2. | BRAY, Melvin died on 26 May 1925 in Natural Bridge, Jefferson County, NY. Notes:
Watertown NY Daily Times - 5/27/1925
Natural Bridge, May 27.-Just
how Melvin Bray, ??-year-old oiler
came to be caught between the
pinion and the 50-toot gear under-
neath the rotary kiln and cooler at
the plant of the Basic Refractories
corporation, which resulted in his
death here yesterday morning, will
never be known.
This was revealed at an inquest
held at the company's office by Dis-
trict Attorney E.. R.. Wilcox late
yesterday afternoon. There was
no eye witnesses to the fatal acci-
dent. Six employes of the company
testified at the inquest and each
said that he did not see his fellow
workman become entangled in the
year and meet death.
The inquest showed that Bray
was not oiling the machinery at the
time. His oil can was about three
feet from the pinion and gear. The
pinion and gear work upwards, an
investigattion showed, and the bot-
tom of the pinion ger which con-
nects with the big 50-tooth year is
only eleven inches from the ground.
It was in this small space that
Bray's right arm was caught.
His arm was worn from its socket,
his head was dragged between the
teeth of the pinion and the big
gear and mangled badly. The acci-
dent resulted in the power being
shut out instantly. Basti Cooper,,
brother-in-law of Bray, was the first
attracted to the scene. He was his
relative lying on the ground under-
neath the pinion and then spread
the alarm to other workmen in the
place, saying "Mel is caught in the
machinery and is dying." When
the workmen arrived Bray was
dead. It is believed that he was
killed almost instantly.
Eward Van Tassel, foreman; Ar-
thur J.. Sechrist,, superintentent;
Ora Pack,, burner; Glen Williams,
machinist, and Paul andrus and
Everett Peck, laborers, were worn
at the hearing. All testified that
Bray wa a temperate man and of a
pleasant disposition.
District Attorney Wilcox is of the
brlief that Bray slipped as he was
walking by the pinion and gear and
fell underneath. The district at-
torney declared that it was not a
suicide. The wife of the ded man
said that he left the house at 7 yes-
terday morning in the best of spirits
and that they never had any
serious quarrels.
The deceaed was the main sup-
port of a family of 13 children. Six
were his children by his first wife
while his second wife had five chil-
dren when he married her. It also
was her second marriage. Two
children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Bray since their marriage five
years ago. Bray earned $21 a week
at the plant where he had been em-
ployed for four years.
Melvin + COLONEY, Hattie. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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