Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-02-10
A HOME.BRED HERO.
Over One Hundred Lives Saved by One Man
...Thc Brave Deeds of mn American John
Lambert--.What John Horn of Detroit
has Done.

has Done.
Among the applications made to the
last Congress for medal for services in
the saving of life was that of John Horn,
of Detroit, who may be Justly styled a
home-bred John Lambert. Mr.. Horn
is a young man living at Detroit, assist.
ing his father there in a small tavern
near the public wharves. Doubtless
this proximity to the water has given
him the opportunities which he has had
in several years for saving what he cal
culated 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 claim to
the attention of Congress. In collect
ing information in regard to Horns
singular and thrilling adventures, the
following letter was obtained from the
hero himself. It is a very modest and
not detailed report of what he has ac-,
complished, told in simple and homely
language, and will be read with peculiar
interest.
THE HERo's OWN STORY.
DEAR SIR: I have never desired q
public statement of the service which,
under God, have been able to render
in saving human life, but as you have
asked me to send you list of the men,
women, and children whom I have res
cued from drowning will do so, 80 far
as I can from memory. / have never
kept record of the names, and the
number is 80 great that you will excuse
me if leave some unmentioned.
think have altogether saved more
than one hundred human beings, but I
take no credit about this matter, and I
have never regretted doing what 1 have
done in any case, although 1 have had
at times to keep my bed for many weeks
on account of the exposure in the cold
weather: 1t is well for me that I had a
good mother to take care of me at such
times of sickness. On the twenty first
of Nay, 1S-, I saved Mr.. Manning, of
Windsor. On the seventh of July, 1865,
saved Mr.. George Taylor, of New York
State he was very near dead when 1 got
him on the wharf. October 10, 1866, 1
saved child of Mr.. F. German, Of
Adrian she was about five years old,
and was near drowned when got her
out. December IL, 1865, I saved son
of Mr.. Yates, who kept clothing store
on Jefferson avenue. The night was
very cold, high wind was blowing at
the time, and he was very near dead
when we reached the shore.
April II, 1866, was the worst night l
ever had. It will be ever memorable as
the night Of the great -conhagration at
the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad
depot, when sixteen poor fellows were
drowned. I rescued nine, and then be-
came so exhausted thatI could not swim,
and had to abandon them to their fate.
I got bad cold and lay in bed two
weeks, but that was nothing in compari-
son to the good accomplished. July 25,
1866, I saved Mr.. Joseph Noble, Of
Windsor, and I believe you were there at
the time. He was once engineer on the
Great Western railroad. You know he
came near drowning me by his struggles
in the water, at which time [ received
severe internal injuries. April Z, 1867,
I saved the son of Mr.. @. Myers, who
lived in Mullet street. He was boy
about twelve years old. June IA, 1867,
I saved the daughter of MIR. Andrew
Morse, of Cleveland. She was going on
board the ferryboat with her mother
and some other 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.
Sept. Is, 1867, I saved a colored man,
who was o deckhand on the propeller
Meteor. He kicked me about in the
water terribly, for drowning men are al
ways crazy. Nov. 2, 1867, saved Mr..
David Miller, the man who drove q
wagon for Hull Bros, storekeepers on
Monroe avenue. May 10, 1868, L saved
Mr.. Robert Sinton, known as "Free
Press Bob" You know he used to be a
reporter for the Free Press. And in his
haste to get news he fell in, and I got
him out.
A few nights after that 1 saved Mr..
Steele, who used to keep a store on
Michigan avenue. He was on the ferry
boat with his wife; he had very spirit
cd horse, and was holding him by the
head when the boat struck the wharf.
The horse jumped and threw him into
the river, when the current swept him
under the wharf. I jumped in and got
him out all right. vct. 4, 1868, [ saved
a daughter of Mr.. Mcdonald, of Wind
sor. May IL, 1869, I saved Mr.. Flat
terry, one of the Flattery Brothers who
keep a furniture store on Woodward
avenue. He was a heavy man; when 1
got hold of him he was near gone, and 1
came hear losing my own life in getting
him out. June 21, 1870, I saved man
called Mr.. George Brodier. 1 was eat
ing dinner at the time, when some per-
on came running in after me, saying:
"There is man in the river" | ran
out and jumped into the river, and as
soon as got near him he clutched me
like wise and took me under the water
twice. When I came to the top the last
time, my father handed me long pole,
which l caught, and that saved me. He
was a powerful man, and kicked and
struggled so hard that he made my legs
black and blue for many months.
My mother goes to the edge of the
wharf with me very often, when I jump
in; but when she sees persons struggling
in the water and drowning, she never
holds me back.
August "a, 1871, saved the daughter
of Mr.. A. Wilson, of Milwaukee. March
4, 1872, l saved a colored man by the
name of George Wilkes; he fell off the