The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-09-03
RIVER FLOODS AUGUSTA
CANAL DAM BREAKS, lNUNDA-
TING PART OF THE CITY.

Two White Persons and One Negro
Lose Lives-Fire Adds to DAM
age Done by Water.
Atlanta, Aug. 27.-With the wa
ter rushing through Broad street
breast deep in a current 80 strong
that it is impossible for man to
wade through, Augusta is being
swept by a food 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 the city, where are
located nearly all of the public build
ings, together with the principal bus
mess houses and banks, the flood is
playing havoc with first floors and
Easements.
The city is without lights, fire or
police protection, efforts in these
lines being met with inability of
these different departments to cope
with the situation.
Fires started tonight in the cot
ton warehouse of Nixon & Danforth
and in the warehouse of the Nixon
Wholesale Grocery company. 1t is
said the fires were caused by water
reaching lime stored in one Of the
warehouses which exploded. The
fire department was unable to rem
der any assistance on account of
high water.
Two white people and one negro
have been reported drowned. 1t
was also reported that boat con-
tanning family of a husband, wife,
and two children was capsized and
the whole party drowned, but this
could not be confirmed.
A conservative estimate of the
damage by flood and fire at this time
has been placed at half million dol
lars, but it is believed that this sum
will be greatly exceeded before the
flood waters subside.
Atlanta, Ca, Aug: 26.-The food
in the Carolinas and Georgia culmi-
mated to-day in the breaking of the
big dam six miles from Augusta
which diverts the water from the 'Sa-
vannah river into the canal at that
point. The great food of water let
loose soon found it's way into the
city and tonight from Fifteenth
street to eastern boundary Augusta
is under from two to IL feet of Wa
ter, which is gradually rising.
The big bridge across the Savan-
nah river went down in the rush of
water and the dam at the locks seven
miles above the city collapsed, add
ing to the food.
The Associated Press correspon-
dent at Augusta succeeded in getting
a telephone wire to work in the
building next to the Augusta Herald
office and from there the first COM
munication to this city was obtained
after the wires went down.
Three deaths, two white persons
and one negro, were reported but
the reporter could not give any
names, as the means of travelling
were only by boat.
At 10 O'Clock tonight two tele-
graph operators employed by the
Western Union Telegraph company
swan to the chamber of commerce
building and cut in on a wire that
had not been broken down. This
wire, with possibly railroad wire
into the yards in outlying sections
of the city, is the only means of COM
munication to the outside world.
The current through the city
streets is swift but not fast enough
to do more than carry away debris,
trees, store boxes and loose signs.
Despite the fact that the city was
ger that the dam might break there
warned last night that there was dan
will be considerable loss in business
houses of all kinds
There were several fires reported,
but as the fires were in the outlying
districts the extent of the damage
can not be learned 1t is said that
the Nixon and Danforth cotton ware
house was destroyed by fire, togeth-
er with the Nixon wholesale grocery
warehouse. A fire was also reported
in the Georgia railroad shops.
Despite the fact that the water
stands six feet in the residence dis
trict of the city and is deeper in 9TH
er portions, there has been no lnd1-
cation that the people are suffering
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 railway reports 10 feet
of water. AS this depot is situated
upon higher ground, 10 blocks from
the river, and on more substantial
ground, to have become flooded to
this extent would mean that the high
power canal back of the railroad
yards had burst its banks and fur
nished an outlet for all the water
that was restrained by the locks
dam until it was overwhelmed at 2
o'clock this afternoon.
Tho VJofo for ConoroSS