FLOOD: And more from May 29, 2946, about the flood:

When W.E. LaBrack came here in January to take over management of the Holley Hotel, he had no idea he would be giving a diving exhibition in the lobby. Water was 32 inches deep in the lobby when LaBrack, standing on top of the cigar counter, lost his balance. He started to fall and actually did a head-first dive. “Never touched bottom, either,” remarked LaBrack.

Fellow merchants on Mechanic Street yesterday felt that J.H. Bickert of the Bickert-Leonard Drug Store is a champion flood fighter. Despite the fact that the store took the full force of the water as it rushed down Barbour Street, only a mere trickle entered the front door. Mr. Bickert took a look up Barbour Street at 5:30 Monday afternoon and went to work at one preparing for the floor.

The Davis Bakery, which adjoins the drug store, also was well prepared and Fred Johnson, owner, stated he did not lose any baking material. However, a thousand or more paper bags and boxes which he had received only recently and had store in a garage back of the bakery were completely ruined. “The thing is you can’t replace them,” stated Johnson.

Louis Blumenfeld, one of the city’s few cigar makers, was practically out of business yesterday. His plant is located on West Washington Stret where damage was high. Most of his tobacco stock is a loss and valuable cigar molds are water soaked beyond reclaim. “I was flooded out in Farmers Valley in 1942,” remarked Blumenfeld, “and now it happens again.”

The Tuna took a lot of shortcuts Monday night. It raced down Barbour Street, zoomed through the Smith Brothers Alley and broke through the back door of a billiard rooms on Pine Street. The water carried away half of the front end of the sore in its mad dash for newfound freedom.