Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-01-03
ENEMY AGENTS MAY
HAVE STARTED FIRE
Several Explosions Accompany
$2,000,000 Blaze at Norfolk,
Virginia.

:" inc heart OF NOrfOlkS business district,
including the Monticello Hotel. were de-
stroyed, three men were killed and a score
more injured in a series of explosions and
nres to-day which both the police and ma
val authorities believe were incendary.
The fire had been checked tonight, but
stu was burning flercely in the ruins.
The loss il roughly estimated at more
than 500 10000.
Tnree distinct explosions in as many
buildings, one after the fire once virtually
had been brought under control, led to the
general belief that enemy agents were at
work. Mayor Mayo practically placed the
city under martial law by turning the
situation over to naval officers and some
2,5O marines and bluejackets from nearby
naval stations assisted the police and home
guards In maintaining order and prevent
ing vandalism.
Naval patrols rounded up suspicious per-
sons throughout the afternoon, while five
men were arrested as suspects. Two Of
these. Hugo Schmidt and II. X. Leasing
said to be Germans were turned over to
department Of justice agents. Tonight
there were reports that two Germans had
been shot by sailors during the day, but
neither the police nor naval authorities
would confirm them.
The fire started before dawn in the old
CRANKY theatre on CRANKY street and
gained Roadway rapidly as the firemen
were handicapped by frozen fire hydrants,
low water pressure and near zero temper
ature. 1t quickly spread to the Month
cello Hotel and other nearby buildings in
the block. 1t was brought under control
late in the day. but broke out anew early
tonight, leaped across CRANKY street, and
levelled half Of the block there before
being checked
Failing floors and walls took toll OF
flremen and naval guards. One fireman,
Charles Mccoy, was killed and seven
others hurt in the collapse of an upper
floor Of the Monticello Hotel in the day
and tonight two firemen and several
sailors were caught in a falling wall of
the Lenox building. Three were brought
out badly hurt, but two others were left
in the debris.
Firemen of Norfolk, Portsmouth and
Suffolk with organized sailor fire brigades
fought heroically amid ice and binding
smoke and bluejackets led the rescue
work when the fighters were trapped.
Several of the firemen caught in the hotel
were brought out alive through the dar-
ing of a score of the sailors.
Reports as to the number of explosions
vary. 1t was first said that the fire in
the CRANKY theatre had followed an ex-
poson. but Fire Chief Mclaughlin and
naval investigators announced tonight
that this was not the case. They said,
however, that there had been three separ-
ate and distinct explosions. The first was
in cloak and hat shop near the Month
cello. The second was on the sixth floor
of that hotel after the first fire was
practically under control and the third in
Int 10.
stroyed
Guests from the Monticello. who were
forced to fee in the biting cold of the
dawn after they had watched the theatre
burn, were taken care Of in nearby homes
and hotels. AS building after building
went down. with them an apartment
house, scores were made homeless and the
National Guard armory in City Hall
avenue was thrown open to them.
There during the late day Red Cross
workers and other volunteers looked after
them and also supplied coffee and hand
witches for the naval patrols and firemen.
who were forced to seek rest from their
gruelling work against the flames.
When the firemen responded to thu
alarm for the theatre fire, they found all
hydrants in the vicinity frozen. Fires
had to be built to thaw them out In the
meantime the firemen looked on helpless
while the big theatre building burned.
When water finally came. the pressure
was so low that streams would not reach
to the upper stories of the burning build
ing and the fire was soon beyond control.
Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth river.
was called on for aid and the fire was
checked until falling sparks fired the Mon
ticello. where many of the guests had gone
to bed in the belief that the fire was con-
trolled. They were soon forced to turn
out again.
The combined departments apparently
were making good Roadway against the
flames when the explosion occurred in the
coax shop and another blaze started. Suf-
folk then was asked for aid and rushed
apparatus 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 occurred.
this time in the Monticello. Mayor Mayo
put tho naval authorities in charge. They
placed patrols throughout the business
district, threw a Gordon of marines and
bluejackets around the fire district began
picking up persons unable to account for
themselves.
Department Of Justice agents joined with
the city detective force in seeking to un-
ravel the mystery Of the explosions. Three
of the men arrested were placed in the
city jail and federal agents took charge OF
the other two. Schmidt and Leasing. Tho
latter, officers said, first represented HIM
self as department of justice official.