The Detroit times., 1908-12-24
IN FIFTY WRECKS,
ISN'T EVEN
SCRATCHED
VETERAN DETROIT RAILROAD
MAN HAS HAD REMARKABLE
ERlENcE-TELLs OF ASH.
TABULA HORROR OF 1877.

Inc coming OF TWO important dates
in the year bring memories OF two
terrible wrecks in which ne was in
volved TO one veteran Detroit railroad
man. Thanksgiving day and Christ
mas are the dark days In the list OF
remembrances OF John Johnson, now
night cashier In the Boerth lunch room
at Nc. 108 Woodward-ave.
On Dec. "a, 1877. occurred the ter
rible Ashtabula, O., wreck. In which
a hundred or more persons
who were homeward bound to
participate in Christmas festivities
met a frightful death. On Thanksgiv-
ing day. only few years ago, two
fast trains met on the Wabash, near
Seneca, Mich, and again nearly n
hundred persons we've crushed or
burned to death.
These two are the worst OF so
wrecks in which Johnson figured dur
ing 81 years on the railroad. From
all cof these wrecks he escaped UNI
hurt.
My mother used. to cay that l
would live 20 be 80 and thon he hang
ed" Johnson says In jest, when com
menting upon his good fortune. Il
am SO now, 30 that I stand good
chance Of fulfilling the first part OF
the prophecy"
Aside from his varied experiences
on the railroad Johnson has an inter
esting history of his own.
MY father was Maj. Lawrence Tai
iaferro. Indian agent in Minnesota
and my mother was a Wirnebago In
dian." he says. Father rad trouble
with the Indians In the northwest and
30 was transferred to Pittsburg where
he was involved In plot 10 ship guns
to the south before the war. He left
the army and enlisted as q confeder-
ate soldier, dying after the battle OF
Gettysburg. l changed my name dur
ing the war.
Later on, myself and nv brothers
tried to recover property near Lynch
burg. Va, which had been confiscated
by the government, but we did not
succeed. This property was worth
100000, and was forfeited on account
Of my fathers treason.
Il went on the railroad first in 1858
after having worked In a Pittsburg
hotel, and worked for number or
lines as a sleeping car porter.
had been on the Lake Shore a num-
Der OF years before the Ashtabula
wreck. We had pulled out OF Boston
the night Of Dec 20 and were due In
Chicago Christmas morning. the run
then being more than 80 hours.
I'VE were two hours late leaving
Buffalo and did not make W the time
There were about ESQ people on the
train and among them the great evan
gelical singer, Bliss. He arranged for
a Christmas eve concert &c take up
the time until we got into Cleveland
which would have been about Sis
In the evening.
Train Tumbies Into Creek.
THE porters were no slouches at
singing and they went through 10
get the people together. Everybody
was happy and singing IA we struck
the Ashtabula bridge. had just
gone TO my car. the City OF Erie
which was the last one ir the train
Of ten. when there was a crash and
double-headed--left the rails, and the
whole train went over the side OF the
bridge. piling up In the creek.
LAS | came through one OF the
sleeping cars Just before the wreck.
saw Hem, the train conductor, and
Wagner, the sleeping car conductor.
SlttlH6 oppObiNO Cetth OluCI. I1cuu
got out uninjured, while they never
found anything of Wagner but his
punch.
THE creek has been very high,
steep banks and the second engine
and the cars just piled up In a heap.
My car was on top. and ] smashed
window and got my people out. We
all crawled up the bank and I got
them together as was my first duty.
There was the most terrible up
roar with steam escaping, people cry
ing for help and screaming In agony
from the wreck and others trying to
get up the bank. In a few minutes
the flames took hold and then there
was no hope for those caught in the
cars. The wreck took place right In
the town and the police and firemen
of the city took charge anG kept us
all back. But their fire engines were
old-fashionej hand apparatus that
did not do any good and the wreck
| simply burned as long az there was
anything to burn. II was a terrible
night. was sent on 10 Cleveland
with the hospital train.
CLARK, the engineer. who built the
bridge, cut his throat after the dis
aster.