Obituaries: "Johnson - Johnston surname"; Winn, Louisiana Submitter & Submitters date as listed with obit. Source: As listed ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** List of names in this file: W. E. Johnson ===== Submitter: Greggory E. Davies, unless otherwise noted. Date: 20 June 2004 Source: Winnfield News-American February 3, 1928 Two Are Killed As Doubleheader Train Is Wrecked Passengers Escape Injury as Speeding Locomotives Leave Rail Two men are dead and two others are seriously injured as a result of a Missouri Pacific passenger train wreck at Rochelle last Thursday. The dead are Sam R. Addis, 63 years old, of 2304 Jackson Street, Alexandria, and W. E. Johnson, 28, of El Dorado, Ark. Addis, who was engineer of the first of two locomotives drawing the train, was caught in his cab and fatally scalded. He died at a hospital in Alexandria soon after being taken there. He was the oldest engineer there. He was the oldest engineer in point of service on the Alexandria division of the Missouri Pacific railway. Johnson, who was fireman on the second locomotive, died at Antone Junction, while en route to the Alexandria hospital, thirty nine miles away, on a special train. His skull was crushed and his right leg broken. It is believed that he suffered his injuries by jumping from the locomotive just before it turned over. W. G. Schultze, engineer on the second locomotive, suffered severe burns on the face from steam. He was, however, able to go to his home, 1313 Monroe Street, upon arrival in Alexandria. His injuries are not considered serious. Frank B. Addis, 39, of 1804 Day Street, Alexandria, a son of the dead engineer, and fireman on the first locomotive with his father, suffered burns on the face and body from the escaping steam and a crushed right foot. None of the passengers on the train were injured. Both locomotives were running ahead of the coaches. It is believed the wreck was caused by running into an open switch. Engineer Schultze declared that the train, which ordinarily makes sixty miles an hour, had stopped at Georgetown, and after leaving there was running about forty five miles an hour by the time it reached Rochelle where it was not to stop. As it reached the switch, he saw the locomotive in front swerve on the switch, after which it turned over. After his locomotive went over the embankment, he was enveloped in a cloud of steam. He was able, however, to extricate himself in a short time, and saw a number of men taking Engineer Addis from the wreckage. He then looked around for his fireman, and found him on the ground, unconscious more than a car lengthy from the engine. Frank Addis was next taken from the first locomotive for safety. The train had gone on the switch more than four car lengths before the locomotives turned over. Sam Addis, the dead engineer, was born in Missouri Valley, Iowa, had been in the railroad business for forty five years, and an engineer for thirty eight years. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and of the Masonic Fraternity. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and one daughter. Johnson has been residing at 423 Fourteenth Street, Alexandria. He has a mother and two children in El Dorado, Ark. =====