By Associated Press
Norfolk, Va., April 13—Berkley, a suburb of Norfolk, was swept by fire this afternoon which destroyed more than 100 houses covering an area one mile in length and averaging from two to four blocks in width. Five hundred families are estimated to have been made homeless and the damage will run to nearly a million dollars.
The blaze originated in the Tunis Lumber mills, on the southern branch of the Elizabeth river, late this afternoon. Mrs. George Lacey, whose cousin is a watchman at the Tunis docks, discovered the fire from a houseboat in which she and her husband are living. Lacey being ill, she took him to shore in a row boat and then turned in an alarm.
Within 50 yards of the dock where the fire began are the St. Helena Oil Company docks. Three steamers in the river were burned, catching from sparks. The fire quickly spread to the north, the sparks being carried 100 yards or more. Most of the houses in the patch were negro homes of wooden construction. They were as dry as tinder and a few sparks only were required to set them afire. At one time there were nine different fires blazing in different places simultaneously.
Although the fire department, both civilian and the navy, from all the cities and towns in the vicinity of Berkley were called into service, they were helpless against the spreading flames, which soon reached Liberty street, one of the oldest business streets of the town. One block on Liberty street was completely wiped out. A negro Baptist church, built 15 year ago at a cost of $100,000, was destroyed. For a time it appeared that a large gas tank owned by the Municipal gas plant was doomed, but the gas was turned off by means of safety valves, the opening of valves which were at a safe distance from the fire. After four hours the fire appeared to have reached its climax, although it was still blazing stubbornly in several parts of the town.
From the front page of The New Bernian, New Bern, N.C., April 14, 1922
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