The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-02
PL0TTERS FIRE
NORFOLK, Va,
SUSPECTS HELD
Two Blocks in Business District
Swept by FIames-jackies
Guard City.
MARTIAL LAW IS DECLARED
German Plot to Destroy Town Suspect
ed-Hugo Schmidt and n. K. Less
ina Arrested-Property Loss
Placed at $5,0oo,OO0.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. "A plot to de-
stroy this city-the center OF the war
activities of the United States, was de-
clared by the authorities to be respon-
sible for series of fires which leveled
two blocks in the heart of Norfolk's
business district.
Martial law has been declared. More
than $500 marines and bluejackets
from nearby naval stations are assist
ing the police and Home Guards In
maintaining order and preventing van
daliSm.
Five Suspects Arrested.
Five men have been arrested on sus-
picion of starting the fires. Two OF
them, Hugo Schmidt and 81. K. Less
ing, said to be Germans, were turned
over to department Of justice agents.
Loss Estimated at $4,000
The damage is roughly estimated at
S5.OOO,0OO. The police and naval au-
thorities are certain the fires were set
by plotters. who hoped to destroy this
city and thus place an almost incred-
ible hindrance in the path OF this gov
ernments war plans. Three distinct
explosions in as many buildings, one
after the fire had once virtually been
brought under control, strengthened
he belief that enemy agents were at
work
Fire Starts in Theater.
The fire started before dawn in the
old CRANKY theater, on Granny street.
1t gained headway rapidly. The nre-
men were handicapped by frozen fire
Ihydrants, low water pressure and near
zero temperature.
The fire quickly spread to the Mont1-
cello hotel and other nearby buildings
in the block 1t was brought under
control late in the day, but broke out
anew later, leaped across CRANKY street
and leveled half of the block before
being checked.
Falling Walls Kill Firemen.
Falling floors and walls took toll of
firemen and naval guards. One fire
man, Charles Mccoy, was killed and
seven others hurt in the collapse Of an
I1pper floor of the Monticello hotel In
the day. Tonight two firemen and sew
eral sailors were caught in falling
wall of the Lenox building. Three were
brought out badly hurt, but the others
were left in the debris. Firemen of
Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk, with
organized sailor fire brigades, fought
heroicaily amid ice and binding smoke
Blueiackets led the work when the
fighters were trapped. Several Of the
firemen caught in the hotel were
brought out alive through the daring
of a score of sailors.
Guests Flee From Hotel.
Guests from the Monticello, who
were forced to flee in the biting cold OF
the dawn after they had watched the
theater burn, were taken care of in
nearby homes and hotels. AS build
after building went down, scores
e made homeless. The National
rd armory on City Hall avenue was
wn open to them.
handicapped by Frozen Hydrants.
When the fremen responded to the
alarm for the theater fire they found
all hydrants in the vicinity frozen
Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth
river, was called upon for aid. The
combined departments apparently were
making good headway against the
flames when the explosion occurred il
the cloak shop and another blaze start
ed Suffolk then was asked for ai6
and rushed apparatus to the city by
train.
Iuejackets Patrol Streets
When the second explosion occurred
this time in the Monticello, Mayor
Mayo turned the city over to the nava
authorities They placed patrol:
throughout the business districts anC
threw a Gordon of marines and blue
Jackets around the FIRE district. Ther
they began picking up persons unable
TO account for themselves.
Block of Buildings Destroyed.
The block of CRANKY street from
ity Hall avenue TO Tazewell street vir
tually was destroyed. Only two build
ings, the Dixon and Commercial struc
lures, both new, escaped destruction
They were badly damaged.
Just at dusk the fire in the Monti
cello broke out afresh, and despite tn,
heroic work of the fremen and sailor:
the Lenox, Carpenter and Tazewel
buildings, six-story structures across
the street, were wrecked.
Although the fire is still burning il
ae ruins, the fire chief announce,
that the danger was over if the nava
patrols could "check the work of In
cendiaries"
Wind Saved Big Blocks.
The fire swept districts only thre