The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-05-17
SUBMERGED.
The Tillablo Land in the St.
Francis Basin.
No Cotton Crop This Year, Although
Corn May Be Grown.



MEMTaus. Tenn. May t0.--'rhe tilla-
bic lands subject 10 overflow in the st.
Francis basin are now submerged a.
certainly will be within il fN days
from this, and Il means nertten crop
this year. although d corn crop nsny hc
grown withort difficulty. No cotton
WINS raised last year III larye part *
the 81 Francis valley owlay to the
food The seven counties 81 the ST.
Fran h basin tributary 70 this ely
cultivate annually when npt iioa II Il
u. 900 acres IL cotton siia lie Yield Il
about 10000 halHs
\ The two counties OF ,rittenden md
Mississsippi, opposite and north OF here,
contain i.450 square miles, till 1000
ncrcs election and turn out %. GOO bales,
The yield varies from sa0 To 100 pounds
Of lint cotton 10 tho mere. The three
counties Of Lee, st. Francis and Cross
raise II, 900 bales IL cotton annually,
and tho population Is about %, 600, IL
which moro than half Is black.
neshn county, now largely sub
merged. has 10000 people. Of which
800 arc black, and the annual pro
inetion Is $1,000 bales II cotton Chicnt
county, next south of Desha and north
81 the Louisiana line, grows, when
there Is no overflow, from $4,000 To 30,-
300 baleso cotton. There are 10000 Or
more Of blacks II tho county, md the
white population Is greatly In tho
minority. Tho land Of Chicot Is equal
for cotton growth 10 any in the world,
There arc now two crevnsses in Chicot
county. Ono Il fourteen miles below
fIreenvillo, next below Sunny Side. and
the other nenr nroolss' Mil. three miles
lower down.
Tho flood water from these banks will
pass over 5000 or moro acres of cotton
land, then Cow by wny 81 Rig bayou
into bayou Macon, tho Tensns, Hack
and Red rivers, and thence into the
Mississippi river. The Isakop0rt ere
vase Is now 900 Or more feet IN width.
Persons on one side of the steamers GO
ing by there Sunday report having
hcard the roar OF tho break when IL let
70 last week and 1t sounded Hike the
approach Of d hurricane
Their boat lay BY III fog not far
from the crcvasse and all night the up
|rooting 81 trees and the roar 81 the
rushing waters Kept the people on the
boat In an agitatcd state of mind md
they could not sleep.
As the water had not boon over the
banks and against the lcvces moro than
two weeks many wondered at them
giving way. The water WINS some seven.
feet up against tho levcc when the
break occurred.
The new crcvassessnear Brooks mill,
In Chicot county, was 400 feet wide
sunday and spreading. Some fear that
this break will food very large area
81 the Tensas Basin. The Lakeport
crcvasse water might have been carried
Of through Bayon Macon. but the
bayou will hardly b equal 70 the task
Of carrying of the water 81 both CROW
asses.
The river at Greenvillc Is now less
than six inches below the highest
known record The breaks on the OPP
positc side viii lessen the strain ON the
levccs OF the Yazoo basin front TO some
extent, though so far the line Of levees
ON the east side for more than 400 miles
shows no signs Of weakness, and IL Ii
believed they Will protect the entire
Yazoo delta. the 1000 square miles Of
which Is still dry and in good order,
with corn and cotton crops flourish
fnr