Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-10
MIKE TRAY HAS
SUDDEN DEATH
VETERAN BURLINGTON ENGI-
NEER VICTIM OF APoPLExY
THIS MORNING.
STRICKEN AT FAIRFIELD
Died in Twenty Minutes After Being
Brought to the Ottumwa Hospital
Was in Charge Of Fast
Mail, No. 49,.

Stricken with apoplexy while IN
! charge of the engine pulling Burling-
ton fast mail No. ID at Fairfield this
morning, Engineer Michael Tray, one
OF the best known and most trusted
enginemen on the Burlington, was tax
en- from the engine in the local yards
and removed to the hospital where ne
succumbed in twenty minutes.
No other topic is being discussed to-
day about the Burlington yards AMI
general Offices, so justly popular was
this veteran engineman in whose care
the destiny of the best trains OF the
road has been left many times during
the past dozen years
Fireman Takes Charge.
The occasion of death is said to have
been apoplexy and was first noticed by
Engineer Tray near Fairfield where he
complained of dizziness that would
not permit him to realize fully what he
was doing Fireman Clyde Brown took
charge of the engine leaving Fairfield
and the stricken man retired into the
tender where he rested until reaching
the local yards. A stop was made OPP
posite the roundhouse at 1925 a. m. and
Engineer Tray removed from the en-
CINE to the ground where he was made
as comfortable as possible until medi-
cal aid could be given. Engineer w. S..
Childs took charge of the engine and
the train proceeded west at 1928. The
ambulance arrived shortly after the de-
parture of the fast mail train and con-
veyed the stricken engineer to the hos
pital. Life did not inger long after
reaching the hospital and the victim OF
the stroke rapidly sank, dying about
twenty minutes after arrival.
A Veteran Engineer.
Thus ceased suddenly the life of a
man well thought of by his fellows and
much trusted by his employers. Mich
ael Tray was one of the veteran en-
gineers of the Burlington and his death
has proved shock to his large circle
of friends about Ottumwa, where he re-
sided for many years before taking
passenger run out of Burlington, which
his removing to the latter
city.
On Railroad Thirty-eight Years.
Michael Tray was born some fifty !
eight years ago in Mill Greek, a suburb
of Pottsville, Pa, and has railroaded
for thirty-eight years He began, his ca
partment of the old Philadelphia &
Reading railroad. with which road he
worked about sixteen years, most OF
which time he handled the throttle. In
1888 with many other p. & r. men he
came west to the C. B. & O., and for
many years resided in Ottumwa living |
on blackberry street. He was a freight |
engineer between Ottumwa and Ores
ton for many years and was given u
run in the passenger pool early in the
nineties, before the passenger division
was taken from Ottumwa to Burling-
ton, and has held his place in the pas
senger pool for several years. For the
past twelve years he has been one Of
the fast mail engineers and his expert
knowledge as well as his record for
careful running made him one of the
most valuable men in the engine de-
partment Of the great railroad.
Family Survives.
He leaves to mourn his loss wife
and seven children as follows:
Miss Nellie Tray. John. Thomas
Robert, Florence. Joseph and Paul, all
of Burlington Four brothers and two
sisters also survive, being: Robert, an
engineer on the Burlington. who with
his family reside at 1343 East Main
street: Patrick and John, of Pottsville,
Pa: Daniel of Pleasenton. CAL; Mrs.
Il. Feeley of Philadelphia, Pa. and Mrs
Patrick Horr of Pottsville, Pa.
Michael Tray was member Of the
B. of L. E. and the knights of Column
bus of Burlington.