Matija Cekada

FATAL ACCIDENT NO. 4 - Nov. 27, 1907 — Matt Ckada, John Vernenti, Hecla Branch, C. & H. Mine.

A fall of hanging at the 59th level, No . 7 shaft of the Hecla Branch of the C. & H. mine caused the death of these two trammers on this date. An inquest was held and the following testimonies taken:

Wm. J. Badge: “I work for the C. & H. company. On Nov. 27th, the night of the accident, I was working in No. 7 shaft at the 59th level, North. The accident occurred about nine o'clock. We got down to our places of work about 5 minutes to 7 o'clock. We usually go inside where these men were working to hang our pails and coat, but they told us there were some block holes to blast, so we went back to the shaft with our coats and pails. We then went in and they told us they wanted us to blast. We barred down a big rock to blast and we blasted that three times. This rock came off a smooth hanging. We pinched down all we could and after they filled another car, we blasted two more rocks. We went in again after the smoke cleared and pried down every thing we could find and then blasted another rock, making six in all. Then Matt Ckada, one of the deceased, got up on a pile of dirt and sounded the ground with a bar and he remarked how good a hanging it was. This was about 5 minutes to nine. We were all satisfied to work there. I had just been sitting under that rock. We dropped our bars and went inside. I took up the hose to attach to the machine; just got it attached, when I heard a noise outside. I jumped up on the dirt and saw these two men under the dirt. It took us one hour and forty minutes to get them both out. I should judge the rock that fell on them was about 15 to 18 ft. long, 5 or 6 ft. wide and about a foot thick. This was in a “cutting out” slope. There was another slope further back; there was a breast drilled but not blasted. The timber was up as close as it could be, until this back breast was blasted. It was not more than about 8 ft. to the timber.”

Joseph Brayer: “I know deceased, was working with them at time of accident. I was piling the car when the rock fell and they were at the other end filling it.”

Verdict: That the said Matt Ckada and John Vernenti accidentally came to their death by a fall of hanging at the 59th level of No . 7 shaft, Hecla Branch of C. & H. mine, on the evening of Nov. 27, 1907, at 9 o'clock.