Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-01-03
IhCtFLjIAKI HE
At NORFOLK, vA.;;
SUSPECTS EE[D
Two Blocks in Business District
Swept by Flames.
LOSS PUT AT 100000
Martial Law Is Deciared-T housand
Blue jackets Aid Troops in Guard
ing City-Severa1 Explosions
Mark Progress OF Fire.

Norfolk, Va, Jan. 2.-NOrfolk was
swept by a series of mysterious fires
which did S5,0OO,000 damage. German
agents are blamed.
Hugo Schmidt and II. 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.
City Under Martial Law.
Norfolk is under martial law. The
fire, which wiped out two blocks in the
heart of the business section, is now
under control.
Fifteen persons, suspected Of COM
pIicity in plot to destroy the city, are
! examined by agents of the department
of justice.
| Federal authorities have established
special offices and secret service men
were rushed from Washington.
Several Explosions Occur.
The fires destroyed several blocks or
business houses hotels aGd apart
mentS.
| Several explosions marked the prog
ress of the c0nllagrations.
| The Monticello hotel, which was de
stroyed was headquarters Of army and
naval officers.
A thousand bluejackets from the
| nd M
many volunteer special officers are pa
| trolling the streets.
| The first fire broke out at four
o'clock in the morning in a block on
| G<anby street, near the Monticello
| hotel.
Hotel Guests Flee for Safety.
Three buildings were destroyed and
about seven o'clock, while the firemen
still were working on this blaze, an
other fire was discovered on the upper
floor of the Monticello hotel This
spread downward through an elevator
shaft and the $50 guests in the Month
cello had to flee hurriedly for safety.
All of the upper floors of the Month
cello were burned and the work OF
wreckage of the historic old building
was completed by the thousands of gal
| Ions of water poured on the flames.
Fresh Fires Are Started.
About noon additional fires were dis
| covered on the opposite side of the
| street from the hotel. Within a very
few minutes the TazeweIl apartments,
the stores occupied by the Southern
railway, the S. Galesky Optical COM
pany, D. Buchanan & Co, jewelers.,
and the Lorraine hotel were in flames.
From here the fire spread to the big
Dixon office building, where most of
the 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 $4,000.
Two distinct explosions, one in the
| hotel proper and the other two hours
earlier, in he millinery establishment
of Nine. Sutton, have not yet been ex-
| planned.
Frozen Hydrants Handicap Firemen.
Cold weather, freezing hydrants and
bad weather conditions generally in
terefered with the work of the fire
men.
Because of the Importance of Nor
folk in connection with war prepara-
tons, officials are making a general
roundup of all suspicious characters.
A meeting of leading citizens was
| held at which plans We're made for re-
building the burned portion of the city.