The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-01-28
Nationwide Move to Concentrate
Enemy Action On Munitions
Factories Suspected.
NEWARK DOCKS BURN
Only Arrival of Fire Tug Saves Ship
building Plant--WlIson Gets
Mysterious Warning-SeveraI
Cities Report Losses.

New York, Jan. 28.-Twenty-three
men have been detained by secret
service agents at Port Newark on
suspicion of being implicated III start
ing the fire which swept municipal
docks, United States quartermaster's
warehouses and menaced the Sub
marine Boat corporation plant.
Damage in the fire was estimated at
$500, 900, much lower than had been
expected.
Ship Plant Narrowly Escapes.
The shipbuilding plant, construct
ing seen men running when the alarm
rowly escaped destruction. Seven
uncompleted quartermaster's store
houses were practically wrecked.
Major Lamphere, commanding the
army patrol which was guarding the
plant and supply station, expressed
the opinion that the blaze was started
by incendiaries. Soldiers told of hav-
lg seen men running when the alarm
was given
Fire Tug Checks Spread.
to be loaded on lighters, were ignited
and burned on the ice (which covers
Newark bay But for the arrival of
fire tug from New York, which
smashed its way through the foes,
the shipbuilding plant probably would
have been destroyed.
President Warned.
Washington, Jan. 2S.-A mysterious
letter warning President Wilson of
nationwide plot to destroy docks and
war plants is being used in investiga-
tions of fires which have broken out
at different points. The letter de-
clares the plot was to go into effect
Jan. %. II was read and discussed at
the cabinet meeting Jan. Is, and later
Home Guards at different points were
modified to guard vital plants.
Evenly Plot Suspected.
Whether the wouldbe spies were
discovered is not known, but the al
legged plot did not bear fruit on the
date originally set.
The fact that several big fires broke
out almost simultaneously at New
ark, Baltimore and Buffalo, destroy.
ing hundreds of thousands of dollars
in property, leads officials to strongly
suspect that there is a wide movement
afield to concentrate enemy action
on Americas war plants.
Canadian Town Burns.
Toronto. Jan. ga serious fire is
in progress in Peterboro, an extensive
manufacturing town "a miles north.
east of here
Big Loss Near Baltimore.
Baltimore, Jan. S.-State and fed
eral authorities are cooperating in an
investigation Of the fires that at the
same time during the night wrecked
two large plants working on govern
ment contracts. The Della mills in
Howard county and the H. w. Smith
Drydock companS's plant at Curtis
Creek were destroyed, the damage
reaching nearly $1,000,000. There are
indications of incendiarism.
Frisco Tannery Fired.
San Francisco, Jan. 2S.-Autlorities
tightened their net along the water
front and at war plants here, follow
Ing two alleged attempts at pro-Ger-
man sabotage. The more serious Of
these was fire at the Eagle tannery,
which did $4,000 damage to the plant.
The tannery is turning out leatne,
for army contracts. The authorities
are positive the fire was incendiary.
Westinghouse Plant Burns.
Buffalo, Jan. 2S.-Fire of suspicious
origin has destroyed the plant of the
Westinghouse Electric ana Manufac-
turing company, entailing a loss of
100000. The plant is said to lave
been working night and day on equip-
| ment for the signal corps