Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-01-02
Nearly Two Blocks in Heart of
Business District Are De-
Stroyed, Including Large
Hotel and Theater,
ZERO WEATHER MAKES
FIREMEN'S TASK HARD
Three Distinct Explosions in
Different Parts of City 0c-
cur Several Suspects Are
Under Arrest,

AoHNHd IouHS-L sprcIAI LyAsep WINS,
Norfolk, Va, Jan. 1.-Nearlv tw,
blocks in the heart of NorfoIk,s hnsi-
ness dlstrlet including the Monticello
motel, were destroyed, three men
were Killed and a score more injured
IL series of explosions and fires TO-
cay which the police and the naval
authorities believe were incendiarv
The fire had been controlled tonight
nut was still burning fierceIy in tho
RUNS. The loss is roughly estimated
of a score of the jack tars.
Enemy Agents az Work
The three distinct explosions In as
many buildings, one of these after the
fire had virtually been brought under
control, lead to the general belief that
enemy agents were at work. Mayor
Mayo practically placed the city
under military rule by turning the
over to the naval Off
GERS and some 2.500 marine and blue
Jackets from nearby naval stations as
sisted the police and home guards in
order and preventing
Naval patrols rounded up suspected
persons throughout the afternoon.
while five men were arrested as sus-
poets. Two of these, Hugo Schmidt
and Fl. X. Lessing, said to be Ger.
mans were turned over to department
OF tustice agents. Tonight there were
reports that two Germans had been
shot by sailors during the day, but
neither the police nor naval authori-
ties would confirm them.
Fire Starts Near Dawn.
The fire started before dawn in the
old CRANKY theater on CRANKY street
and gained rapid headway as the fire
men were handicapped by frozen
MIGRANTS, low water pressure and
near zero temperature. 1t quickly
spread to the Monticello hotel and
other nearby buildings in the block.
1t was brought under control late in
the day, but broke out anew early to-
night. leaped across CRANKY street
md levelled half the block there be-
fore being checked.
Three Firemen KiIfed.
Failing floors and walls took toll of
fremen and naval guards. One fire
man, Charles Mccoy, was killed and
seven others were hurt in the collapse
of an upper floor of the Monticello
hotel during the day and tonight two
firemen and several sailors were
caught in a falling wall of the Lenox
Three were brought out
badly hurt but two others were left
IN tho debris.
F1remen of Norfolk, Portsmouth
and Suffolk with organized sailor fire
fought heroically amid ice
and binding smoke, and blue jackets
lead the rescue work when the fight
ers were trapped Several of the
firemen caught in the hotel were
brought out alive through the daring
Of a score of the jacktars
Three Distinct Explosions.
Reports as to the number of explo-
sions vary. 1t was first said that the
lire in the CRANKY theater had follow
I'd an explosion but Fire Chief Nc
-aughlin and naval investigators an
bounced tonight that this was not the
case. They said. however, there had
Deen three separate and distinct ex-
olosions. The first was In 4 cloak
md hat shop near the Mon cello The
second was on the sixth foor of that
1otel after the first fire was virtually
lnder control and the third in the
Aenox building which later was de-
'troyed.
Guests from the Monticello, who
we're forced to flee in the biting cold
If the dawn after they had watched
he theater burn, were taken care of
n nearby homes and hotels. As
after building went down.
With them an apartment house,
scores were made homeless and the
national guard armory on City Hall
lvenue was thrown open to them.
There during the late day Red
Cross workers and other volunteers
ooked after them and also supplied
coffee and sandwiches for the naval
patrols and firemen who were forced
10 seek rest from their gruelling work
against the flames.
When the firemen responded TO the
alarm for the theater 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 the
lter 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 soon was beyond control.
How Fire Was Spread.
Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth
river, was called upon for aid and the
fire was checked until falling sparks
fired the Monticello, where many of