Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1901 — ENGINEER HAMILTON IS DEAD. [ARTICLE]

ENGINEER HAMILTON IS DEAD.

The Chief Promoter of the New Railroad Dies Sflddenty of Heart Disease. R. A. Hamilton, chief engineer of the proposed Chicago & Toledo Transfer Railroad, died suddenly at Rochester, Fulton county last Monday morning, Nov. 4th. The particulars of his death are here given, from the Rochester Evening Sentinel. :i There was universal surprise and sadnes’fK is Rochester this morning, wheh the report circulated that Cot. R. A. Hamilton, Chief Engineer of the proposed Toledo and Chicago Transfer Railway had suddenly died. He had been slightly indisposed for a week, which he attributed to some violent exercise in running to catch a train at his home at Goodland, but he was up and about the Arlington hotel every day and had only written his family once to the effect that be was not feeling very well. Sunday night he was somewhat restless in the early part of the night and his brother, who slept in the room with him, inquired if he was feeling worse and he said no and soon after dropped into a sound sleep, which lasted until morning. At 5:20 his brother was suddenly awakened by a shriek of agony, “oh, my heart” and when he reeohed his bed he was gasping in death and the fatal affliction oame, it is believed, while he was sleeping. He had been troubled some with heart disorder the doctors told him it was from excessive cigar smoking and he thought little of it and worked as hard as ever. Robert A. Hamilton was bom in New York state in 1842 and worked at oivil engineering from his boyhood. He v held important positions in the construction of the Eel River and the Old Continental railroads and was Chief Engineer of the Chicago & Great Southern. One year ago he joined the proposed “Tippecanoe Route” promoters, whioh is to run through this cijty, and has been very aotive as 'one of the principal pushers of the company. Col. Hamilton was a genial, modest gentleman who was held in high esteem by those who knew him. He had lived at Goodland for nearly a quarter of a century and leaves a wife and five grown ohildren, and there the body will be taken and laid to eternal rest.