Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-27

which destroyed the Nixon wholesale
Grocery Company's warehouse and the
| Nixon & Danforth cotton warehouse. The
fire was in the direction OF these two con-
| Germs, and as neither the fire department
nor any one else could get to them 1t is
only by conjecture that the firm names
are given The fires were spectacular
addition to the devastation already rife.
and the people were compelled to stand
idly by and watch the new feature of de-
struction.
| Beats Predicted Level.
| The local weather bureau issued a flood
warming Tuesday morning saying that the
river would reach a height of between
81 and 81 feet by 8 o'clock Wednesday
evening. at which time it was predicted
the river would have reached its highest
point. This prediction was exceeded by
several feet the river having reached be-
tween 40 and 45 feet. the danger line be-
ing 33 feet. Immediately upon learning
the weather bureaus warning those liv
| ing nearest the river began moving out
for higher places. and by the time the
water reached their homes they were well
on their way to the hills
Poor People Suffer.
There is great deal of suffering among
the poorer classes Of whites and the ne
groes who occupied houses nearest the
| lowlands. When the river began to rise
people could be seen going through the
streets with what little bedding and other
articles they could hurriedly gather up
and handily carry on their backs. Women
were seen with their children in their
arms making their way toward higher
places. while the men were driving live
stock
| Thousands Of people went to bed Tues
day night with the thought that they
would wake in time to escape from the
flood. but greatly to their surprise they
awoke to find themselves surrounded by
water and cut off from escape except
by boat
The cabmen and those possessed of
boats were quick to see their opportu-
nifty. and at once began to charge exorbi-
tant prices for moving those unfortunate
enough to be caught in perilOuS posi-
tons.
Whirled Away by Waters.
Many people in attempting to wade or
swim from their homes or from places
of business in the flooded districts to
points of vantage, lost their footing and
only saved themselves from the rushing
torrent by catching to tree limbs or any
thing else they could get hold Of
1t is reported that a number of people
were caught in these positions, and when
the boatmen passed near enough to be
nailed they would refuse to go to the as
were assured Of being paid exorbitant
fees. One man was seen in tree who
was pouring forth pitiful appeals for
sistance ard offered $50 to any one that
would rescue him.
The police department early established
temporary headquarters at the health and
drainage department office. on Nav ave-
nue.. out of the high-water district. and
patrolmen were placed on beats up to the
water line. They made few arrests. how
ever, the people seeming to appreciate the
situation and keeping within the law
limits.
Telegraphers Marooned.
At the Western Union office, when the
water began to rise, many of the opera
tors left the building for their homes.
Five remained. however. and they were
compelled to abandon the telegraph Of
Ace and seek safety in the Chamber of
Commerce building, where wires We're
found still intact. and they were in
communication with the Atlanta Office
died. however. as there were no means
of handling it properly. AT daybreak
this morning, the operators in this build
ing reported that the water had fallen
and that If the fall continued Geographic
communication with the outside world
would be re-establshed by noon.
At the Postal Telegraph Office the oper-
ating force was compelled to desert the
Office when the water reached the top OF
the operating tables.
No business was transacted by the tele-
graph companies after shutdown Wednes-
day. The telephone service into Augusta
was held up until about 1870 pm, and
munication from that city to Atlanta
being between the Associated Press and
its correspondent.
Can't Calculate Loss.
1t is not possible to give an estimate
of the financial loss resulting from the
food. When it is taken into considera-
ton that every business house and every
bank and store was submerged i'm from
four to nine feet of water. and nearly all
the residence portion, including the fash
ionable residence district of Green street,
with all it's churches, is in from three to
six feet of water it will be seen that the
damage is inestimable.
Athens Under Water.
ATHENS, Ga. August 27.-The floods
along the OconOnee river at this
point are the highest in thirty years.
Nearly a fourth of the city is under
water. The business district, which is
on high ground. is apparently SAFE and
the damage in the manufacturing sec
ton will not be large. The city water
works have been put out of commits
sion temporarily.
A stretch of two miles Of the Central
Georgia railroads tracks just outside the
city has been washed away and no
trains have been able to reach the CEN
ter of the city since Monday evening
All the cotton mills along the river
have closed down until the water re-
cedes.
Nearly 100 Towns Isolated.
COLUMBIA, S. c., August 27-Through-
out western South Carolina, eastern
Georgia, and the greater part of North
Carolina the rains. which have caused
the most destructive floods since 1897.
continued to fail. and il is believed that
the crest OF the floods Is yet to come
throughout the greater part of the mum
dated territory. A local paper today pub
fishes Il list of nearly Il hundred cities
and towns which are completely Isolated.
and from which no reports of the damage
so far can be obtained Telephone and
telegraph lines are down. and the rail-
roads are operating few trains while
they are making no effort at all to main
tain the slightest Semblance of schedules
The state highway department has re-
ceived reports of the sweeping away of
nineteen toll and public bridges crossing
the larger rivers of the flooded district.
while hundreds of the dams and levees
erected along the rivers in various dis
tricts for the protection Of the bottoms,
have been destroyed.
sill 10 tn TO tlo dan,