Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-08
NORFOLK IS SWEPT
BY S3,ODO,OOO FIRE
STARTED At. DOCKS
Six Business Blocks Are De-
Stroyed in Blaze From
Oil Barge.
TELEPHONE OPERATOR
WARNS HOTEL GUESTS
Sailors and Marines Augment Ap-
paratus From Several Nearby
Communities.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NORFOLK, Va, June 8.-More than
six blocks of valuable water front prop
erty was smoldering ruin here today,
drenched by heavy rains which provi-
dentially came to the aid of flremen,
civilians, sailors and Marines late last
night after a battle of almost six hours
with the most serious fire in Norfolk s
history. City officials estimated the
damage at approximately s3,O000Oo.
Almost a half hundred persons over
come by smoke, burned and blistered
or otherwise injured, we're treated in
hospitals, but few of the injuries were
serious.
The fire started in the Buxton Line
warehouse on the waterfront, apparent
" from an exploding oil barge. Flames
were famed by brisk wind and spread
rapidly through the wholesale district
and for a long time threatened the re-
tail business section. jumping across
Main street several times. Firebrands
were scattered over a wide area by
wind.
Streets Are TANNED.
Seventy pieces of fire equipment from
every city IN the Hampton Roads area
were brought to the aid OF the haro.
pressed Norfolk Fire Department and
bluejackets and Marines were called to
duty in keeping order. Thousands OF
excited persons damned the streets until
a late hour last night.
Heaviest loss was in the destruction
of the building of the American Peanut
Corporation and the Old Dominion Line
terminals. A number OF other ware
houses were destroyed, several tugs
damaged and the, Victoria Hotel, hve-
story structure, which caught fire sew
eral times, was badly damaged by the
fire. water and smoke. Guests fed from
the hotel in safety many without tax
ing time to dress.
The fire started about $50 in the
afternoon and was not brought under
control until after the rainstorm broke
after IL pm.
Six Blocks Swept.
Miss Carrie Ambrose, switchboard
operator at the Victoria Hotel, 200
room structure, remained at her POST
until ell guests and employees had
escaped.
The American Peanut Corporations
loss was placed at $1,000 900.
During the night nearly so persons,
hospitals for treatment, and Is OF them
had injuries sufficiently serious to cause
them to be kept as patients. large
number Of others received treatment at
ambulances stationed near the fire zone.
A force of 1900 bluejackets and Ma.
rines from the battleships Arizona and
Utah and from the naval base was
called out to give assistance. approx
mately 500 of them were placed on duly
keeping back crowds.
Rain Gives Needed Aid.
Equipment and firemen from New
port News. Portsmouth, South Norfolk,
Suffolk. the naval base and NoriolK
Navy Yard, we're called to the assist
ance of Norfolk fire fighters, but little
h.adwav was ade against wind-driven
flames until rain came.
In addition to the business houses
burned, the T. ]. Hopper, a 2O0-foot
tug. belonging to the Eastern Trans
port Co.. an unidentified tug and a
smaller barge, together with 200 feet OF
wharf, were damaged.
One of the first buildings to catch
fire was the hotel. An unidentified
sailor stood on top of the hotel
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