Flood Diaries & Letters: Saturday, April 5, 1913

J. G. C. Schenck, Sr.

“AES has bad cold—so did not go up to our house. I [???] job of cleaning all day. Two colored men & Georgie. Speedwell delivered my car at 5 PM. It runs all right but can’t crank it to start—drove car out to Stoddard’s 6 PM.”

 

Bishop Milton Wright

“I walked home after dinner. Found Orville drying his bonds, as Lorin had done in forenoon. In the morning, quarentine [sic] was lifted. Mrs. Stevens was at our house an hour. Mailed some letters. Got several letters. It was a nice day.”

 

Edward Neukom to his sister-in-law Evelene in Pennsylvania:

“April 5th, 1913, 2 P.M.

“Dear Evelene,

“Just got your letter of Mar. 31st. We are getting out of the woods. Nellie is nearly well again… I told you before I fixed up a Laundry stove in the yard and kept the fire going full tilt with old boxes. I cooked canned soup, we had two stable lanterns and went to bed 7:30 P.M. We had a ton of coke in the cellar and the house was always warm in spite of Snow storm. We have now City water again, also got ice from our friends the Schantz’s. Evelene, I smoked dried cigar stumps in my pipe. Yesterday I had the first decent feed for 10 days consisting of One Loaf of Bread ½ lb. of cheese and ½ bottle of wine. I starved myself to feed women and children, but it did not hurt me. Heard for the first time in 9 days from Lisetta. I tell you it was Hell, not so much the position we were in, but being unable to communicate with outsiders. Over one million letters were washed out of the Post office, the water was 9-10 ft. deep in Main Street, it came within 50 ft. from our house, and then the fires and the looters. In one night 27 were shot dead by the Soldiers. Well, that’s all in a lifetime; we escaped luckily and were fortunate to be able to help others. I was overtown this morning and found a cheerful spirit in spite of the terrible loss on property. Everybody helps each other and sympathizes with one another…”

                                                                                                “Well good by, will write again
                                                                                                “Edward

“We Received 32 letters since yesterday morning, from all over the U.S.”

 

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