St. Peter’s Church, the large brick colored church on Queen Street, was caught in the path of the fire at 4 o’clock. Within a short time the huge structure, the pride of the colored people of New Bern, was spouting flames hundreds of feet in the air. Sparks showered upon houses within a radius of a hundred yards or more. Many fires were started on roofs but most of them were put out before much damage could be done. In some instances, however, the fire seemed to gain renewed impetus and stared off on a new tangent.
The greatest point of danger to the city is that branch of the fire which at 4 o’clock was sweeping past George Street along New Street. A slight shift of the wind had taken place, and it was felt by many persons that there was danger of the fire crossing New Street, burning the Tabernacle Baptist Church, and sweeping through some of the main residential blocks of the city. All efforts were being employed to check the blaze at that point.
From the front page of The New Bern Sun-Journal, Dec. 1, 1922
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