Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-27
NIGHT OF HIDEOUS HORROR
PeSuiless, Homeless Thousands in
Need of Help.
WHOLE SUNNY SOUTH SUFFERS
Athens, Richmond, Columbia, Nor
folk and More Than 100 Other
Cities and Towns in Grave
Danger.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
AUGUSTA. Ga, August 27.-Engulfed in
an inland sea. Augusta lies mute and
helpless today in the grip of the worst
flood in its history.
To add to the night of hideous horror
fire has swept away two great warehouses
and many smaller buildings. Famine has
fastened about thousands of homeless and
penniless and those who escaped from
the waters rapid rise are shiverng in the
drizzling rain that is tinged with Decem-
er's blast.
The flood. which struck the city at 10
o'clock Tuesday, reached it's climax at
midnight and since then the water has
been slowly receding. At 3 o'clock this
morning the water had fallen eight inches.
Neither the dam nor the locks have
broken. but never before in the history OF
Augusta has such torrent Of raging
Hood poured through its streets. The dam
age by foo and fire and collapsing bridges
and walls cannot be estimated at this
time.
Cling to Trees and House Tops.
People are clinging to trees and tops
of houses and though plainly in sight
they cannot be rescued because of the
frightful current Of the flood. whosa
waters are roaring through the streets
like mill races.
The most daring of the boatmen who
tried to stem the tide were caught in the
stream and carried from view, their boats
tossed like feathers upon the crest of the
flood.
This dispatch is being sent from the top
of Postal Telegraph pole on Marbury
street seven blocks from the south end
of Broad street and the same distance
from the Albion Hotel. The Augusta fac
tory-the oldest cotton mill in Augusta
and probably in the south-directly across
the street. Is three feet under water.
Hundreds Of homeless people are watch
and families who are at the mercy of
the flood. Rumors of loss of life are fire.
quent. but impossible to verify. There
have been many narrow escapes.
Piteous Cries for Help.
All through the night were heard piteous
cries for help. which none could answer.
There IS not wheel of industry turning
in the city. The street car service was sus-
pended yesterday morning at IL o'clock.
Soon thereafter the water was every
where and all business was suspended.
The city would have been in total dark
ness last night had it not been for the
light of the confagration
The past forty-eight hours has beer a
reign OF terror in this city. The rivers
began TO rise Sunday as a result of the
continued rains, which have been the
heaviest In a decade I'm all parts OF
Georgia and the Carolinas.
The damage done is enormous. The
fires in the night could not be checked
by the fire department, for all the streets
in the business section of the city were
TOO deep under water to permit of the
operation of the engines or trucks
Broad street. in the center of the busi-
ness section, is a racing river with water
five to seven feet deep throughout its en-
tire length. Every store on the street
is inundated and most OF the stocks are
ruined. Late last night boats made their
appearance in the streets and a thriving
business was done by ferrymen in the
flooded section
Property Loss Immense.
The property loss is likely to exceed
$i0Oo.0oO. All telegraphic communica-
rI1f off fn,-
night and the city was i'm total darkness
save for the light of confagrations
through the entire night.
The railroads are among the heavies,
losers.
The buildings in the central part of
the city which are inundated include the
city Hall. the Masonic Temple, Odd Eel
lows Hall. the Federal building. the Pub.
lie Library and the Cotton Exchange
Chaos Reigns in City; Flood and Fire
Raging.
BY Associated Press.
AUGUSTA. Ga. August ~. via Har-
risOnville. Ga.-Augusta yesterday was
visited by the worst food in it's history.
The Savannah river began rising rap
idly early Tuesday. continuing through
out the day and up to a late hour last
night. Water from the river and the
canal surged down the city until a
depth of from six to eight feet had
been reached Three persons are known
to have been drowned, but their identity
has not been established.
Reports of capsizing boats in the swift
current have been received, but have
not been verified because of the utter
chaos the city was thrown into by the
sudden rise of the water and resulting
confusion.
Lime Starts Fires.
Two fires were reported in the flooded
:, district. Lime stored in warehouses com.
ing In contact with the water was said
to have been the cause of explosions
CONTINUED ON Second Page.)