<TITLE>16. Par 52-54</TITLE>L-52 And I was over there, and the dike broke through up there on Chestnut Street, poured down, and away went the building. And just as I jumped in my boat, and had to run my hand in the water to jerk the--the rope, or my boat... Then I got out into the stream and couldn't get it started. On down we floated. Got out over on--on Market Street there. Big waves a dashing against the side, I thought any minute I would go to the bottom.
I knew; there in that boat I knelt down. I said, "O God. I know I have disobeyed You."
And I believe friends, if I'd have went on back down there when those people called me in, the gift of healing would've been manifested right there. That was God's program. But I failed to walk in what He told me to do. I listened to what people told me instead of what God told me to do. Don't never do that. You follow what God tells you to do. And then sorrows was on.

L-53 And I prayed. I said, "O God, I know I've disobeyed You. If You'll just help me. I don't want to die. I don't want to drowned out here in this river. Please, God, let this motor start. Will You, please?"
And I'd pull that string, and the ice freezing; and it'd chug a couple of times, and that boat ripping, and jumping, and dashing like that; done got out in the main current. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. And I'd try and try, and it wouldn't start.
And I prayed again. I said, "God, my poor wife laying out there sick. My babies sick, and here me drowned in the river. What, O God, what can I do." And I said, "If You'll just help me, Lord."
And I pulled the string again, and away it went. Oh, my. I started right into the river, out of the river and got on into the--come out way down towards Clarksville. And I come around, and got back up and got to my truck. And some of them said, "Did you know the government just washed out when that dike broke?" Out to the ho--hospital I went as hard as I could.

L-54 I met a Brother George DeArk there. He said, "Oh, Brother Billy (put his arms around me.)," he said, "looks like things are close." He said, "Brother Bill, if I never meet you again, I'll meet you in the morning." That was the last time I seen him in life. That's right. He left a little afterward.
And I said, "Where's Hope?"
Said, "I don't know."
And I run over there, and I met a--one of the officers of the government. I said, "Sir, what become of the hospital?"
Said, "All washed through there."
I said, "Did all--did all them... Did any of them get drowned?"
Said, "No, they went out on a train to Charlestown."
And I run and got in my car and started out the highway sixty-two leading to the little city, Charlestown. And when I got out there, there was about five miles of water done come down through Lancassange Creek and cut it off.
And I went and got my boat, and I couldn't even pierce that water. I'd start through there, and it'd whirl the boat around like this. And I--I set the... at this angle, and just give it all the gas that I could, and hit them waves like that. But it was so rough, you'd come around side of them woods, and throw my boat back down this way, and I come back out down behind the government. And there I was, caught on a little island like. And I'd set there for days upon that island, thinking.
Some of them said the trestles went out from under the bridge up there, and everybody that went on that train was drowned, wife, two children, and all.
I thought, "Oh, God." How nervous I got. I--I walked the floors, I didn't know what to do. I thought, "Oh, what will I do if they're gone."


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