Person Page - 552

"Dear Father:"A flood struck us Tuesday and lasted until Thursday evening. We were upstairs and the water was up to the last step and ready to come in on us. We had to go from our house to another through the windows, crossing on two bed rails. John had gone to work and did not get to us until Thursday when he waded in water up to his arms."We were in the house fifty-four hours without anything to eat and of course became very weak from the nervous strain and want of food."The flood came very unexpectedly, the largest reservoir breaking owing to a cloud-burst. We saved nothing but what we had on. We had just recently furnished our house."John was in another house which was struck by a floating house and knocked from its foundations. He caught to a telephone post and then swam to another house, and when it floated away swam to another and so on. He had no change of clothing from Tuesday until Thursday night, and part of the time his clothing was frozen on him."And we were not the only people to suffer this way. There were thousands of others, and just how many are dead cannot yet be told."The house I was in washed away about an hour after I was rescued. It is awful to think that we now have nothing for ourselves and little children. But, as I have said, there are many that are in the same condition."John saw a father pull three of his little children out of the water dead and lay them one by one on boxes. He has not found his wife and sister yet."We have spent all the money we had except $1.95, and I shall have to ask you to help us start life again. We will repay you as soon as we can."Your daughter, Nancy Reid, 30 West Fairview, Hamilton, Ohio."⁵