The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-11-01
GERMAN AGENTS
START BIG FIRE
DESTROY TRAFFIC PIERS OF 3.
& o. RY. AT BALTIMORE.
LOSS WILL TOTAL MILLIONS
Other Blazes started.-Railway Prop.
erty Buildings Were Filled With
Supplies and Munitions.
Twelve Men Missing.

Baltimore, Oct. 31.--Twelve men are
unaccounted for and it is certain thai
the damage will run higher than three
million dollars in the fire that swept
the Baltimore and Ohio piers here to
day according to the latest reports.
Secret service agents and the police
men have made repeated assertions
that the pro-German agents were re
sponsible for the fire when two large
blazes sprung up in the Station of the
railroad at Riverside today, which Is
more than a mile from the piers.
Work Of incendiaries.
All the doubts as to the origin OF
the fire was removed by the state.
ments of the Baltimore & Ohio guards
and the fire station men at the piers.
A few seconds before the blazes
broke out in the five sections of the
piers these men saw what appeared to
them as rockets going up at more than
one-half dozen of places. These rock
cts were followed by explosions and
blaze sprung up Immediately.
FidUc6 oPTcdu hdpiutys
Less than five minutes before the
entire structure was in flames the
chief Waterman had made his COM
plete rounds of the piers.
Officials of the Baltimore G. Ohio
railroad fix the loss at five million dol
lars which is covered partly by insur-
ance.
Today's conflagration was the largest
in Baltimore since the great confia-
grafton in February, 1904, that destroy
ed the business section Of the city. On
the piers was stored vast quantities
of munitions and supplies for the
American forces in France and their
allies. Many cases Of shells exploded
Within ten minutes after the flames
we're discovered the entire structure
was ablaZe.
Fifteen of the crew of British
steamer lying at the pier leaped over.
board and 1t is feared some of them
were drowned. A dozen or more men
employed on the pier are missing.
Three 5ritishers Suceumb.
Slain in the sweep of the flames
which today destroyed the ammuni-
ton at the Baltimore piers which was
intended for General Pershing's fore
es in France, three Britains were
identified as the victims of the five
million dollar fire.
The dead men were members of
the crew of the British steamship
Kerry Range.
One Suspect Under Arrest
The death list Is not expected to go
higher than fifteen although more
than score of the dock workers are
reported to be missing. One man Is
now under arrest as the result of the
combined efforts of the secret service
men and the policemen. HE. is John
Whitterman and is alleged to have
been running away from the piers
when the blaze was discovered. Other
arrests are expected shortly.
Wind Spreads Flames.
A strong northwest wind swept the
flames toward hundreds of small
houses to the south of the terminal
and occupied by the families of work
men on the piers. These people fear
ing for the safety of their husbands,
fathers and other male relatives en-
ployed about the piers, rushed in the
direction of the fire and struggled with
the police in their desperate efforts
IN nrosc tho Gordon
Government Urges Violence.
Washington, Oct. 81. - Precaution,
was taken today that every munition
and grain dock in the country re-
double their vigilence, following the
big incendiary fire in the Baltimore
piers. Secret service agents are GER
tain that the German agents started
the fire with bombs.
"We are surprised that more such
attempts have not been successful
said one of the high officials today.
"Our Baltimore office has been on
guard for just such fire for some
time"