Cross Street
The area between the Cross Street Bridge and the Wall Street Bridge along the Norwalk River was the most devastated by the flood. At 10:30pm Saturday night, the raging waters struck the Cross Street Bridge, ripping out its underpinnings. The violent force of the swollen river in this area swept homes from their foundations, relocating some and totally demolishing others. Cars and trucks were carried down the river as though they were toys.
South of the Cross Street Bridge, the river rampaged through several factories, destroying machines and manufactured goods. At Clark Street, the flood took the lives of three people as it swept away their home.
Debris from everything the river had destroyed raced along with the torrent down to the Wall Street Bridge where it blasted the footing that supported two buildings built partially over the river. The supports could not withstand the force of the debris-laden surge and the buildings tumbled into the river. Finding the way blocked by the fallen buildings, the river climbed over its banks, inundating the area. Water rushed through the railroad bridge under Wall Street, tearing up Commerce Street in the process.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
“My father-in-law, Theodore Toth, owned the building by the Cross Street Bridge. They had just completely renovated the place. My in-laws lived upstairs and our family tile and flooring business was on the first floor – The Kemeny Tile Store. There was also a tavern downstairs called River’s Edge. We can laugh about it now – the tavern had a sign that said ‘Drop in.’
After the flood, all we found was one can of adhesive from the store. All of our samples and supplies – everything was gone. We didn’t have any flood insurance on the building or store. There was hardly any water in the Norwalk River at the time. There was never a flood there, so we didn’t think of flood insurance.”
Alexander Kemeny, 2005
“On Sunday morning my parents and husband went to see if there was any damage – all they saw was the lake where the building had been. My parents lost everything. They got a couple of blankets, two pillows and some sheets from the Red Cross, but that was it. They had to come live with us. My husband survived by running the business from home, but my father left the business and worked as a brick layer. Eventually they had enough money to buy a new home.”
Margaret Toth Kemeny, 2005
“I was 14 years old at the time. My older brother, Herb, and I were lifeguards at Calf Pasture Beach. We got a call saying. ‘They are going to take the lifeguards up in helicopters to look for survivors.’ We walked from our house on Hospital Hill to the beach and got on the National Guard helicopter. We didn’t find anyone, but I was ready for action if we did.
Afterwards I went down to Main and Wall Street. You just can’t comprehend what it feels like to walk down and see your town devastated. I remember thinking, “Who is going to put this back together?”
Ken Phelan, 2005
“I was traveling in Scotland with a friend at the time of the flood. We were staying in the home of a family there and the day after the flood a neighbor came to their house with a local newspaper showing a wiped out Norwalk Center on the front page. I was so scared; I had no idea what I would find when I got home.”
Myrtle Ferris, 2005
“My husband Murray and his brothers, Albert and William, owned the Diane Knitware Company which was located of Wall Street down by the Norwalk River.
On Saturday night, we went to a show for the B’nai B’rith at the Nathan Hale Junior High School and didn’t get home until after 11 o’clock when the power there failed. A little while later, Murray got a call from the police saying that he needed to go down to the factory. When he came home, he said, ‘It is all gone.’
We couldn’t get down to the factory until Monday. The whole back of the building was gone. Most of the machinery, the huge knitting machines, were washed down the river. There was mud everywhere. It was a complete disaster.”
Harriet Tishler, 2005
“A sickening odor of gas from flood-smashed mains permeated the downtown section, and smoking was under strict prohibition to prevent disastrous explosions. ‘A lighted cigarette might cause loss of a lot of lives,’ the Mayor said.”
DAILY MIRROR, Monday, October 17, 1955
“I worked for CL&P as a secretary in 1955 – I was 18 years old. Everyone was called in to work at the office. We spent the next three or four days there without leaving, taking calls and reporting to the linemen. We slept there on the desks and they brought in food.”
Josephine Miglioccio Falcone, 2005
“We ended up moving the WNLK broadcast studio to the transmitter site of Stuart Avenue. WE were able to put together a transmitter booth with a turntable and rent a generator to get back on the air in 24 hours. The place was so small; I remember that the news ticker was in the bathroom. We broadcasted 24 hours a day during the emergency since WNLK was the only means of communication. People called in with all kinds of questions – as if WE were supposed to have the answers.”
Dick Buonerba, 2005