Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-02
twelve ARE DEAD
IN FLOOD Carnage
AUGUSTA, GA, Is RAvAcED BY
TURBULENT WATERS IN
clTY's STREETS.
MONETARY LOSS SAID
TO BE NEAR MILLION
Community Begins to Recover from
Fearful Conditions - Thorough.
fares Are Drained-Fire DAMAGE
Bridges Down.

Augusta, Ca, Aug. 28.-It was re.
ported Thursday night that about q
dozen deaths have resulted from
drowning during the flood. The Nixon
Grocery Company's wholesale ware.
house, the Georgia railroad rounds
house, and a string of coal cars on the
Southern railway, in Hamburg, S. c.,
Just across the river from Augusta;
were destroyed by fire. According To
reports here the bridge of the Charles:
ton & Western Carolina railroad at
Sand Bar Ferry, about az miles below
the city, has been washed away. The
Georgia side approaches to the North
Augusta bridge have been washed
away.
City Begins to Recover.
Augusta Thursday began to recover
from the flood conditions. The water
on the streets had fallen until Thurs.
day afternoon the sidewalks were
practically clear and there was no
further danger of loss to property.
Considering the fact that eight feet
of water ran through the main bust
ness and residence streets of the city;
that telephone and telegraph COM
munication was stopped; that no train
has been within mile of Augusta for
AZ hours, it is remarkable that there
has not been greater financial damage
and loss of life. The Associated
Press established headquarters eight
miles out of the city while water was
running through the streets eight feet
deep, preventing the publication of the
Augusta newspapers and DESTROYING
communication into the city proper.
At noon the water was falling at the
rate of an inch an hour and the streets
were clean late Thursday evening. All
danger was past throughout the food
district.
Many Boats Lost in Current.
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. Two fires were
reported in the flooded district. Lime
stored in warehouses coming in con-
tact with the water was said to have
been the cause of explosions which
destroyed the warehouses of the
Nixon Wholesale Grocery Company's
warehouse and the Nixon & Danforth
cotton warehouse At first this could
not be confirmed, as the fire was in
the direction of these two concerns,
and as the fire department nor no one
else could get to them it was only by
conjecture that the firm names were
given. The fires were spectacular
from the fact that devastation was rife
and the flames adding new horror, the
people were compelled to stand idly
by and watch the new feature of de-
struction..
Much Suffering Among Poor.
There is a great deal of suffering
among the poorer classes of whites
and the negroes 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 things 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
the livestock.
Thousands of people went to bed
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 wa
ter and cut off from escape except by
boat.
TIE cabmen and those possessed of
boats were quick to see their oppor-
tunity, and at once began to charge
exorbitant prices for moving those
unfortunate enough to be caught in
perilous positions.
Loss Close to 100000.
It is not possible to give an estimate
on the financial loss resulting from
the flood. An idea may be gathered,
however, when it is taken into consid-
GRAFTON that every business house,
every bank and store was submerged
in from four to eight or nine feet of
water, and nearly all the residence
portion, including the fashionable resi-
dence district of Green street, with all
it's churches, in from three to six feet
of water, the damage is inestimable.
With Wednesday nights fires, the ces-
satiOn from business until the city has
recovered itself and damage to stocks
of goods of all kinds, it is thought
that the loss will 60 well above the
half million mark.
Burglar Slain by Greeks.