The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-01-02
NORFOLK SWEPT
BY FIRE; 3 DEAD;
SPIESSUSPECTED
destruction of Two Blocks
in Heart of City Causes
S2.OW.OOO loss.
OVER SCORE INJURED
Series Of Explosions at Diff
ferent Points Followed
by COnflagratiOn.
MARTIAL LAW DECLARED
Monticello Hotel Blown Up
and 400 Guests Escape
Flames Under Control.
MARTIAL LAW DECLARED
srsia, Despatch to TuE SrN.

SptIus bsspuCb ~ Iuf otS.
NORFOLK. Va. Jan. 1.-Supposed Ger
man spies brought homo to Norfolk TO-
day the horrors OF war when what the
authorities say was a we'll planned plot
resulted In the destruction of over S.
eoo.o 900 worth OF property and the deaths
Q. stleas. three persons. The toll Of
human lives may reach six or seven
before another sun sets over the burning
enbe.s Of what appears to be tile work
Of enemies.
The Are started at o'clock this
norninR, when an explosion was heard
IN CRANKY street building occupied BY
the Norfolk Stationery Company.
flames shot out Of the building almost
l-:ned,ately. This fire consumed three
oh.r stores. one Of which was Nunnal-
W. "A
When this fre was practically out
there was a second explosion in the
Monticello Hotel. followed by a burst of
flame. This fire started about Z
o'clock while the hotel was filed with
over 400 guests. many OF whom we're
sill! asleep.
Smoke spread through the building so
rapidly that when people started out OF
their rooms they could not find their way
through the Railways.
Third Explosion Occurs.
While this building was a seething
mass Of flames. a third fire, also pre-
cedsd by an explosion. started In the
Lenox Building over block away from
The Monticello. This fre proved as
serious as the others and before the al
ready exhausted fremen could get a
stream on the flames the fire spread to
The building occupied by the D. Car
penter Furniture Company. This build.
Ing burned like kindling wood and Nor
folk sent out q call for assistance.
Suffolk. Newport News and Ports.
mouth sent firemen ana fire hghtine ap-
paratue. Special trains we're operated
by the Norfolk and Western Railroad to
bring the extra hremen here. With the
hremen came the Mayors and large
number of citisens.
The navy yard sent over 800 men and
its fire fighting equipment. Five hum
dred 1aeu were sent from ihe naval base.
200 marines ffSsh the St. Helena station
and 1000 sailors from warehips. All
o: them were trained fire fighters, and
70 them moro than to any other one
GAUGE Norfolk owes a debt Of gratitude.
Ii was the sailors who laid thousands Of
feet o. hose through the fire swept dis
trict with such skill and speed that the
spread Of the flames 70 other buildings
vas checked.
Saved CITY From Destraction.
: Sailors aleo carried hose to tho tops OF
hu!ldings, from which they directed
streams of water on tae burning fur
Iaces almost under their feet
They burst open doors in the Month
cello Hotel and carried out frantic
women and feeble men. They stood In
freezing water up to their knees. and
with their clothing Irenched to theii
sk.ns fought the ever advancing flames
Hot coffee was furnished the men by
local restaurants and they stood to theiI
posts until some Of them. exhausted. fell
tn their tracks.
Two Of the volunteer FIRE fighters
caught under a falling wall OF the Leno:
Ruihing, may give their lives that thu
people of Norfolk might once more fee
4curs from the terrible work OF unknown
enemies. They were badly crushed ant
are not expected to live
q
with ice hanging from their hats, theil
clothing and their faces. were takeI
away from their posts through force ant
compelled to give up the fight The,
wore rushed to an emergency hospita
established outside the fire zone ant
later sent to the naval hospital.
Arrests by secret Service.
Score, service agents to-day arreste,
dozen suspects connected with tn
turning OF at least two buildings. :!
dozen others have been taken by De
fatnsnr uf Justice men in connection
with the fire that destroyed the Mon
t'rello Hotel Four oc them claim to b
from Greek sh.p.
II Is alleged that these four men wer
n'ne Monticello Hotel last Sunday nigh
and last night ana that they were hear
ronvers.ng in German. When they wer
arrested this afternoon they spok
Italian.
Fire Chief Mclaughlin said a can q
Kerosene was found on the second foo
of the Lenox Building that was see
burning Just IS the fre in the Montice'l
ho,el Was put under control.
W. A. Burkhardt and a sailor. frat I
enter She Monticello Hotel after tho fr
Was discovered. came face to face Wit
man supposed to be one Of those re
sNons!ulo for the frea
When Mr.. Burkhardt attempted I
feach for fire hose on the hfth floor q
me h9tel, with which he intended to al
Tempt to check the flames, a strange
drew pistol and told him II he remove
ne hose from the fastening he woul
XII him.
sailor knocks MaH Down.
The sailor coming up In few minute
MA hidden from view Of the strange
- smoke managed To get behind III
y an ard Knocked him down. FIe ws
r'hcH ~ custody and turned over to ii
'"ud'nu,nt ot Jnslcc.
Thcse Metals declined 20 make'knoN "
Nhirh So the twelve su,pcs;s under a
''st - the man found 81 the hote'.
Two othe. SUSPECTS caught lurking