Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-05-16
DEVASTATED LOUISIANA.

DEVASTATED LOUISIANA.
Approximate Estimate Of The Loss
Caused by the 0verdow-A Fear
full Summing Up.
From the New Orleans Times.
Predicating our estimates on the
best lights now before us, the loss,
direct and consequential, TO the people
of this State must largely exceed
TEN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
When the food shall have entirely
passed away, and absolute facts are
the estimate stated may
be largely increased, but cannot be
diminished, and not until then will it
be possible to determine what the in
divIdual suffering has been.
The area now under water is vari-
ously estimated at from 100000 to
1900 900 acres. The estimates of
damage must include the labor pre-
viously expended in the crops, the loss
of fences, cattle, mules, poultry, and
every variety and kind of chattel
property; houses. damaged machinery,
stores of food and clothing. loss of
prospective crops, also the prospective
damages for season of unemployed
time until the sufferers can again find
remunerative employment, the time,
labor and expense of restoring the
wasted lands, fences, and habitations.
Involved in all these estimates is a
population fairly estimated at
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUs-
without considering the large COM
mercial interests of New Orleans,
which are to be affected by the over
flow, not only for the present year, but
until these damages can be repaired.
We have desired to be reasonable
in these calculations and to found them
on ascertained and appreciable facts,
for in that way only will they have any
value in the public mind Suppose
we begin with the loss of the
COTTON CROP.
In making these estimates concern
ing cotton, we consider the entire pro-
duct of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mis-
sissippi. Should the flood subside by
the middle of the present month, there
would yet be time TO obtain some re-
compense for the loss in this crop; but
it is well-known that late planting of
cotton is never safe for any yield, and
can not be counted on under the most
favorable circumstances for more than
half crop. Well informed planters,
and good judges, with whom We have
conversed, consider that there will be
loss Of 100000 bales of cotton on
the crop of this year, even under the
most favorable circumstances. Should
the overflow continue longer than the
18th instant, the loss will be largely
enhanced, and exceed 10000 bales.
THE SUGAR LOSS.
The loss in this commodity is almost
total and absolute, not only for the
present year, but will attend that in
dustry for two more years besides the
present. Cane can not be brought to
a productive capacity under three years,
and its restoration will only be accom-
plished gradually. 1t will be fair to
count in the loss not only for the
present year, but the consequential
loss of succeeding years. The loss on
this years crop is variously estimated
at from 30, 900 to 10000 hogsheads, but
we are persuaded that the former
figures, 10000 hogsheadS, is within the
margin of certainty. That would be
S3.000,000 Next year 10000 hogs
heads, S2000,000, and the year follow
ing that 10000 hogsheads, or 81 900 :
600. The sugar loss then, directly and
consequential, must be set down at
S6,000,000.
THE RICE CROP.
Some overstrong estimates have been
made of the loss in this crop, and we
have endeavored to reach indisputable
conclusions. The rice crop of the
State is written down in the statistics
at 81, 206 barrels of two hundred and
thirty pounds each. The producing
parishes are: St. James 435 barrels,
not overfowed; st. John 1850 bar
rails, one-quarter over-fowed, loss 315
barrels; st. Charles ), 1902 barrels, loss
one-fourth or $40 barrels; Jefferson
30S blrrels, not over-fOwed; Orleans
liz barrels, not over-fowed St. Ber-
nard III barrels, not over-howed !;
Plaquemines 30.254 barrels. loss one
third or 10,085 barrels; Terrebonne
11,741, loss four-ffths, or 9,312 bar
rels; Lafourche 1,224 barrels, loss two
thirds or SIG barrels; Vermillion SS4
barrels, not over-fowed Lafayette
$40 barrels, not over-fowed. Wehave
here a certain loss of 5,031 $40 pounds,
which, estimated at 6ic, aggregates
$3l1 1896.
THE TOBACCO CROP.
There may be some loss in the crop
of tobacco, but diligent inquiry has
failed to discover that it is material.
The crop, at best, is not large in this
State. A full estimate of the loss,
and we are without facts to Justify it
would be 100000.
This brings US to the consideration
of the most difficult part of this sub
ject, the loss of
CHATTEL PROPERTY,
such as cattle, mules, hogs, poultry,
farming tools, fences, etc. Necessarily
we are much at sea here, and however
Objectionable it may be to present es-
Inmates with no better foundation than
guessing, it is for the present all that
is allowed us. The population, as above
stated, involved in the over flow, is
about 10000 people, white and black,
implying from SIX to ten thousand
plantations. large and small The
question is how much have such planta-
tons lost by the food in cattle, mules,
fences and other chattel interest? 1t
cannot be less than 800 to each place,
and there are many persons who would
unhesitatingly write it down at 5000
each place, and yet others who would
with as little hesitation estimate the
loss at double that amount. We pre-
fer to take moderate view and calcu-
late from the basis of six thousand at
5000 each, which would give loss of
81 100000.