Zachary - Elijah - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

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Zachary - Elijah

Source: Waveland Independent -- Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana -- July 30, 1915

Elijah Zachary, a nephew of Hez Zachary was caught by a sand slide in the Lane street sewer at Crawfordsville on Tues. afternoon and instantly killed. The body was not recovered until after 9 o'clock, being covered by 18 feet of earth. He leaves a widow and 5 children. The funeral was held yesterday morning. Mr. & Mrs. Hez Zachary and Harmon Zachary attended. The victim and his wife spent Sunday here with Mr. & Mrs. Hez Zachary.

Source: Crawfordsville Journal Wed July 25, 1915 p 1
Coronoer H.B. Williams announced the following verdict at three this afternoon:" "Elijah Zachary came to his death by suffocation, caused by pressure of sand and gravel upon his chest and abdomen; resulting from a cave-in of the sides of the trench in which he was working; that due precautions seem to have been taken by the contractors in charge of the work to protect the workmen and that his death resuled from an accident the cause of which could not be foreseen." In an effort to learn the precise cause of the death of Mr. Zachary in the cave-in of the Lane Ave. sewer Tues afternoon, Coroner Williams conducted an inquest in the small court room today, exmining 13 witnesses . The men brought before the corner were workmen, who were at the scene of the fatal accident and others. Six men were questions before noon when athe inquest was adjourned until one in the afternoon. The chief point that Cor. Williams seemed to be trying to bring out in the inquiry was the question of whether the accident would have been avoided had the boards formint the studding of curbing extended to the bottom of the ditch, instead of ending at a point 4 or 5 feet above the bottom, leaving the dirt banks on each side for this space. All the witneses testified that the placing of the curbing boards was inspected by Mr. Zachary before he entered the ditch each day. If the boards had not been placed in a manner satisfactory to him he had their position changed before going into the ditch, the winesses testified. There is Much More -- testimony of the men there --
Funeral services for Elijah Zachary, who met death in the cave-in on the Lane Ave sewer ditch on Tues afternoon were held from memorial Chapel were attended by a crowd that filled the church to overflowing. Rev. Solin, pastor of the church delivered an impressive sermon in which he paid tribute to Mr. Zachary's life and offered consolation to his widow and children. The pallbearers were members of the IOOF of Waynetown, Mr. Zachary having been a member of that order. Bur. was in Mt. Tabor.

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