The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-04-19
Hamilton. Ohio. April 12. 1918.
Well chas. here / am after this ioni

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Well chas. here / am after this long
delay answering your two letters. I
received both together about s days
after you mailed them. Your dis
patch OF March 26 was receive the
eve OF the 2sth. SO you can see how
We were shut of. I wired you the
next day c. o. ID. and hope you re-
ceiyed IL o. X. thank you most
kindly for your very kind offers of
assistance. but think we can pull
through q. X. now. This Is the first
time i have had pen or pencil in
my hand since the memorable Tues
day. March 25. All stock OF every de-
scription was totally destroyed. There
was absolutely nothing eft. Have
been working day and night doing
everything imaginable. Took Of us
men days TO get the mud out OF the
house; 2 1-2 days to clean the cell
lar which we just finished yesterday
p. M. All lights were out, dark and
lonesome as n dungeon. Gas cut off
the night OF the food and no heat.
water polluted and dangerous; town
under martial law; all saloons closed:
everybody of street at dusk; all stores
closed. II certainly was He'll. 1t is
something that cannot be described.
You would have 10 see and exper-
lanra IN x,o,raolf 40 anU.ooto.o A.. Nh
terrible rush OF the water up to the
house roofs. the screams and prayers
OF the drowning. the crash OF houses
and ether buildings, the sky lit up
with the lurid glare OF confiagrations
mace the strongest heart quake with
fea and presented visions of the final
judgment day that many thought had
como. have seen many things but
nsthing to compare to this. / could
,ever have imagined such a terrifying
spectacle as this. The whole Miami
valley from hills TO hills a solid sea
OF raging flood 80 feet deep in the
streets In front and rear OF US. And
more miraculous as the days go by.
Our house stood II though a two
story house dashed against our n ont
porch. broke In two, one half lodged
there and the other swept on with
the current. IL destroyed the porch
but served as protection TO Our
hftaur al
The debris in front was piled up to
the roof We had 16 feet OF water in
the house. All clothing. bedding.
mattresses. furniture. stoves, books,
library. papers. shoes. wearing appar-
ei. everything vas totally ruined and
lost. All we saved was Just what we
had on our backs. am glad we got of
even with that The following Thurs
day the first man told me that our
house was still standing / thought ne
had lost his mind. When I verified
this report I certainly considered my
self lucky. And when see the havoc
and destruction feel like shaking
hands with myself. have no COM
plant whatever and am glad to be
hereto write you tonight. To tell you
the truth. Charles. / cannot begin de-
scripe the catastrophe. All the streets
are piled high with wreckage OF every
description; pianos. books. shoes,
tables, chairs. the contents of stores
etc. etc and you ne yer saw such mud.
viii attempt to give you a brief
synopsis OF the event as best / cau:
On Tuesday morning. March 25, /
went To- work as usual. having no.
ticed that the river was very high
AZ a. VI. Rae came down TO the Of
hce. said the river was rising very
rapidly and that she was scared and
was going over To "a friend OF hers
on Main and ID street. I told her all
right. TO go and stay until I sent for
her. They kept phoning me every
few minutes. but I made light OF il
80 In about an hour. the word was
sent TO the shop from police head
quarters that all men living on the
west side must quit Immediately and
20 home as all traffic over the bridge
was 10 be cut off at once. Then / got
scared. started home and found 3rd
street impossible. managed TO get
through back yards. etc. by wading
and found Emma, Ethel and Don
had most Of the movables upstairs. /
helped raise the piano and then want
eel them To leave with me for mothers.
thinking we would certainly be out OF
the reach Of the flood down there
1T. they didn't want to leave so