is?'
q 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
6 his left collar bone. Tue reporter suddenl
resumed his seat. 1--WE been tapped ther
so often," continued Collins, taking anothe
> breath, that that swelling came there. Th
& doctors say it's curious thing, and they r
going to make cast Of it"
o For few moments the sCast- Iron Mar
q gave himself up to breathing. AS he sat
q bis bed he Looked like giant. His frame
immense in breadth and his great muscle
Is seem 10 have been turned into stone. BIZ
\, his hands are small and very de1trOus an
70 flexible.
collins came here good many yea
70 ago." said Colonel Monastery. HE WE
il originally sailor in the British navy, whe,
% he became known as the 'Cast-Iron Man O
account of his great endurance and his pov
~ IL to stand great deal of physical punisl
nf ment in the rough and tumble fights
70 which he was frequently engaged. He WI
la OAouSuG lALC RIOAuACuC3 ASAS ~ AAho ~
with George Rookie. a middle-weight chan
:, pion, at Fishers Island in 1867. Rookie w
u. very heavy middle-weight and he stot
Ut about six feet two, while Collins is on
20 about five feet seven. Rookie whipped hit
IN but Collins stood up so under the punishme
that he fairly earned then, il not before. b
ay title of the 'Cast-Iron Man. Afterwards
EST went into the United States navy, and aft
IL leaving the service became a teacher
It's sparring in the Washington gymnasium.
did we'll there. Sartoris, Grants SON. in la
o., was in Washington at the time, and he wi
ne his friends used to spar with Collins. 81
ILL., toris was delighted every time he could su
be coed in knocking the Cast Iron Man dow
and every knock-down was as good as
las twenty dollar note to Collins. The Marc,
* de Po,estad, of the Spanish legation, "
YER also great friend of Collins, and offered
,le give him ST. 900 any slime he wanted to
into business for himself. The marquis
.or now in Paris. He will probably be he
~. soon, and have sent him a letter abe
"a Collins. When Sartoris and his friends !
~ Washington business became bad with G
81. Inns, and he went OH the United Sta
IVA Scholarship as master-at- arms. When
, time was out he came here as teacher
ny sparrIng.' .'