The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-12

The awful extent of the Mississippi flood
and the millions of dollars damage done
TO the agricultural interests south Of
Cairo, Ill have been the basis of state
ment issued by the Department OF Agri-
culture. Nearly 10000 square miles Of
land are under water. The population of
this area is nearly 400, 600 people. and
the farms and live stock represent value
of about $40 ,o0o.O 900,
This statement is based upon chart
prepared under the direction of the Chief
OF the Weather Bureau, showing the ex-
tent of the flood ON pril g. To this cha rt
the department has applied the crop sta
tistics of 1896. as representing more
closely than any other available data the
acreage and value of the crops OF 1897,
now in jeopardy The statistics of popu
lation, of the number and acreage OF
farms and of the value of farms and farm
implements, are those of the census. and
the sta tistics Of live stock are the depart
ment's own figures for January 1, 1897.
The total area under water on April 6
was about 10, 800 square miles, equal 10
the area Of New Jersey, Delaware, and half
of Maryland. OF this 1900 square miles
was in Mississippi, $500 square miles in
Arkansas, 1,750 square miles in Missouri,
1,2Oo in Tennessee, and $50 in Louisiana
This region contained in 1890, so far as
can he determined in view OF the some
what indie finite boundary lines of the
flood a population of 379 $50, OF which
1S6, 4S9, or about one-half, was in Missls-
sippi, 100,235 in Arkansas, and the re-
mainder almost equally divided between
Missouri and Tennessee.
Taking the entire region the colored
population outnumhered the whites in the
proportion OF IL to 4, the colored pre-
dominating in the flooded districts in Mis-
sisSlppi in the ratio of more than to L,
and in Arkansas in that of to 1. In Mis-
souri, and Tennessee the population of the
flooded districts is largely white, in the
former State in incorporation of 10 To
and in the latter in that OF TO /.
The flooded districts contain, it is es-
tinlated about 80, 800 farms, of which
about IS, 500 are in Mississippi, nearly
10. 900 in Arkansas, and a like number
about equally divided between Missouri
and Tennessee These farms contain
total area of about 3, 100000 acres The
total value of these farms with their
improvements, farm implements, etc, is
close upon So, 100000.
The total number of acres improved at
the taking of the last census was about
1000. 90, and about 1880, 900 acres
were last year devoted to cotton and corn,
to which crops nearly 95 per cent of the
entire acreage cultivated is devoted. The
live stock on hand the LIST of January
of the present year was valued at over
81, SOC, 900.
1t is estimat ed that OF the crops OF
last year over So, $50 900 worth remained
on hand in the submerged region on the
last of the month, cotton representing
about two-thirds Of this amount and corn
practically all the remainder.
The largest interests at stake so far
are those of the State OF Mississippi,
whose flooded districts represent an in
vested capital in agriculture alone OF
close upon SAP 100000. Over $4,000
farms. containing 2, 100000 acres OF land,
OF an average value of about SIS an acre,
are under water in the country lying be
tween the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers. in
Guiding some OF the most productive lands
OF the State
Their live stock, even at the present
low prices, is worth nearly $780,
900. and the farmers and planters
are estimated to have about So,
600 600 worth of the crops OF last year
still on hand.
Arkansas stands next in the extent or
its d interests, nearly 10 600 farms,
containing ,oO0, 900 acres of land, worth
over S14 900 900, being submerged. These
farms contain live stock to the value OF
over S1,500,0 900, and crops un-
sold and unconsumed TO the value
of nearly $500 900, the entire agricultural
interests OF these lands representing value
not far short of SIT 100000.
The agricultural interests affected in
Missouri represent total capital of rath-
er over 5000, 900, the $500 submerged
farms containing an area OF about AGO. 900
acres, worth about 81 100000, the live
stock representing nearly i 800 900 more,
and the crops on hand another $500 600
Tennessee is not far behind Missouri in
the extent of its imperiled interests, the
number and acreage OF the submerged
farms being nearly the same, and the en-
tire value Including 81 100000 for live