Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-14
SUDDENLY STRICKEN.
Mr.. 7. D. Messler the Victim of a Very
Serious Paralytic Attack.
NOTED P. &. r. OFFICIAL
In Critical Condition, But the Physicians
Entertain Hopes.
HE Is HEAD OF MANY CORPORATIONS

At late hour last evening inquiry was
made at the Fifth avenue residence of T. D.
Messler, Third Vice President and Con-
troller of the Pennsylvania Railroad. as to
his condition. The whole community was
shocked Yesterday morning by the rapidly
circulated information that Mr.. Messler had
been dangerously prostrated by paralysis,
due to extreme heat, and was believed to be
dying.
1t will crafty his countless friends to
learn that. though in a critical condition,
Drs. Fleming and Hamilton express hope of
saving the life of their distinguished pa
tient. He had partially regained conscious
ness and was being made as comfortable as
possible.
For several days Mr.. Messler had suffered
severely from the extreme heat, but had in
sisted upon attending to his multifarious
duties as usual. When he left his home for
his office yesterday morning he complained
of feeling of lassitude. He had not been
in his Office quite an hour when a clerk, en-
terIng to present some documents for sigma
ture. found Mr.. Messler lying forward upon
his desk moaning in agony and nearly un-
conscious. No time was lost in summoning
DIR. Joseph N. Dickson, who did all he
could with the aid of the employe until Drr.
Fleming and Hamilton arrived. Under the
joint efforts of the three physicians Mr..
Messler's sufferings were aIleviated. and his
oldest son had been communicated with and
had arrived. After consultation it WIS de-
termined to remove the patient to his home.
An ambulance was secured from the Homeo-
pathic Hospital and he was placed therein,
and the long drive to his home via East
Liberty, in order to get the benefit of the
smoothness of the tracks, was safely ac-
complished. Mr.. Messler complained of
pain, however, during the whole OF the
ride.
RESTING MORE EASILY.
He was resting easily last night, and Drs.
Hamilton and Fleming, who had been in
constant attendance upon him, professed
hopes of saving his life. although admitting
the critical nature of the case. Mr.. Messler
showed recognition of the voices of his fam
lily, who were all present, his son Eugene
arriving on special train from Cresson at
o'clock last evening, having been
summoned by telegraph. Always near
sighted, Mr.. Messler was utterly unable to
see the faces of his family, and his right eye
was affected by the paralytic stroke, it
being upon that side of the body. Neither
of the attending physicians would express
positive opinion as to his recovery, but
both seemed to have strong hopes of pulling
him through the very unexpected attack.
His family state that Mr.. Messler's health
has been very robust, and it is we'll known
in railroad circles that he had an immense
capacity for hard work.
For many years Vice President Messler
has been guiding spirit in the manage
ment Of "the greatest railroad in the
world" He was boSp in May, 1888. and is
now in his 57th year, and his ancestry is
one of the famous old-line Dutch families
which settled Manhattan Island. The
family tree traces seven generations in
America, and Attorney Remsen v. Messler,
eldest son of the stricken man, has recently
been elected member of the Holland So
ciety, of New York, an organization con-
trolled by the De Puyters, Van Rensalaers,
and other ancient families of New York
City.
HIS CAREER SKETCHED.
Mr.. Messler was born in Somerville, N.
j., and received an excellent education ac-
cording to the ideas of half a century ago.
His first railway experience was as clerk
under the senior Fisk, in the New York and
Lake Erie Railroad, the service of which
corporation he entered in 1858, while yet
below his majority, in the capacity of
clerk in the Auditors Office, where he i'm
bibed thorough knowledge of railroad
financial affairs. In 1856, he became Au-
ditor of the Fort Wayne Railroad,
under the famous old railroader,
Judge Hannah, of Fort Wayne, Ind
In the period of 1866 to 1871 he acted
as assistant to the President OF the Fort
Wayne Company. In the latter year his
eminent financial abilities were recognized
by his election as Controller of the Pennsyl-
vania Company, and his election to the
Third Vice Presidency of the Pennsylvania
Company in 1888 was an honor we'll merited
by the recipient. He has acted in the double
capacity ever since, and has been one of the
most valued officials of the road, holding
identical positions on the Pittsburg, Cincin-
natl and St. Louis Railroad.
1t is stated that the family name was
originally Metzalaer, borne originally by a
fine old native of Holland, who sought these
shores in the seventeenth century. The
name has been gradually changed into
Messler.
Among other official positions held by
Mr.. Messler are the following: President of
the St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute,
the East st. Louis and Carondelet, the
Northwestern Ohio, the Cincinnati and
Muskingum Valley and Ohio River Con-
Meeting Railroad Companies, the Newport
and Cincinnati Bridge Company, and Chair
man of the Executive Committee of the
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Com