The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-10
FLAMES WIPE OUT NEW WPOWDERCITY AS DENzENS RIOT

town or E1OpoWG1l, 2U miles distant from this city. Little is left of value
 in the wonder City, of 25,O0O inhab-
 itants, a town of mushroom growth,
 stimulated by the demands of Europe for powder. It was founded by the
 du Pont de Nemours Powder Go.
 Although at late hour last night
 the flames were still turning on the
 outskirts, the big powder plant, it was believed, was in no danger.
 I Early in the night a rough element began footing of the ruins. Citizens early in the afternoon had established armed guards, but these were power
 less to maintain order. Appeals were made to Governor Stuart to send the
 militia, and orders were issued at
 once dispatching several companies to i the town. Citizens of the town just after nightfa1l detected a negro in the act of footing. He was hanged just as a special train carrying the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, under command of Major E. w. Bowles,, and two companies of the Richmond Grays, under command of Major Full mer Bright, 1(eached, the town.
 +. The negro was found carrying off clothing from 8 pile in front of burning store. He was seized at once by a party of citizens and hurried into a side street. After moments con- sultation a rope was placed about his neck and he was hanged to a tree. 1 It was believed at midnight that the situation was under control. More troops will be sent if conditions de- mand.
 The property loss is estimated at $3, 100000.
 Everywhere among the ruins law yers, doctors, business men, and la borers were sitting the goods they managed to save, with rifles across across their knees or revolvers in their belts
 The stores, hotels. restaurants, office buildings, and other structures de- stroyed will probably number 400. There was little insurance. Fully 10.- IfCo. are homeless, and special trains were used in taking them to Peters l burg and Richmond for shelter
 Suspected Spy Held
 l. The fire started at 1:35 o'clock in 1 the afternoon in a three-story frame building on Appomatex street occd- pied by a Greek as g. aarestalrant. l Whether the fire was of incendiary or. Accidental origin has not been deter
 mined, and town and State authori-
 ties will make a thorough tnvesti- gation All of the employees of the IGreek restaurant were at work when
 the fire started.
 l e The arrest of a suspected German spy within the confines of the du Pont plant yesterday morning caused many to believe that the fire was no laccident. The German is held in
 custody. It is said that the suspect led spy, had maps and b1ueprints of l the du Pont plant in his pockets and that he was attempting to explode isSome chemicals in wareh ouse filled with sguncotton ready for shipment. Officers of the Government who have them an in charge will not verify these reports. The name of the pris- oner is kept, secret.
 i The towns two banks were burned. 1 Officials of each had considerable trouble with foreign 1aborers, who franficalIy beseiged the burning build l lings in which their money was depos- tied. In oneS bank the cashier. had Ito drive the frenzied men from the building at the point of a revolver.
 A bank officer said last night that all the cash and papers of the banks had been brought to Petersburg and deposited in vaults here.
 Boy Gives the Alarm
 An II year old boy was the first person to discover the fire. He saw smoke coming from the roof of lthree-story restaurant building. He rushed into the Building and soon af- 1 fterward appeared at a front window l on the second floor with an infant I in his arms He shouted to the crowd that had gathered below to hold a blanket. A bed covering was used asd d Neither he nor the infant were hurt The mother of the child dashed from the building a moment later, her dress on fire. She escaped serious in 1 jury, however.
 The boy then entered a3 building next door and brought out a second infant, this time from the first floor, that had been left to burn by its parents. Bystanders carried the boy away from danger on their shoulders.
 Mothers and 1athers with infants Tn their arms fled from the frame build ings that were hurriedly thrown to- gether1 during the Summer to ac- commodate the Dp Pont employees, and several were injured. z
 Nearly every. building in the town, which had sprung up with sensa- tional rapidity suggestive of the west ern mining settlements of the sos, was made of wood. A high wind aid- ed the spread of the flames, and with in a. few minutes after they were dis covered several blocks were on fire Bremen rushed from Richmond and Petersburg were powerless to check l the fire.
 Hopewell is nine miles from Peters 1 burg, Va, and last February it was said that the entire acreage on which l it stands could have been bought for l less than $1e,O60. At the end of last October the property on which the town itself was built was estimated l to be worth more than l$1, ,500,0 l while the suburbs and outlying. dis l tricts. where the residence section had ! been esta blished was said to be worth | another fortune. On the 1st of March [ there was just one building in Hope I well outside of the immense plant Of | the du Fonts, which was just being | c0Tnnlotad on the tongue of land at |