[ed note: Written by Charles W. Buchholz, Walter Katte, and M. N. Forney, this obituary was originally published in American Engineer, October 1893; the same lengthy obit was later republished by the ASCE in 1894. This is the first article in a multi-part study of the Johnson dynasty: fellow Has-Beens Charles, Henry and Sidney Johnson. Members of the Johnson clan were noteworthy players in the early days of the American signaling business from 1881 until the death of Sidney in 1951. Another related Johnson, Arthur H., returned to England and became one of the founding members of the IRSE in 1911. All were born in Higham Ferrers [p.high-am fer-ers], England, hometown of two other prominent Anglo-American signal engineers (and Has-Beens), the Patenall’s, Frank Patenall and Thomas Patenall.]
To those who knew him only in business relations or by reputation alone, the name of Charles R. Johnson - whose death occurred at Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks of New York on September 11, 1893 - will be associated with his occupation, which was that of a signal engineer, in which he was the most eminent authority in this country. Those who had the privilege of a more intimate acquaintance and friendship knew him not only to be a man of very marked ability as an engineer, but as a person whose character had a charm which attracted all who learned to know him, and were susceptible to the influence of a noble and generous nature.
He was a native of England, and was born in Higham Ferrers in Northamptonshire on January 17th, 1851. His father still survives him, and is William C. Johnson, who married Charlotte Sanders. The elder Johnson’s first occupation was that of a builder, and later he was employed by the firm of Stevens & Sons, makers of railway signals m London.
Charles R. Johnson was educated at Dr. Pinches’s academy in Kennington. London, and his first employment, was in the drawing office of the City Architect in that city from 1867 to 1869. He remained there about two years, and then went into the employ of a Mr. Head, a builder, to make estimates and oversee work.
When he was 23 years of age he made an engagement with the Messrs. Stevens & Sons, manufacturers of signals in London, where his father was employed. His work there was to oversee the erection of signals. At the same time his uncle, Mr. Henry Johnson, was superintendent of the erection of work in the North of England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the celebrated firm of Saxby & Farmer, of London, the leading firm of signal engineers in England and probably in the world.
This relation of the uncle led to an engagement of the nephew by the same firm, and in 1875 he entered their employ. He was at first associated there with his uncle, and had charge of the erection of work on different English railways. This gave him great familiarity with the difficulties and complications which are constantly encountered in adapting signals to the requirements of different locations and conditions. The amount of traffic on some of the English lines was then very much greater than on any of our American roads. Consequently systems of signals had to be developed and perfected there and adapted to the requirements of the truffle long before similar appliances were needed here.
In putting up the signals made by Messrs. Saxby & Farmer, Mr. Johnson had the most abundant opportunity of becoming acquainted with all the multifarious details of their construction, the conditions they had to fulfill, the difficulties to be overcome, and the dangers to be guarded against. He therefore acquired a wonderful knowledge of the principles of railway signaling, and the intricacies growing out of a vast and complicated business which had to be controlled by the appliances which his firm were providing. He not only had charge of this work in England and Ireland, but in 1879 he was sent to France to superintend work which was done on some of the principal lines there. In 1880 he was sent to India as the representative of the interests of Saxby & Farmer in that country. While there he was much exposed to the influence of the climate, and contracted jungle fever, from the effects of which he never fully recovered. He remained in India only about a year, and then, owing to his illness, went to Australia, where he spent a few mouths, and then returned to England. This was in 1881.
To understand “the state of the art” of signaling in this country at that time, it must be remembered that interlocking and block signaling were then almost unknown here. In 1873 Messrs. Toucey and Buchanan, of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, erected a system of interlocking signals and switches at Fifty-third Street, where the incoming and outgoing tracks of the Grand Central Depot in New York crossed each other. The plans of this apparatus were brought to this country by two brothers named Brierly, who had been in Saxby & Farmer’s employ in London, and it was a modification of the mechanism used by that firm.
Later a similar interlocking system was put in at the Spuyten Duyvil junction of the same road. This mechanism afterward was much improved by Messrs. Toucey and Buchanan. During the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, in 1876, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company erected some interlocking signals of the Toucey-Buchanan-Brierly system to control the traffic at the terminate of their line, adjoining the exhibition grounds, and a little later a Saxby & Farmer apparatus was placed on that road at the junction east of Newark, N. J.
The first use of block signals controlled by telegraph in this country was on the Pennsylvania Railroad about 1873. In 1876 Messrs. Saxby & Farmer exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition a very complete model of their system of interlocking signals, and also some of the apparatus employed in it and in block signals. It may be said that the acquaintance of many railroad men in this country with the systems of signals used in England dates from this exhibit.
The need of better methods of controlling the movement of trains on our railroads had been experienced on many of our roads, and a number of railroad officers had attempted to evolve some system, adapted to their needs, out of their inner consciousnesses, or they sought the aid of some inventive genius to help them out of their difficulties. Some of these attempts were of a fearful and wonderful character. The imaginations of railroad men and inventors ran riot in devising different forms of targets, disks, and objects with length, breadth, and thickness to be used as signals. Under the circumstances which then existed, it now seems remarkable that railroad managers here, having experienced the need of more perfect and systematic appliances for controlling the movement of trains, were not disposed to profit by the knowledge and experience of foreign railroad managers in this direction.
The demand for better appliances being apparent, it would be supposed that if there was any place in the world where more complete systems had been used for a long time, and had been developed and perfected, that those who were without such knowledge and experience would be willing to profit by that which others had acquired. Human nature, however, does not seem to work that way. Innumerable failures seem to be needed to teach most of us—railroad managers included — wisdom, and incline us and them to be guided by those who know more than we and they do. It was so in this country regarding signals.
In 1881 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company had experienced so much trouble with the crossing of their line with the Central Railroad of New Jersey at Elizabeth, and with other signal problems on their road, that they sent to Messrs. Saxby & Farmer and asked whether they could send a competent person to this country to advise them in regard to signaling. That firm recommended Mr. Charles R. Johnson, and it was under that engagement that he first came to this country. It may be said that he was the first engineer who was thoroughly and practically familiar with the systems in use in Europe, who was placed in charge of the construct ion of signaling systems here. On his arrival he made an investigation and report on the insoluble problem of the Elizabeth grade crossing and some other analogous subjects, and was then engaged by the Union Switch & Signal Company of Pittsburgh, which had been organized some years earlier, and had engaged in the manufacture of signals. During the first part of his engagement with this company he acted as a contracting agent for it. with his office in New York. Later he was made General Manager and removed to Pittsburgh.
In 1887 Mr. Johnson was married to Georgina Miller, daughter of Mr. George W. Miller, a noted lawyer of New York City. Mr. Johnson’s character was well suited for domestic enjoyment, and from its beginning to the end his married life was to him an unfailing source of happiness, the delight of his friends in a like state and the envy of those who were less blessed. He was a member of the New York Athletic and Raquel Clubs, and of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In 1888 an unfortunate disagreement with the officers of the Union Switch & Signal Company led to a separation, and Mr. Johnson then organized the Johnson Railroad Signal Company, whose works were established at Rahway, NJ, and of which he was the President and General Manager. The formation of this company was the realization of a dream which he in common with all ambitious men feel—that of being at the head of an enterprise of which they have the control. He worked at it with the energy which came from the hope of success and. confidence in his capacity for achieving it. His expectations were not entirely unfulfilled.
The enterprise was fairly launched and afloat and started on a prosperous voyage, when indications of failing health manifested themselves, at first at infrequent periods, which allowed him to give his time and labor to his much-cherished scheme; but just as success was assured, the warnings could no longer be disregarded, and in May, 1892, he gave up active business, and went to the Adirondacks with the hope that rest and out-door life would lead to recovery. Alternately hoping and fearing, he improved at times, but never quite recovered what he had before lost. His illness was long and sometimes painful, but he encountered that great enemy of the human race—consumption—with fortitude and resignation, and at last passed away peacefully. During all of his illness he was surrounded with friends who were very near to him, and was tenderly cared for. The last few months of his life were spent in his camp on Saranac Lake, where everything which could contribute to health or promote recovery was available. None of these were efficacious, and when the first autumn leaves began to glow with color, it was plain that the end was near, and on a quiet September day it came, and the life which had been so useful and made so many glad was ended.
The place where he died being accessible only by water, before the last solemn riles were observed the burial case was placed in a boat, and attended by those who were nearest and dearest to him, a sad train of frail vessels moved over the placid surface of the lake on a beautiful September afternoon, and thus began the journey to his last resting place on earth in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, N. Y., where he was buried.
Those only who had the privilege of intimate friendship with Charles Roberts Johnson can know how difficult it is to do justice to his character. Of his professional knowledge and ability little more need be said. The striking trait was the clearness and soundness of his judgment and opinions. He was not remarkable for ingenuity, and he once expressed thankfulness that he was not an inventor—the implication being that ingenuity was liable to interfere with or refract the inferences, opinions, and conclusions of an ingenious person, which unquestionably it often does. It may safely be said that in matters pertaining to his specialty of signal engineering there has never been any one in this country with as thorough a knowledge of that field, and whose opinions and advice could be so implicitly accepted.
As a friend and companion the charm of his character was indescribable. He was frank, generous, and thoughtful of the happiness of all. He was as considerate and courteous to his colored man who blacked his boots as he was to the president of a great railroad. While almost feminine in his tenderness, he had an amount of stored-up energy which was limited only by his physical strength. With a temperament which was cheerful under all circumstances, he was sympathetic and always ready to enter into the feelings and help those who were unfortunate. His ability and ’sterling integrity were recognized in many cases too late for him to reap the full benefit therefrom and which he had so fairly earned by an honorable life, by intelligent and faithful devotion to h is occupation, to his patrons, his friends, and in some instances to his enemies.
He leaves a wife who, with many friends, will always miss his pleasant smile, his charming companionship, and the sincere affection in which they all had occasion to rejoice.
Lost his battle with cancer on October 12, 2009. He was of McCandless Twp. Loving husband of Dana (Penak) Kantz and proud father of Madison J., Katie P., and John W. Kantz, Jr. Son of William and Patricia Kantz. Brother of Brian W. (Shawna) Kantz and Kelley (Scott) McGregor. John was also survived by loving nieces and nephews. Friends will be received Tuesday 7-9PM and Wednesday 2-4 & 7-9 PM at SPERLING FUNERAL HOME 700 Blazier Drive McCandless Twp 724-933-9200. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday in St. John and Paul Parish, Franklin Park at 10 AM. Memorial contributions can be made at www.sarcomaalliance.com.
