The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-01-02
NORFOLK FIRES ARE
BELIEVED TO BE OF
INCENDIARY ORIGIN

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
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.
AT the armory during later in the
day Red Cross workers and other vol
unteers looked after the homeless and
also supplied hot coffee and sand
wiches for the naval patrols and fire
men who were forced to seek rest
from their gruclling work against the
flames.
When the firemen responded to the
alarm for the theater fire, they found
all hydrants in the vicinity frozen.
Looked on Helpless.
Fires had to be built to thaw them
out. In the meantime, the fircmen
looked on helpless while the big thea
ter building burned. When water
finally came, the pressure was so low
that streams would not reach to the
upper stories of the burning building
and the fire was soon beyond control.
Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth
river, was called upon for aid and
the fire was checked until falling
sparks fred the Monticello, where
many Of the guests had gone back to
bed in the belief that the fire was
under control. They were soon forced
to turn out again.
Explosion Occurs.
The combined departments appar-
emily were making good headway
against the flames, when the cxplo-
sion occurred in the cloak shop and
another blaze started. Suffolk was
then asked for aid and rushed ap-
paratus to the city by train. In the
meantime, the naval authorities at
the navy yard and naval base offered
aid and fire brigades were soon on
the scene
When the second explosion oc-
CURED, this time in the Monticello,
MayorMayo put the naval authorities
in charge. They placed patrols
throughout the business districts and
threw Gordon of marines and blue
jackets around the fire district.
Suspects Rounded Up.
Department Of Justice agents join
ed with the city detective force in
seeking to unravel the mystery of ex-
plosions. Three of the men arrested
were placed in the city Jail and fed
eral agents took charge of the other
two, Schmidt and Lessing. The lat
ter, officers said, first represented
himself as Department of Justice
official
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 avenue to Tazewell
street virtually was destroyed.
Breaks Out Afresh.
Just at dusk the fire in the Monti-
cello broke out afresh and, despite
the heroic work of the fremen and
sailors, the Lenox, Carpenter and
Tazewell buildings, six-story struct-
ures across the street, were wrecked.
For time the naval Y. M. C. A. was
threatened.
Although the fire still was burning
in the ruins late tonight, the fire chief
announced that the danger was over
if the naval patrols "could check the
work of incendiarcs."
The fire-swept district is but three
blocks from the Elizabeth river water
front on the north and five on the
west. 1t is more than mile from the
Norfolk navy yard, which is located
up the Elizabeth river in the western
| section of Portsmouth.