The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-07-02
STORMS AND FLOODS OF THE SEA-
SON

i"o w" iorN Ierniu puolsnes special
chapter on the storms and floods which have
lately delayed the great Mississippi Valley
and the Central American States. 1t says
from the best authorities we can bring to
bear upon the subject, we set down the ag.
gregnte losses resulting from these tremen-
dous outpourings from the skies at the as
founding aggregate Of thirty-three millions
Of dollars.
The bulk of these losses fall on the in,me-
date valleys of the Mississippi, The Arkan.
sas, the Missouri rivera and their tributaries.
Louisiana is the State which has suffered the
most severely, from the deluging of her rich
sugar and cotton plantations. Next in order
comes the State Of Illinois, which, with the
Mississippi for its western and the Ohio for
its southern boundary, with several large
rivers flowing southwark through the inieri.
or oc the State, occupies very favorable To-
cation for general submerging in heavy
and extensive rainy season, like that of The
present memorable year of freshets and tor
nndoes. In this connection it appears that
the late heavy rains and storms have spent
most Of their strength on the northern side
Of the Ohio, from that river to the great
lakes, and from New York and Pennsy lvania
east, to the Rocky Mountains west Thus
the canals, railroads, river bottoms, &C., Of
fered very heavily; while from the southern
tributaries of the Ohio, including The great
Kanawha, the rivers of Kentucky, and es-
pecia!ly the Cumberland and the Tennessee,
which sweep around circuit Of a thousand
miles, we hear of comparatively little dam.
age.
If we are not mistaken upon another point,
We may say that the first destructive crevas-
ses this season, Of The lower Mississippi in
Louisiana, were occasioned, not by the de-
LUCE from the upper Mississippi and the
Ohio (for these contributions have hardly
yet reached Louisiana, but from the freshets
rolling down from the Rocky Mountains and
the great western plains in the channels of
the Arkansas and the Red rivers. 1t is,
therefore, very likely that the low lands of
of Louisiana will remain month or two
under water, from the upper Mississippi over
flow and from the annual swell of the great
Missouri, which, we believe, has reported
progress at st. Louis within the last week.
The prospect, therefore, for the cotton and
sugar growers of Louisiana this year is very
gloomy, and will, we fear tell disnstrously
upon the financial affairs of the good citizens
of that fertile common wealth, and of the
State itself.
Looking over railroad map of the West
ern States, it will be seen, from the great
number of their roads subjected TO these late
oterllows, that the losses of the States and
these roads must be very heavy. The stock
market Of Wall street already begins TO tell
the tale in very significant figures Of depre-
citation.
The loss Of thirty three millions or more
of the solid wealth of the country at this
crisis must make its mark, and with the gen.
eral stagnation in business which prevails
throughout the Union, we cannot safely pre-
diet an early return of flush times and uni.
versal extravaganza. Provisions and cotton
will command good prices, in proportion to
the dimunition of the crops; but the losses
of States, corporations and individuals from
the floods and storms of 1858, will be felt
throughout the Union and through all the
diversified interests of the whole American
people. To the government and to the re-
trcnchmcnt and reform must still be the rule
of action, until at least we can ascertain that
the profits and savings of the year, on all
sides, will moro than counterbalance all loss
es and deficiencies.
CRUMB OF COMFORT FOR Mr.. Sew