Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-26

flow is just beginning to be fully under
stood. That it was vast, was readily con-
ceived, but that it should involve five mil
lion of acres and population of 11SOOO
was apparently beyond reasonable satisfac-
ton Yet such was the case. 1t is now
ascertained that nine of the largest and
richest parishes, producing cotton have
been inundated. The parishes of Carroll,
Morehouse, Richland, Madison, Franklin,
Tensas, Caldwell, Concordia and Catahalu
are all overfi0wed and embracing fully p
100000 acres. The amount of cotton land
in these parishes in actual cultivation is as
certained to be 250,000, besides 10000
acres in corn. These estimates include
only large places, leaving out hundreds of
small farmers and all estimates for cattle,
hogs and gardens. The population Of these
nine parishes is 20,394 whites and 54,O33
blacks, according to the census of 1870.
The Sugar Regions
In the sugar producing parishs, the ascer-
tanned facts discover an equal if not
greateIamount of ruin and suffering. These
parishes are Point Couple, East Baton
Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, As
cention, Assumption, Lafource, st. James,
St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, Terre-
bone and Plaquimine. The overflow in
those parishes covers nearly 100000 acres
titled and untitled, including production
of $4,000 hogsheads of sugar, a large product
of rice and some small farmers of whom
there are many hundreds who lost their
stock and pretty much all else they pos
seSsed. The population of these parishes,
according TO the census of 1870, was 50,-
36S whites and 72,241 blacks, making a
total of 122, 600.
In all the parishes named, it is believed
that more than $4,000 people are now in
actual suffering for the necessary supplies
of life, and that in less than sixty days, the
number of those whose circumstances will
require all ratlons VIII increase to more
than $4,000 persons. Above we present all
facts as far as aScertained by Relief
Committee up to yesterday.
The Half Not Told.
Mr.. John X. Clair, of st. Landry parish,
in a note referring to the above says: |
have just seen in the Times of this morn
ing an approximate estimate of the ex-
tent of damage which has resulted from
the overflow. In the nine northeastern
parishes of this State, which includes only
the pan ishes north of Red river, and then
passing at the mouth of said river over to
the parish of Point Coupee, the estimate
includes all of the parishes between the
Mississippi and the Atciafalaya. rivers to
the Gulf, which IS all very correct so far as
it goes. But, resulting from the immense
body Of water which is coming down the
valley Of the Mississippi and Cuachita and
Black rivers, it passes across Red river some
forty miles from Its mouth and meeting
with no obstruction until it reaches the
levee on Bayou de Glace, it sweeps with
irresistible force over lis feeble barrier
and occupying a treadih Of country from
p to 30 miles wide through the eastern
portion of AvOyalls and s.. Landry parish
es, and covering all the lands in that region,
which includes within its limits the larger
portion Of the most productive lands in
those two parishes, ieginning at MOranS-
vile, washing around what is called big
bend Of the bayou De Glace down to Sim
port, and a distance of more than 40 miles
by the meauders of the bayou which is
thickly settled; thence down the low lands
west of Atchafalaya river behind the
plantations of that river, inundating them
from behind. Within the limits of the
land thus submerged are not less than TO-
900 souls including white and black, mostly
of the labOring class, but no doubt some of
the proprietOrs are in a suffering condition
on account of the almost total failure of she
crop both of corn and cotton on account of
the wet weather last year.
VidaIia.
A dispatch from Vidalia Concordia
parish says: \ public meeting has as
sembled here. Five thousand people in
this section are represented as suffering for
food, and committee appointed to procure
supplies.
The Mayor of Trenton telegraphs: I'VE
are all overflowed. Send us 5000 rations
by the Ouachita Belle If possible. The
eOlored population in particular are in dis
tress."
Measures of Relief.
Large quantities of provisions were
shipped to the sufferers. To-day the Re-
lief Committee got fairly to work. The
demands are much greater than at first and
increasing daily as the water from the
creyaSses continues spreading. Another
great rise is coming out of the Red and
Ouachita rivers. Mayor Cobb, of Boston,
to-day telegraphed Mayor Wiltz to draw at
sight for $4,000, making $4,000 con-
tributed for the Overfiowed. Mayor Wilt
yesterday reported $4,000 in the bank to
the credit of the Relief fund.