This is pretty cool! On this day, an historical letter captured major flood in Augusta, GA in 1908. The Augusta Chronicle shares a snippet of the letter with us--as a out of town visitor sent his wife back at home.
From The Augusta Chronicle:
My Darling,
I have just finished writing up a nice order of over $300 gotten from Dr. Parr, $195 of it sundries. Expect to see three more druggists here today.
Mr. Jenkins left last night for Charleston. Terrible rains all above here and the Savannah River, which runs through this city, is rising rapidly.
(Aug. 26) 9:30 a.m –The water is rising rapidly now. Everyone is moving up into the second and third floors of their houses and stores. It's a sight to see. I started up to see some of the druggists and find that I cannot get off this block without rubber boots.
10 a.m.–All rubber boots in the city have been sold. Water now about one foot deep all over and rising rapidly. I'll write as I can. It's a terrible flood. Streetcars have stopped running. The center of the street is out of sight. Water covers the electric plant so engines and motors can't run.
11 a.m.–The depot is now two feet underwater, all baggage piled up on trucks. Telephone and telegraph offices flooded, no messages can be sent in or out of the city. The loss is going to be awful. One man had $7,000 granulated sugar in cellar. It's now full of water and all is lost. Lots of men are out in the streets wading around in the swift water.
12 noon–I am upstairs looking out. Saw a funny sight just now. A man called across the street (to a man who was already wet) to come take him across on his shoulders. Some men on this side told him that they would pay him well if he would stumble and drop him when he was in the deepest part. Well, he stumbled and both went down in the water (waist deep now.) Wish you could be here. It's a sight of a lifetime, but I am glad you are not, as there is no telling when or where it will end.
12:30 p.m.–A store full of lime has just exploded, barrels of lime go floating by being slapped by the water as they float. Lots of water everywhere. Boats come into the lobby of the hotel. Water continues to rise. It's now up two steps in the hotel. A grand sight but terrible. No one knows where it will end.
2 p.m.–Everything wild. I have to be brief in what I say, if I ever get out and at home I will tell you all about it.
Gates, barrels, boxes, etc., go floating by. I just noticed a package of valuable papers on the water going swiftly down the river, evidently out of some business office. Oil all over the top of the water. Guess barrels of it are among the things lost. Lots of men getting drunk. One of them dropped two $20 bills in the water. They sank out of sight immediately, nobody went after them.
Photo Cred: The Augusta Chronicle