The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-01-03
TWO Destructive
CONGREGATIONS
ONE AT HARRISBURG, pa, AND
ONE AT NORFOLK, VA
IACENDARlSM is SUSPECTED.
Total Loss viii Run Into Millions
ExIosions Add to Fury Of Flames.
Hotel Guests and Many Others
Have Marrow Escapes.

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Harrisburg, Pa, Jan. 2Fire early
this morning destroyed eight acres OF
the Harrisburg Paint Company where
the munition plant is located with BIZ,
government contracts for four inch
shells used by the submarine chasers.
The loss win amount to one quarter
Of million dollars
The blaze wiped out the paint shop.
cylinder shop and the rough turning
shop. The fire started in the paint
shop, workmen say from an exploding
can of paint.
$1,000, 900 Loss at Norfolk
Norfolk, Va, Jan. 2Nearly two
blocks in the heart OF Norfolks bust.
mes district, including the Monticello
hotel were destroyed. one man was
killed and score more injured in the
series of explosions and fires which
both the police and naval authorities
believe we're incenditary. The fire
had been checked this morning but
was still burning fiercely in the ruins.
The loss is roughly estimated at
more than s2,000,000.
Three distinct explosions in as
many buildings, one after the fire had
virtually been brought under control
led to the general belief that enemy
agents were at work. Mayor Mayo
practically placed the city under mar
tial law and some $500 marines and
bluejackets from nearby naval stat
ions assisted the police and home
guards in maintaining order and pre-
venting vandalism
Rounding Up Suspects
Naval patrols rounded up suspicious
persons throughout the afternoon,
while Ave men we're arrested as sus-
poets. TWO 81 these Hugo Schmidt
and H. K leasing, said to be Germans
were turned over to the department
of justice agents. There are reports
that two Germans had been shot by
sailors during the day, but neither
the police or naval authorities would
confirm them.
The fire started in the old CRANKY
theater on CRANKY street and gained
rapid Roadway as the firemen were
handicapped by frozen fire hydrants,
low water pressure and near zero tenn
perature.
It quickly spread to the Monticello
hotel and other near by buildings in
the block.
1t was brought under crontrol late
in the day, but broke out anew early
last night, leaping across CRANKY
street and leveled half of the block
there before being checked.
Caught by Falling Walls
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
the Monticello hotel in the day and
at night two firemen and several sail
ors were caught in falling walls OF
the Lenox building. Three were
brought out badly hurt, but two others
were left in the debris.
Firemen of Norfolk, Portsmouth and
Suffolk with organized sailor fire bri-
gades fought heroically amid ice and
binding smoke and bluejackets led
the rescue 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
the jack tars.
Three Distinct Explosions
Reports as to the number Of ex:
plosions vary. 1t was first said that
the fire in the Cranky theater had
followed an explosion but fire CHER
Mclaughlin and naval investigators
announced tonight that this was not
the case. They said however, there
had been three distinct explosions. The
first was in cloak and hat shop near
the Monticello. The second was on
the sixth floor of that hotel after the
first fire was ractically under control
and the third in the Lenox building
which later was destroyed.
Guests from the Monticello who
were forced to fee 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
ing after building went down, with
them an apartment house, scores
were made homeless and the national
guard armory on City Hall avenue
was thrown open TO them.
Tugs to the Rescue
Fire tugs from the navy yard early
in the day took up positions on the
water front three blocks away and
assisted the fire engines and pumped
tons of water into the burning build
ings, but the block on CRANKY street
from City Hall eyenue to Tazewell