Posted by Aunt Mary's Storytime on December 05, 1999 at 16:43:36:
A few remarks about the flood which occured in Dayton, Ohio by Edith Reiling-taken from my baby book.
It was a horrible and pitiful sight to see people marooned on their roofs and in their attics. They could get no help because of the terrible current. The water was 15 feet deep, 3 squares from our house on Rockwood. It started to drop at 3:00 AM. On Wednesday the first drop was 1/2 inch and people were very happy to hear about this drop. About 200 hundred people were drowned in the city. Others lost their lives in buildings which collapsed. Three buildings collapsed in the central part of the city. All the wholesale and retail businesses were under water. Daddy (Grandpa Charlie) shoveled mud for one week - could scarcely get into Elders store. Their loss and all other stores was very heavy-everyone seemed to cheer up, got busy and in a few weeks, everything was beginning to look bright. In a few months business was better than ever. We went out to the Cash Register the Sunday after the flood and saw them carrying corpses out of the morgue. People were considerate and everybody was your friend. They all helped one another. Transportation of all kinds was free. Several bridges were washed away. We had (on Rockwood) refugees for three weeks. Entire strangers and their children stayed with us but we always had enough food for all. Most of all our parish people (Corpus Christi) were in the flood but not one life was lost. We were very grateful for that. Our parish had a Thanksgiving Mass. I have written in three baby books this afternoon - all about the flood.
Signed: Edith Reiling