Putnam patriot., 1913-09-05

sf spied a little mouse sitting on it's launches on a floating chest. Lucy implofed me to hand it to her. Even if had been inclined to add a mouse 10 our ark I could not have done this without wading through six feet of water or swimming for it. In the end Lucy threw out a life boat, so to speak, in the shape of waste paper basket. It is to be hoped that the mouse was able to scramble up it's sides and so to perpetuate it's species. This love Of life which the girls exhibit and which we all feel seems to throw new light on Noah s activities. The rain Is still coming down in torrents Can we be going to have repetition of the flood of history? If so, there are no floating arks abroad. But perhaps the sky scrspers may serve as we'll.
 Wednesday morning.
 Two o'clock this morning showed the first signs of receding water. At dawn [ peeped down the stairs to see the extent Of damage to our furniture. Floating in a strong; current in the middle of the library were two large book cases and two lighter pieces of furniture, with a section of the porch which had fioated into the dining room window. The windows are so large that it is only by the rarest for tune that the furniture so piled itself that more of it did not float away. As the matter now stands | think we have lost very little in this manner. My greatest anxiety through the night has been for the river wall. The tre- mendous force Of the current, If il took i the first stones, would carry the wall before il, thus opening our land to the undermining work of the water. This danger 1 believe Is not yet past. The extent of the damage 10 the land can not be learned until the water has re- i ceded six or eight feet more. The water has receded steadily since morn ing, rapidly at first, but for the last two hours scarcely perceptibly. The rain has renewed it's vigorous labor. The l sky is dark and lowering. During the morning threatening fire started on the West Side. IL must have cleared large area. The rain has Tor its merit the eXtinguishing of this new i danger. Thales seems 10 have been right. Water is more elemental, al least more final, more authoritative than fire.
 4PM NJ.
 After three unsuccessful attempts to make my way down stairs have al i last succeeded. The furniture is piled in the windows, one piece on top of the other. l found the windows for the most part open, the strength of the current having raised sthem. The large heavy north window is raised to the top.
 Thursday P. NJ.
 Me had planned a nights rest last night, the danger for the most part being past. My one great concern had [ DCCn tNoA kAAN 4tNNt ndAl EiNC way, allowing the work Of the water to undermine our foundations. Before dark however 1 could see "a wave for nation along the line of the wall which assured me that mostiof it had stood. Just as was about to go 10 my room, having put the children 10 bed I saw great glow in the northeast The fire seemed so near that I dared not undress, but sat watching until it died down, about one o'clock. l lay down and fell asleep, 10 be wakened ey a rat. There could be no question from the erunehing of crackers and heavy weight Of the body. 1 suppose that many of these creatufes swan through the openings in houses. As I