This appeared in the Dayton Daily News on March 25, 1962

 

Telephone pole girl’s lifeline

By. MRS. WILLIAM MAAG, Vandalia

 

     I was working at Andrew’s bakery in the Arcade at the time of the flood. 

     My girl friend and I decided to go down to the canal at St. Clair St., where the water was already high.  She lived on McDaniel St., and I lived on Nassau St.

     WE COULD not get to the Arcade, so we started home.

     When we got to McDaniel St. she wanted me to go up to her home, which was just about three doors from Fifth St., but I decided to go on home.

     As I started up Fifth St., I heard her yell, “Run, kid, run.”  I looked back and I saw water just rolling from the top of the street.

     I turned down a side street and ran only a short distance, then grabbed a telephone pole and wrapped my arms around it.

     JUST AS I was about to lose my hold, someone grabbed me up into a big high truck.

     The levee had broken, which caused the water to come up so rapidly.

     I felt that God had sent those dear men with the truck as I never noticed it when I grabbed the pole.

     I found out later the man who saved me lived across the street from us.