Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-01-02
|NCEND|ARY FIRE
At NORFOLK, Va;
2 SUSPECTS HELD
Two Blocks in Business District
Swept by Flames.
LOSS PUT AT s5,ooo,ooo
SMartIal Law Is Declared-Thousan
Hiuejackets Aid Troops in Guard.
Ing city-Several Explosions
5f. Mark Progress of Fire.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. 2.-NorfOlk was
swept by series of mysterious fires
which did $5OOO,O00 damage. German
agents are blamed. ....
U, Hugo Schmidt and H. X. Leasing,
suspected of starting the fire, have
been arrested, charged with incendiar-
ism. A German plot to destroy the
city is suspected. Schmidt claimed to
be an employee of the department OF
justice. w., ....
a City Under Martial Law.
Norfolk is under martial law. Inc
Ore, which wiped out two blocks in the
heart Of the business section, is now
under control.
Fifteen persons, suspected OF COM
plicity in a plot to destroy the city, are
examined by agents Of the department
ef justice.
Federal authorities have established
Uecial offices and secret service men
were rushed from washington.
Several Explosions Occur.
The fires destroyed several blocks OF
business houses, hotels and apart
ne1ts. -
Several explosions marked the prog
ress Of the confiagrations.
The Monticello hotel, which was de-
ltroyed, was headquarters of army and
naval officers,
4 thousand bfuejackets from the
navy yard, 500 Home Guard troops and
many volunteer special officers are pa
trolling the streets.
The first fire broke out at four
o'clock in the morning in block on
CRANKY street, near the Monticello
hotel.
Hotel Guests Flee for Safety.
Three buildings were destroyed and
about seven o'clock, while the fremen
still were working on this blaze, an
other fire was discovered on the upper
door Of the Monticello hotel. This
spread downward through an elevator
shaft and the $50 guests In the Mont-
SSl1o had to nee hurrtedly for safety.
All Of the upper floors of the Mond-
cello were burned and the work Of
Wreckage Of the historic old building
!. vas completed by the thousands Of gal
lsns Of water poured on the flames. &
Fresh Fires Are Started. ="
About noon additional fires were dis
996yered Oh the opposite side Of the
street from the hotel. Within very
lev minutes the Tazewell apartments,
he stores occupied by the Southern
railway, the 8. Galesky Optical COM
pany, D. Buchanan & Co., jewelers.,
and the Lorraine hotel were in flames.
4 From here the fire spread to the big
Dixon office building, where most Of
tile leading lawyers and physicians OF
Norfolk have offices.
The plant Of the Virginian Pilot also
caught.
One fireman was killed and three
seriously hurt. Nearly whole city
block was laid waste. '...
The total damage to the Monticello
hotel was more than $470,0OO.
Two distinct explosions, one in the
hotel proper and the other, two hours
earlier, in the millinery establishment
of Nine. Sutton, have not yet been ex-
planned.
Frozen Hydrants Handicap Firemen.
Cold weather, freezing hydrants and
bad weather conditionsxgenerally in
terefered with the work of the fire.
men. 20 t,
Because of the Importance Of Nor
folk in connection with war prepare
lions, officials are making a general
roundup Of all suspicious characters.
A meeting Of leading citizens was
held at which plans were made for re-
building the burned portion of the city.