This appeared in the Dayton Daily News on March 28, 1962
The Flood
By Mary E. Murphy
In nineteen hundred and thirteen
Dayton was proud as any queen.
There is no doubt she well might be
Of such a beautiful city,
Abounding full of wealth and fame,
Until one day a great flood came,
Sweeping the city far and near;
Happiness gave way to fear.
People running to and fro
Crying, whither shall we go?
Climbing garrets, roofs and trees,
From where with aching heart one sees
Destruction everywhere in sight,
E’en in the darkness of the night,
Lighted by buildings burning down
Added to the terrors of the town.
Life after life gave way to death,
Going unto Him that sayeth:
“I have a home prepared for you,
Come unto Me, live life anew.”
We’ll ne’er forget that awful sight
The cries and moans both day and night,
The flood that swept the city from arch to arch
On the twenty-fifth of March.
Submitted by Harry D. Murphy, 2024 Litchfield Ave.
