The 1908 flood left deep scars in the psyche of Augusta.  Three years after the water receded, residents of Reynolds Street complained about the washed out street, riddled with potholes and choking residents with dust.[1]  The relations between the mills and the railroads had soured to the point of lawsuits.  The mills were attempting to recover lost goods from the rails and blaming the rails for collection of demurrage charges, charges on overdue railway freight, at a time when the mills had reeled from damages.  The rails pointed out that they had petitioned the authorities to be allowed to forgo the demurrage charges, but without permission, had by law to levy the charge.[2] Augusta and South Carolina found cause to argue over the flood leftovers, regarding each other with suspicion over the repairs to the "fishway" which enabled fish to clear the locks.

With the 1908 flood still a complication in their lives, heroes of that flood kept the esteem of the people.  Father Joseph Hennessy saved several lives during the flood and his obituary enumerated this act as one of Father Hennessy’s prominent achievements.[3]

The appeals at the end of the 1908 flood for a complete system of flood protection had muted.  A much more modest project was being supervised by Augusta City Engineer Nesbit Wingfield in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers. A $250,000 slope wall, the cost split between the city and the federal government, to control the erosion of the river bank was being built along the Savannah River from Hawk’s Gully to Centre Street [6^th Street].  Mayor Barrett, while supporting the slope wall, used every possible occasion to generate enthusiasm for a levee.

By 1912, the debate murmured, action raged lukewarm and the Savannah geared up to wash down the streets again.  The March 16, 1912 flood, cresting at 36 feet 10 inches, left considerable damage, but the havoc of 1908 was avoided. Augusta had learned some valuable lessons from 1908. 

Water covered all the city but precautions had been taken to minimize the damages.  Mr. Eugene Emigh of the U. S. Weather Service, while slightly off in his calculations, had issued early warnings of the hazard.  Freight at the depots was evacuated, the hospitals shifted patients to second floors and residents evacuated their houses or elevated their furniture. The Augusta Chronicle warned all merchants either by telephone or messenger when the flood waters reached Broad Street.  This early warning gave merchants ample time to secure their stock against damage. The railways wanted to avoid further charges of negligence from the mills and evacuated all shipments to higher ground. Bridges were weighted with rail cars to keep them in place against the rushing water.

 Some new preparations piqued the pride of Augusta. Determined to respond to any fires in flooded districts, Chief Reynolds rigged a make-shift fireboat “fitted up with red and white lights, hand chemical extinguishers, hooks and other light hand equipment and it is truly an up-to-date fire boat.  The chief has not been called upon to respond to a fire in his boat as yet, but he stands ready, and it must be said for the Augusta Fire Department that it is really up-to-date in every respect.”[4]

 With the exception of the gas plant, most services continued through the flood or were quickly back in operation.  The perseverance of the telephone operators was given special commendation.

Most significantly, there was no damage to the canals.  Credit was given to the three years work in raising the canal banks from 3 feet to 10 feet from the Locks to the pumping station.  An intact canal meant that the city could put its efforts into removing standing water, hauling away garbage and debris and making repairs to bridges and roads.  Clean up was considered finished within a week.

In spite of the speedy clean up, the Secretary of Augusta's Chamber of Commerce lamented that continued flooding hurt the image of Augusta and took his frustration out on the procurers and senders of picture post-cards.  His publicity campaign to counteract negative reports about a flooded Augusta was undermined by “the post-card fiends and [he] asks that citizens not send these cards.  He urges all of the people of the city not to send the flood pictures out.  He says that it is only a request, as each picture sent out is a knock to the city.  The visitors will send enough of them broadcast, without the home folks sending them.  It is a call to the patriotism of the people of the city not to send them.”[5]

But the city, “worse scared than hurt,”[6] was finally thoroughly tired of getting wet.  Mayor Barrett immediately proposed that plans for a levee go forward.  The city could take advantage of new legislation to enable it to issue bonds for flood control and thus raise the necessary money.  The Merchants and Manufacturers Association was quick to support the mayor by issuing a petition in support of a levee. The Chamber of Commerce submitted its own set of resolutions asking that the city council authorize $1,000,000 worth of bonds for the construction of a levee.

Even the city’s most prominent ministers felt compelled to chastise their leaders for the failure to protect Augusta.  Pointed messages were delivered to shake the leaders and the city into action.  While none endorsed a particular plan, the ministers urged that a plan be chosen.

 Howard T. Cree said, “I cannot discuss the method of that protection.  That is a matter for engineers rather than civilians, for experts rather than novices, but surely we do not mean to slip back into that lackadaisical spirit which does nothing in view of our recent tragedy.  The tawny tides of the Savannah swirling thorough our best residence and retail streets are a challenge to us that we cannot refuse to take up.”[7]

 J.R. Sevier of First Presbyterian Church preached flood control as a holy duty.  “Oh the shame of our fair city if it neglects the duty of protecting its people from this danger.  No more let Augusta be called the proud city of Georgia but let her hang her head in shame if she falls in this duty so clearly pointed out to her.  I feel that it is a Christian duty we owe to see that our city neglects not this great and important duty.  He that provideth not for his own is ‘worse than an infidel’ says the good Book.”[8]

Dr. H. M DuBose of St. John’s Methodist Church came close to promising hellfire and damnation to the whole town,  "The recent visitation of great waters upon our city is justly esteemed a warning to those responsible for the protection of the many lives and vast properties with the limits of the municipality … Should it happen that, in future days, this city and its helpless population are left to the deluging waste of a flood of sin and debauchery?  In places high and low, as is now the case, the displeasure of heaven will be visited upon us in times and in ways that will not admit of remedy.”[9]

An Augusta Chronicle article expressed the sentiments pithily, “Let’s don’t ‘quibble’ about it; let’s don’t ‘theorize’ about it; let’s don’t put our ‘opinion’ against expert advice; let’s don’t dilly-dally any longer – let’s go to work to protect Augusta against floods” [10]

In short order, a bond issue of $1,250,000 was approved.  The bonds would be sold in stages to compliment the work which must also be done in stages.  Captain A.J. Twiggs, quoted as saying “if I had the money to build the levee myself…I would be glad to do it…I would have a good investment for life and longer – and so would the city,”[11] was awarded some of the first contracts.

These first contracts were for the improvements to the Beaver Dam ditch which was the cornerstone for diverting overflow from the sewers, the canal and the river.

 Following a year to the day, the 1913 flood was hardly considered a flood at all. Augusta "Just got her toes wet” and “Wasn’t much of a freshet after all.”[12]  The mild wetting was felt to be the result of all the work done on the Beaver Dam Ditch and was excellent publicity to continue forward with the construction of the levee.

The levee was completed in December of 1918.  When City Engineer Nesbit Wingfield issued his final report, he touched on the many challenges the city had overcome in the construction of the levee. The greatest obstacle was the relocation of many businesses, most notably the tracks and trestles of the Charleston and Western Carolina Railroad.  Another serious handicap was procuring all the necessary rights of way.  Wingfield felt that payments for the rights of way were the biggest culprits in the project’s cost overruns and the 1911-1919  Year Book of the City Council of Augusta corroborates his charge.  

In fairness, another factor complicated the financing and finishing of the project. The ongoing war in Europe seriously deflated the bond market and made it difficult to market further bond issues.  In the end, the levee cost $2,197.538.83, of which the federal government bore $218,000 and the city $1,979.538.83.  The project took ten years from inception to completion and would occupy half of Nesbit Wingfield’s twenty-one year career.

Tested one week after completion, Wingfield could be proud of his levee.  Mayor William P. White sang the praises of the levee on behalf of the people of Augusta.  “During the last weeks of the year 1918 we were visited with a very high river which put our levee to a very severe test.  We are particularly delighted to note that what was expected by its builders and promoters has been realized and that our city is now safe from the flood waters of the Savannah river.”[13]