Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-01-02
THREE KILLED; TWENTY HURT
Police and Naval Authorities
Attribute Conflagration to
Incendiarism.
NAVAL PATROLS GUARD CITY.
Guests at Monticello Hotel
Forced to Flee in Biting
Cold Of Dawn.

NORFOLK. Va. Jan. i.-Nearly
Two blocks in the heart OF NOrfolks
BUSINESS district. including the Monti-
colo hotel, were destroyed, three men
Killed and n score more injured In Il
series OF explosions and fires today
which both the police and naval au-
thorities believe were incendiary The
IN. mad been checked tonight but
ain was burning fiercely In the ruins.
Tho iuss Is roughly estimated ut more
than S2.000,0 600.
Three Explosions,
Three distinct EXPLOSIONS In as many
buildings ono after the fire once had
virtually had been brought under con-
troll, led 10 the general belief that
enemy agents were at work. Mayor
Nnyo practically placed the city un-
der martial law by turning the situa-
t,on over to naval officers and some
900 marines and bluejackets from
nearby naval stations assisted the po-
lice and home guards in maintaining
order and preventing vandalism.
Naval patrols rounded up suspicious
porsons thruOut the afternoon while
five men were arrested az suspects.
Two OF these Hugo Schmide' and II.
X Iessing. said to be GAtmans were
turned over 10 department Of justice
courts Tonight there were reports
- that two Germans had been shot by
!. s~siiors during the day. but neither tho
! police nor naval authorities would
' confirm them.
Starts In Thcatcr.
The fire started before dawn In the
old, CRANKY theater on Granny street
and gained rapid headway a. tho fire.
men were handicapped by fS0zeu by
zero temperature. sit cvlesiy "a
TO the MosttcrIlo hoisl ~ -
nearby buildings IN tho blNcE u Ws6
brought under control 1aAA Ii tko AaS
but broke out nnew oaxlv t4nighk
le0ped across 1rarhy streof and lew
olled half Of the block there before
being checked
Falling floors and walls took toll
of firemen and naval guards. = One
fireman. Charles Mccoy. WAS killed
and seTen others hurt In the collapse
81 an upper floor OF the Monticello
hotel In the day. and tonight two fire
man and several sailors were scAugtit
In falling wall OF tho IAnox buiid-
Ing. Three were brought out badly
hurt but two others we're left IN the
debris
Firemen OF Norfolk. Portsmouth
and Suffolk with organized sailor fire
hrigades fought heroically amid Ice
and binding smoke and bluejackets
led the rescue work whom the fighters
we're trapped Several OF the fire
men caught In the hotel we're brought
out alive thru The daring OF score
Of the tackles.
Rcports Vary.
Reports as TO the number OF ex-
blossoms vary. II was first snid that
The fire In the CRANKY thcster had
followed an explosion but Fire Chief
Mclaughlin and naval Investigators
Rnuounccd tonight that this was not
The Case. They said there had -becR
three separate and distinct explosions.
Guests from the Monticello. who
were forced TO flee In the biting cold
pf the dawn after they had watched
the theater burn, were taken care OF
~ nearby homes and hotels. As bufld
Ing after building went down. with
hem an apartment house. scores were
made homeless and the national Suahi
alfmory on City Hall avenue was
thrown opeps
AT the armory during the day, Rod
,roSs workers and other volunteers
looked after the homeless, and also
sKnled hon coffee and sandwiches
ior The navf,l patrols and fireman who |
were forced 10 aeek rest from their
sruelling work against the flames