Introduction
CHARLES G. BERRY appears in Camden City Directories for 1887–1888, 1888–1889, and 1890–1891 as living at 226 Point Street, working as a shoemaker in Philadelphia. He apparently received an appointment to the Camden Fire Department in 1890, and was assigned to Engine Company 4. He was one of the original members of that unit.
Engine Company 4 was organized on June 1, 1890 at 320 Vine Street in North Camden, with a two-hitch, second class Button steam engine and a one-hitch Button hose carriage. The charter members were as follows; Company Foreman, Amedee S. Middleton; engineer, Francis Turner; stoker c. barney harvey; driver, Edward Hartman; and hosemen Walter W. Browning and Charles Berry.
Not long afterwards he apparently contracted tuberculosis, a condition which his exposure to the elements while fighting a fire on November 1, 1892 aggravated. Charles Berry died at his home on Point Street on March 21, 1893.
The newspaper article below gives Fireman Berry’s address at “236 Paint Street,” three different City Directories list him at 226 Point Street. The latter is most likely correct.
Fireman Berry Dead.
Camden Daily Telegram —
Charles Berry, of Engine Company No. 4, of the Fire Department, died at his home, 236 Paint street, at 10 o’clock this morning, from consumption, from which malady he had been suffering for a long time. Berry had been a member of the Fire Department for the past four years.
Fireman Berry Dead.
Camden Post —
Charles Berry, a fireman of No. 4 engine house, died at his late residence, 226 Point, this morning from consumption. Over two years ago he contracted a cold at the Scudder fire, Front and Arch streets and declined rapidly after that. He was familiarly known as the “kid” on account of his youthful age and ways and was popular and well liked by every one who knew him. His death threw a cloud of gloom over engine house No. 4 which was intensified when the emblems of mourning were hung in front.
Charles Berry's Funeral
Camden Daily Courier —
The funeral of Charles G. Berry, one of the bravest and most popular firemen in this city, took place at 2 o’clock this afternoon from his late residence at 226 Point street.
The firemen attended the funeral in a body, and the members of the First Ward Republican Club were represented in a large body, while Mayor Westcott, Councilman Robert Smith, George Barrett, and many other prominent men of this city viewed the body.
Rev. A. G. Lawson of the North Baptist Church preached the funeral sermon, after which the body was taken to Philadelphia where it was interred in Glenwood Cemetery. The body lay in a black cloth covered casket and was dressed in his fireman’s uniform with the cap lying on the breast.
A profusion of floral offerings lay around the coffin. Among these were a pillow with the words “Comrades of No. 4,” a fireman’s hat from No. 4 Company, cut flowers from Jesse Conley, a design of white roses from James Dunn and Joseph Love, two of his closest friends, a pillow from his family a handsome design from the Republican League and lilies from Councilman Smith.
The pall bearers were Chief Samuel Elfreth, of the Fire Department; Foreman Amadee Middleton, of No. 4; Engineer Frank Turner and Edward Hartman, Walter Browning, Robert Sheer, William Bogia and Charles Kay, all members of the Fire Department.
All the friends of the deceased accompanied the body to the ferry and there left the pall-bearers and family with his Philadelphia friends, who took the body to the cemetery.
Mr. Charles Berry was born in Philadelphia, in 1854. He graduated from the Friends’ Central School and attended the Chester Military Academy. When he left school he went with John Mundell, the shoe manufacturer of Philadelphia, and became foreman of Mr. Mundell’s extensive works. Ten years ago he came to Camden and was foreman of George Martin’s shoe factory, and from there he went to Deitrich’s place, on Market street, where he held a similar position, which he gave up to enter the fire department. He has been a fireman for three years, and was known as one of the bravest and best men in the department.