South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-02
ENEMY WORK IS
SEEN IN FIRES;
ONE MAN DEAD
Norfolk, Va, Suffers Loss of
Three Million Following
Blasts and Explosions
Five Arrested.

NORFOLK Va. Jan. Nearly
.wo blocks i'm the heart Of Norfolk's
business district. including the Mon
tceTo hotel were destroyed one
man was killed and a score more
injured in a series of explosions and
1res Tuesday. which both the police
and naval authorities believe were
lneeBdiary The fire had been check
ed tuesday night. but still was
burning merely i'm the ruins. The
loss is roughly estimated al more
than 100000
Three distinct explosions i'm as
many buildings. one after the fire
once virtually had been brought
under control led to the general be
lief that enemy agents were at work.
Mayor Mayo practically placed the
city under martial law by turning
the situation over 20 naval authOri-
lies and some $500 marines and
bluejackets from nearby naval sta
items assisted the police and home
guards in maintaining order and
preventing vandalism
Five Suspects Arrested.
Naval patrols rounded up suspic-
ious persons throughout the after
noon. while five men were arrested
as suspects Two OF these, Hugo
schmidt and II. x. leasing. said to
be Germans. were turned over TO de-
Bartment of justice agents. Tues
dav night there were reports that
Two Germans had been shot by sail
ors during the day, but neither the
police nor naval authorities would
confirm them.
The fire started before dawn in the
old Cranky theater on Cranky street
and gained Roadway rapidly as the
aremen were handicapped by frozen
fire hydrants. low water pressure and
near zero temperature. 1t quickly
spread 10 the Monticello hotel and
other nearby buildings i'm the block.
~ was brought under control late in
the day, but broke out anew early
Tuesday night, leaped across CRANKY
street. and levelled half of the block
there before being checked
One Killed, Seven Hurt.
Falling floors and walls took toll
n firemen and naval guards. One
fireman. Charles Mccoy was killed.
and seven others hurt in the col
lapse OF an upper floor of the Month
cello hotel in the day. and Tuesday
night two firemen and several sailors
were caught in a falling wall of the
Lenox building. Three were brought
put badly hurt. but two others were
left in the debris.
Firemen OF Norfolk. Portsmouth
and Suffolk with organized sailor
fire brigades fought heroically amid
Zee and binding smoke and blue
jackets led the rescue work when
the fighters were trapped. Several
of the fremen caught in the hotel
ware brought out alive through the
daring OF a score Of jack tars.
Report Three Explosions.
Reports as to the number of eN-
plosions vary. II was first said that
The fire in the CRANKY theater had
followed an explosion. but fire CHIEF
Mclaughlin and naval investigator:
announced Tuesday night that thi.
was not the case They said how
ever. there had been three separate
explosions. The FIRST was I'm cloal
and hat shop near the Monticello
THE second was on the sixth flool
Of that hotel after the first fire was
practically under control and tn,
third in the LCnOX building which
later was destroyed.
Guests from the Monticello. whC
were forced TO fee in the bitinl
cold OF the dawn after they ha,
watched the theater burn. were TAX
en- care Of in nearby homes and no
tells. As building after building
went down. with them an apart
ment house. scores were mad,
homeless and the national guard