Greene County herald., 1908-09-04
AUGUSTUS BIG FLODD
Georgia City Experienced One Of
the WOrSt In Years.
ALoss OF OVER $500, 600
Fer Ferty-Six Hours the Turbulent Sa-
vannah Held the city In Floods
Grasp, Causing Loss o. Life and
Much Property Damage.

Nanndn Nelo tne CITY IN Ftooo'S
Grasp, Causing Loss o. Life and
Much Property Damage.
Augusta, Ga, Aug. 2S.-The reign
Of mud began Friday morning at day
light in the streets and houses OF Au-
guSta, where for forty-six hours the
turbulent Savannah had enslaved the
city in its grasp.
At 6 o'clock Friday morning the city
was free Of water, except in the low
lands Standing in lower Broad street
at that hour no water was in sight
IN any direction, but in its stead mud
was everywhere from an inch to many
inches deep.
Streets Washed Out.
1t will be days before normal condi-
dions are restored. Streets have been
washed almost away, sidewalks have
in many instances completely disap-
peared, leaving only ragged holes and
bitches to mark the place where the
pavement was. The upper half Of the
houses and stores are white and clean
the first story yellow and covered with
mud. The hand of the flood has been
plainly marked by its trail throughout
the city.
With the dawn of Friday came the
second chapter of the greatest flood
in the history of the city, and as the
waters disappeared, hope and energy
and relief came to the rescue Of the
strong hearted people who had sat in
silence and at the mercy of raging
torrents the day before.
IL is known that six persons were
drowned Thursday in Augusta.
Harry Carr, bookkeeper for the
Nixon Grocery company.
John Paul, a negro fireman On the
SOutEsrn railroad, while attempting
70 free the river bridge approach of
debris was swept overheard and sank
In the raging torrent of the river
A brakeman was drowned In Broad
street food later in the day.
Two negro draymen, while engaged
in carting goods at the corner of
Broad street and Marbary street, lost
their lives in a swift street current.
and their bodies were carried into the
canal
Many Reported Dead.
Two negroes are believed to have
been drowned Thursday, when the city
bridge was swept away, many claim
ing to be eye-witnesses.
II is reported that a white man
leaped from the second story of the
Metropole going into the open cellar
and drowning in the deep water there.
Fires Follow Flood.
Since Wednesday noon the time the
waters reached Broad street and the
big flood was actually on. there nave
been flve great fires in the city in ad-
dition to a number of smaller fires.
The fire department was compelled
TO join the spectators during the prog
ress OF the conflagrations. as the en-
gines and wagons were covered by
water and there was no human agen-
cy available in fighting flames. In
nearly all instances, the fires burned
70 the waters edge.
Epitome Of Damage.
Many human lives reported lost
fourteen verified.
Total actual physical damage, one
million dollars
Great loss OF live stock In city and
suburbs and lowlands
Damage to city property, a quarter
OF million dollars.
Damage to railroads and railroad
property one hundred thousand dollars.
Damage to telephone and telegraph
companies, twenty-five thousand dol
lars.
Damage to merchant sand local in
dustries, two hundred thousand dol
lars.
Damage TO residents, nifty thousand
dollars.
Probable loss TO mill operatives in
the loss Of wages, one hundred thou.
sand dollars.
Great Suffering.
Interest in August centers In the
dead and the relief measures to be
taken for the poor. The greatest suf.
fering is along deep gully known a.
Bridwell's Bottom and Perry's bottom.
Here in instances the houses were sub
merged to the caves, and the people
have lost their all. The damage is
estimated at from one and a half to
two millions bv the mayor and lead
ing men.