Obit: Martin, Herman (1889 - 1920)
Contact: ken@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Martin, Booth, Campbell, Peterson, Eckhoff

----Sources: Marshfield News (Marshfield, Wisconsin) Thursday August 19, 1920 P. 1 C. 3

MAN KILLED BY ELECTRICITY

Herman Martin Loses life in Handling Wire of an electric light

Accident Happened Tuesday at His Place of Employment

Another man lost his life by electrocution in the city Tuesday forenoon. He was Herman Martin, West A. Street, 31 years old.

This death occurred in less than three weeks from the time Marvin Peterson, an electrician in the employ of the city, lost his life in a similar manner. He was killed by coming in contact with a live wire on August 4.

The accident in which Mr. Martin was killed occurred in the lumber warehouse of the Booth-Campbell Retail Lumber company, where he was employed, and was unwitnessed. The circumstances indicated that he received the death shock while handling a coil of extension cord of an electric light which had hung on a lath in a pile of lumber.

The body of Mr. Martin was discovered by c0-employees, upon investigation, when they heard the sizzling noise of an electric light cord, which was burned into. Both his hands showed burns.

The deceased was born in Chicago July 22, 1889, and had been a resident of this city a number of years. Surviving him are his mother, two sisters, the Misses Hulda and Elsie, city, and one brother, William, Spokane, Wash.

Supt. Eckhoff of the light and water department stated the voltage of the lighting system is 2,300 volts up to the transformers, in which the load is reduced to 110 volts for the light wires, hence a drop cord should carry no more than 110 volts.