The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-01-02
Is SUSPECTS
ARRESTED IN
FIRE PROBE
AT NORFOLK
100000 Blaze and Ex-
plosion Laid at Door of En-
emy Agents Sailors Help
Rescue.
TWO BLOCKS RAzED

NORFOLK, Va. Jan. 2.-Twenty.
in the investigation of the mysterious
series of fires yesterday which did
S2,000,000 damage in Norfolk and
Portsmouth, near by.
Two women are among those de-
tanned
Nearly two blocks in the heart of
Norfolks business district, including
the Monticello hotel, were destroyed,
three men were killed and a score
more injured In the series of explo-
sions and fires. which the police and
naval authorities believe were incen-
diary. The loss is. roughly estimated
at more than s2,000,000.
Three Blasts Felt.
Three distinct explosions in as
many buildings. one after the fire was
nearly under the control OF firemen.
led to the general belief that enemy
agents were at work.
Mayor Mayo placed the city vir.
tually under martial law, and some
$500 marines and bluejackets from
nearby naval stations assisted the
police and home guards In maintain
Ing order and preventing vandalism.
Naval patrols rounded up suspicious
persons, and these were being grilled
today. Twenty.three men were taken
into custody, and two of these, Hugo
Schmidt and H. X. Lessing, said to
be Germans, were turned over to the
department Of justice.
There we're reports that two Ger
mans had been shot by sailors during
the day. but neither the police nor the
naval authorities would confirm them.
Starts Before Dawn.
The fire started before dawn In the
old CRANKY theatre on CRANKY street
and gained rapid headway, as the fire.
men were handicapped by frozen fire
hydrants, low water pressure. and
ncar-zero temperature. 1t quickly
spread to the Monticello hotel and
other. nearby buildings in the block
1t was brought under control late
in the day, but broke out anew, leaped
across CRANKY street, and leveled half
Of the block there before being
checked
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 upper floor of the Monticello hotel
in the day. and two firemen and sew.
eral sailors were caught in falling
wall of the Lennox building at night
Three were brought out badly hurt,
but two others we're left in the debris.
Sailors Lead Rescue.
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 fire
men caught in the hotel were brought
out alive through the daring OF a
score Of the jack tars.
Reports as to the number of explo-
sions vary. II was first said that
the fire in the CRANKY theatre had
followed an explosion, but Fire Chief
Mclaughlin and naval investigators
announced that this was not the case.
They said, however, there had been
three separate and distinct explosions.
The first was in cloak and hat shop
near the Monticello. The second was
on the sixth floor of that hotel, after
TIE first fire was practically under
control, and the third in the LenoX
building, which later was destroyed.