The Forrest City times., 1908-08-28
CANAL DAM BREAKS; } DEAD. Twelve Feet of Water Cover Much of Augusta, Ga, Following Rush
 Of Water Down the Savan-
 nah River. ?


 Ing through Broad street breast deep In a current so strong that it is i'm possible for man to wade through, Augusta is being swept by flood that has not been surpassed in it's history. From four to six feet of water is the gauge on the principal streets Of the town On Broad street the main business thoroughfare of this city, where are located nearly all the public buildings, together with the principal business houses and banks, the flood is playing havoc with hrst floors and basements.
 The city is without light, fire or po- lice protection.
 Wednesday night, marooned in sec ond and third-story buildings, both in the business section and in the resi- dence portion of the city, Augusta is waiting for the flood to subside.
 Fire started Wednesday night in the cotton warehouse of Nixon X Dan forth, and and in the warehouse of the Nixon Wholesale Grocery Com pany. It is said the fires were caused by water reaching lime stored in one of the warehouses. The fire depart ment was unable to render any assist ance on account of high water
 The floods in the Carolinas and Georgia eliminated Wednesday in the breaking of the big dam. six miles tn h;aH l. water from the Savannah river into the canal at that point. The great flood of water let loose soon found it's way into the city.
 The big bridge across the Savannah river went down in the rush of wa ters, and the dam at the locks. seven miles above the city, collapsed. add ing to the flood.
 The, Associated Press correspond. ent at Augusta succeeded in getting | telephone wire to work to this city, | and through this source the first communication to Atlanta was ob- tained. He reported three deaths, two white and one negro, but could give no names
 At o'clock Wednesday night two telegraph operators employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company, swan to the Chamber of Commerce building and cut in on a wire This wire, with possibly railroad wire into the yards in an outlying section Of the city, are the only means of communication to the outside world.
 While the current of the water through the city's streets is swift, it is not fast enough to more than carry away debris, boxes, trees, store boxes and loose signs
 Despite the fact that the city was warned Tuesday night that there was danger of the dams breaking, there will be considerable property loss Estimates place it close to the half million mark.
 Several fires were reported We'd nesday night. but as they are in out lying districts. the extent of the dam age cannot be learned IL is said the Nixon X Danforth cotton warehouses were destroyed by fire. together with the Nixon wholesale grocery ware house. A fire was also reported in the Georgia railway shops
 Notwithstanding that the water stands six feet in the residence dis trict of the city. and is deeper fin other portions, there has been no in- dication that the people are suffer ing. beyond being marooned in the upper stories of their dwellings,
 On Green street. where the Sacred Heart church is situated, there is six feet of water. At the Union depot the Georgia railroad reports ten feet of water As this station is situated upon comparatively high ground, ten blocks from the river. for it to have become flooded to this extent would mean that the high-power canal back of the railroad yards had burst it's banks and furnished an outlet for all the water that was restrained by the locks dam until it was overwhelmed