LOUIS KRONFORST

Maribel Man Meets Death by Electrocution on Lines High Falls Co.
There Last Night
Louis Krumforst (sic), 32, Meets Instant Death on Pole of Wire Line
While at Work on Private Telephone Wire.
Wife in Critical Condition.
Death by electrocution was the fate of Louis Krumforst, an employee of
the Maribel Lumber company at Maribel last night. The accident happened
while Krumforst was making an investigation of trouble on the private
telephone line connected with the High Falls Power company lines between
Green Bay and this city.
Just how the accident happened has not been determined though an
investigation is being made by Manager Carlson of this city who was at
Maribel at midnight last night following report of the death of
Krumforst. The dead man was 32 years of age and is survived by a widow
whose condition was reported to be critical today following collapse
from the shock of husband's death.
The private telephone line is used by the High Falls in reporting
trouble on the cable line and has been taken care of at Maribel by A.R.
Kant, manager of the Maribel Lumber company, who would then report the
trouble over the Bell line to the superintendent. Trouble was noticed
at 10 o'clock last night Krumforst as detailed to locate the trouble,
climbed up the pole to the telephone box and was electrocuted. The main
cable is six feet above the telephone wire and all wires were heavily
insulated and just how the accident could have happened is not known.
One theory advanced is that in swinging a wire of the telephone line,
Krumforst threw it into contact with the cable and received the shock.
No inquest will be held. Krumforst was well known at Maribel and his
death was a severe shock to the community.

Manitowoc Daily Herald, Saturday, May 11, 1918, Page 1
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STATE INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION HOLDS HIGH FALLS, $3000
Awards Highest Compensation Under Law For Death of Kronforst Killed
Repairing Wires for Company
In a decision received here Friday from the industrial commission at
Madison, Mrs. Rose Kronforst, Maribel, widow of Louis J. Kronforst,
38, electrocuted on top of a pole at Maribel on May 10 of this year,
while employed by the Wisconsin Public Service company is awarded the
maximum amount, $3000 in addition to $100 for burial expenses.
The case was heard here on November 1, by a member of the commission.
Kronforst was employed by a lumber company at Maribel and with Manger
Kant of the lumber company was engaged by the Wisconsin Public Service
company to climb the pole near the office at Maribel, wherever there
was trouble, to make a "cut out" so that it could be determined whether
the trouble was located north or south of Maribel on the company's
power lines just between here and Green Bay. On this occasion Kronforst
and Kant noticed sparks coming from the wires near where the "cut out"
was always made and notified Supt. Zimdar here. He ordered that they
make the cut out Kronforst climbed the pole and in some manner was
electrocuted, fell from the pole, death being almost instantaneous.
The action was brought by the widow, through her attorney, Healy & Joyce
against the Wisconsin Public Service company and the Continental Casualty
company which carries the insurance on the Public Service company employees.
The defense maintained that the deceased was not a regular employee of the
company but it was shown that Kronforst and Kant had been engaged by the
Wisconsin Public Service company to do this work at Maribel at a certain
specified sum for each time. As a basis of the award the local attorneys
introduced testimonies showing the amounts paid "trouble men" by both the
Wisconsin Telephone company and rural lines in the county, and the basis
of the award was made on this testimony—four times the average yearly
wages, $750 for this class of work. The $3000 award made by the commission
to Mrs. Kronforst is the maximum allowed under the workmen compensation act.

Manitowoc Herald News, Saturday, November 30, 1918, Page 4