Berkeley, a Look Back: National official defends city’s response to 1923 fire
“Berkeleyeans should be on their knees thanking the Almighty that any of the city was left instead of criticizing the Fire Department,” the head of the National Board of Fire Underwriters was quoted as saying a century ago in the Nov. 1, 1923, Berkeley Daily Gazette.
W.F. Mallalieu “said that he did not believe a whole array of men could have prevented the fire which started in the hills from sweeping down upon Berkeley. He said that he examined trees in the hills and the fact that leaves remained on some of them convinced him that the blaze spread with extreme rapidity.”
That’s a really interesting observation. In some photos of the fire area, one can see burned areas but groves of trees with leaves apparently standing on the hillsides nearby. Perhaps this observation explains why.
Mallalieu, who had just arrived in Berkeley after a cross-country trip, called for an adequate water supply, fire lookout towers in the hills, and empowering the Fire Department to recruit civilians to help fight brush and grass fires.
He added that “from my personal observation and from reading the reports sent my office by our investigators, I am thoroughly convinced that wooden shingles were largely responsible for the rapid spread of the blaze. I am glad to learn that Berkeley has passed a fire-retarding roof ordinance, but I wish it could have been made more strict.”
Halloween: On Halloween night 1923 in Berkeley, 50 complaints were filed with police, including a report that someone had placed “dynamite caps” on Key System tracks on Shattuck Avenue near Dwight Way, “causing a panic on the train and stirring up the entire neighborhood.”
According to the Gazette, residents reported pranks including “chairs and tables left on the front step,” “water turned on, resulting in a miniature Johnstown flood,” an “apple thrown through a window,” “milk bottle thrown at front steps” and a “new iron gate stolen.”
“There were a dozen reports of lights being suddenly shut off in houses (and) street lights being shot out with slingshots.” A young woman reported a “young man in gray suit put his arm around her at Ellsworth Street and Channing Way.” Also, “several youngsters were taken to the police station and given a good lecture and their parents called,” the Gazette reported.
Boys home: On Nov. 1, 1923, the Gazette reported that the Chung Mei Home for Orphan Chinese Boys had opened at 3000 Ninth St. in West Berkeley.
The home was sponsored by the Bay Cities Baptist Home Missionary Society. It had nine rooms and two sleeping porches and eight residents, ages 6 to 13. The house stood near the corner of Ashby.
Entertainment advice: The Oct. 25, 1923 Gazette had a special section about “what every woman wants to know” with fashion, furnishing, cooking and child-raising advice, including a section entitled “When You Commute” for businesswomen.
The feature was entitled “Chinese parties are one of the things that fashion has brought of the Far East.” It noted that “smart hostesses have taken up all sorts of things Chinese in the way of entertaining and household decorations and have found a party with a Chinese background an excellent diversion for afternoon or evening.”
Among the pieces of advice were: “the Chinese influence holds undisputed sway in women’s clothes;” “you can decorate your rooms with Chinese lanterns;” use a teakwood table without a table cloth, paper napkins, place lilies in bloom at each corner of the table; and “in the center of each table place a sweetmeat dish containing ginger, lychee nuts, lily root candy, salted and sugared almonds, melon seeds, limes in syrup, and sugared beans. You can buy these at Chinese stores.”
Bay Area native and Berkeley community historian Steven Finacom holds this column’s copyright.