The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-01-14
"A Home Bred Hero Martyr.
OVER ONE HUNDRED PERSONS sAVED FROM
DROWNING by ONE MAN.


saving of life, says The N. Y. Tribune, was
that Of John Horn. Of Detroit who may be
Justly styled \ home bred John Lambert.
The character and adventures of John LAM
bert, of Scotland, were very graphically
described by Charles Reade year ago i'll
the New York Tribune. under the title of
a s'Hero and Martyr Mr.. Horn is a
young man living at Detroit, assisting his
father there in :, small tavern near the pub
lie wharves. Doubtless this proximity to
the water has given him the opportunities
which he has bad in several years for saving
what he calculates in the aggregate at
about one hundred human lives from death
by drowning.
The Hon. Moses w. Field, of the House
of Representatives, who knew Horn in
Detroit, brought his claims to the atten-
tion of Congress. In collecting infnrma-
tion iu regard to Horns singular and thrill
ing adventures, the following letter was
obtained from the hero himself. 1t is a
very modest and not detailed report of
what he has accomplished, told in simple
and homely language, and will be read with
peculiar interest
TIE HERO's OWN STORY.
The Hon. Moses W. Field, HOUSE Of Repre-
sentdtsr>s.
DEAR SIR Il have never desired pub
lie statement of the service which, under
IOu- l. nave peeu aDIe 10 TcilUeF III Saving
human life, bat as you have asked me to
send you list of men, women and chill
dren whom | have rescued from drowning,
will do SO, SO far as [ can from memory
| have never kept record OF the names,
and tie number is so great that you will
excuse me if leave some unmentioned.
| think | have altogether saved more
than 100 human beings, but | take no credit
about this matter, and have never re-
Il
although | have had at times to keep my
bed for many weeks on account Of the ex-
posure in the cold weather. 1t is well for
me that | had good mother to take care
of me i'll such times Of sickness. On the
21st of May, 19-, | saved Mr.. Manning of
Windsor. On the 9TH of July. 1865,
saved Mr.. George Taylor. of New York
State he was very near dead when | got
him on the wharf October TO- 1885. /
saved a child of Mr.. F. German. of Adrian;
she was about years old, and was near
drowned when | got her out. December
12 1865, saved {. son Of MIR. Yates who
k vt clothing store on jefferson avenue.
Tie ptp,.. vas very cold. high wind was
blowing at the ti.:-,H. and he Was very near
dead when we reached -" wharf.
NINE PERSONS SAVED IN ONE NIGHT
April II, 1866, was the worst pit,"t
ever had. 1t will be ever memorable rs the
night OF the great confiagration at the
Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad depot,
when 16 poor fellows were drowned. res
cued ., and then became so exhausted that
| couli not swim, and had to abandon them
to their fate. | got a very bad cold and
lay in bed two weeks, but that was nothing
In comparison to the good accomplished.
July 25, 1866, I saved Mr.. Joseph Noble of
Windsor, and believe you were there at
the time. He WAS once engineer on the
Great Western Railroad. You know he
came near drowning me by bis struggles
i'll the water, at which time l received Sc
we're internal injuries. April :, 1867,
saved the son OF Mr.. c. Myers, who lived
in Mullet street. He was a boy about 10
years old. June Il, 1867. l saved the
daughter of Mr.. Andrew Morse, of Cleve-
land. She was going on board the ferry
boat with her mother aud some OF her ladies'
when she fell off the plank When I got
to- the wharf she was going out Of sight for
the last time, and plunged in and brought
her to the surface. September Is, 1867, /
saved a colored man, who was deck hand
on the propellor Meteor. He kicked me
about i'll the water terribly, for drowning
men are always crazy. November ., 1867,
/ saved Mr.. David Miller the man who
drove wagon for Hull Bros, torekeepers
on Monroe avenue. May 10, 1868, saved
Mr.. Robert Sinton, known as "Free Press
Bob" Gou know he used to be reporter
for the Free Press. Aud in his haste to get
news I've fell III. and got him ont
/ n few night after shat saved Mr.. Steele,
I who used to keepa store on Michigan ave
nue.. lie was on the ferry boat with his
! wife he had a very spirited horse, and
/ was holding him by the head when the
boat struck the wharf. The hoIse iumped
and threw him into the river, when the
current swept him under the wharf /
jumped in and got him out all right Oc-
. toher 4, 1868, | saved daughter of Mr.
McDOnalds, 1f Windsor. May 12 1869.
saved Mr.. Flattery, one Of the Flattery
! Brothers, who keep n furniture store on
I Woodward avenue. He was heavy man:
! when ! got hold of him he was near zone.
/ and came near losing my own life iu get
/ ting him out. June 81, 1870, | saved a
man called Mr.. george Brodier | was
eating dinner at the time, when some per
/ son came running III after me, saying,
! There is q man i'll the river" [ ran ont
and jumped into the river, and as soon as
! i got near him he clutched me like a wise
and took me under the water twice When
. came to the top the last time, my ia; her
( handed me a long pole, which / caught,
and that saved me. He was powerful
man, and kicked and struggled SO hard
that he made my legs black aud blue for
many months.
My mother goes to the edge of the wharf
with me very often, when Jump in but
when she sees persons struggling in the
water and drowning, she never holds me
back.
EIsKiNo HIS LIFE WHEN FIVE HUNDRED
STOOD IDLY BY.
August -, 1871, saved the daughter Of
Mr.. A. Wilson, Of Milwaukee. March 4
1872, | saved a cnlored man Ivy the name
of George Wilkes; lie fell off the wharf
while under the influence of liquor, but
think he has been 4 sober man ever since
July 4, 1878, [ saved the daughter of Mr..
f. Barlow, butcher who keeps a stall in
the market. She was going on board the
ferry boat Detroit with her mother and
some other ladies'; the crowd was yery
great. being the Fourth Of July. and al.
though bcr mother held her by The hand,
the crowd sur2ed, and she was CT DIVIDED of
the plank aud fell into the river. There
were about 500 people on the wharf at the
time, and they were all staring at the poo,
girl struggling in the water, not one al