The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-23

STORMS AND FLOODS OF THE SEAsoN--THRrY
OpD MILLIONS OF PROPERTY DEsTRoYEp-We
publish to day special chapter on the storms
sud foods which have lately deluged the great
Mississippi Valley and the Central Atlantic
States From the best authorities we can bring
TO bear upon the subject, II will be seen that we
set down the aggregate losses resulting from
these tremendous outpourings from the skies at
the astounding aggregate OF thirty three mil
lioLs Of dollars.
The bulk Of these losses falls upon the imme-
date valleys Of the Mississippi the Arkaasas,
the Missouri and the Ohio rivera aud 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 interior of the
State, occupies very favorable location for a
general submerging in a heavy and extensive
rally season, like that of the present memorable
year of freshets and tornsdoes. In this connec-
ton 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 Pennsyl-
vsnia east, to the Rocky Mountains west.
Thus the canals, railroads, river bottoms, &C..
of Ohio, Ircispa, Illinois and Missouri, have
suffered very heavily; while from the southern
tributaries of the Ohio, including the Great
Kanawba, the rivers of Kentucky, and especially
the Cumberland and the Tennessee. which sweep
around acircuit of thousand miles, we hear Of
comparatively little damage.
If We are not mistaken upon another point,
we may say that the first destructive crevasses
this season, of the lower Mississippi ia Louisi.
ana, were occasioned, not by the deluge from the
upper Mississippi and the Ohio (for those con.
tributions have hardly yet reached Louisians)
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 Louisiana will remain month or
two yet under water, from the upper Mississip-
pi overflow 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 disastrously upon the
financial affairs of the good citizens of that fer
tile commonwealth, and of the State ITSELF
Looking over railroad map of the
Western States, it will be seen, from the
great number of their roads subjected to
these late overows, that the losses of the States
and companies ard stockholders interested in
those roads must be very heavy. The stock
market Of Wall street already begins to tell the
tale in very significant figures Of depreciation.
A loss of thirty three millions or more of the
solid wealth of the country at this crisis must
make its mark, and with the general stagnation
in business which prevails throughout the
Union, we cannot safely predict an early return
of flush times and universal extravaganza
Provisions and cotton will command good
prices, in proportion to the elimination 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 Ameri-
can people. To the government and to the peo-
pie retrenchment and reform must still be the
rule of action, until at least We oan ascertain
that the profits and savings OF the year, on all
sides, will more than counterbalance all Losses
and deficiencies.