Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-04-15
THE STRICKEN SOUTH.
Statistics Showing the Extent Of
the Great Floods.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST.

Mississippi Is tho Greatest Loser,
There Being Two Million Acres Un-
der Water In That statc--Arkansas
Also suffers Heavily.
Washington, April IA statement
relative to the agricultural interests of
the submerged districts of the Missis-
sippi valley south of Cairo, Ills, has
been issued by the department Of agri-
culture. 1t is based upon q chart pre-
| pared under the direction of the chief
OF the weather bureau, showing the
extent of the flood on April 6. To this
chart the department has applied the
crop statistics 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 population. of the number of acreage
of farms and farm implements are
those of the census, and the statistics
of live stock are the departments own
figures for Jan. 1, 1897.
The total area under water on April
was about $500 square miles, of
sippi, 4,50O square miles in Arkansas,
1.750 square miles in Missouri, 1900 in
Tennessee and $50 in Louisiana. This
region contained in 1890, so far as can
be determined in view of the some
what indefinite boundary lines of the
flood, a population of 1855, of which
1856, 489, or about one-half. was in Mis-
sissippi 100,2S5 in Arkansas, and the
ind oh fxyiln he
tween Missouri and Tennessee. Taking
the entire region the colored population
outnumbered the whites in the pro-
portion of II to Z, the colored predom-
mating in the flooded districts of Mis-
sisippi in the ratio of more than to /,
and in Arkansas in that of 2 to l. In
Missouri and Tennessee the popula-
ton of the flooded districts is largely
white, in the former state in the pro-
portion of 10 to l, and in the latter in
that of 2 to /.
The flooded districts contain, it is es-
timated, about $4,000 farms, of which
about 1880 are in Mississippi, nearly
10000 in Arkansas, and a like number
about equally divided between Mis-
souri, and Tennessee. These farms con-
tain a total acreage of about $4,000
acres, one-half of which is in Missis-
sippi and one-fourth in Arkansas, the
proportions in Missouri and Tennessee
being about the same, as in the case
of the number of farms. The total
value of these farms, with their i'm
proyements. farm implements, etc., is
close upon $65, 100000, and here also the
proportions in the different states are
about the same as above noted.
The total number of acres improved
at the taking of the last census was
about 2.000 900, and about 100000 acres
were last year devoted to cotton and
corn, to which crops nearly 95 per cent
of the entire acreage cultivated is de-
voted. The live stock on hand Jan. of
the present year was valued at over
$7,500,000, divided in very much the
same proportions as other farm prop
erty. 1t is estimated that of the crops
of last year over $3,750,000 worth re-
manned on hand in the submerged re-
gion 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 invested
capital in agriculture alone of close
upon $42, 900, 900. Over $4,000 farms, con-
tanning 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,
including some of the most productive
lands of the state. Their live stock,
even at the present low prices, Is
worth nearly SO, 500, 900, and the farm
ers and planters are estimated to have
about 81, 900, 900 worth of the crops of
last year still on hand.
Arkansas stands next in the extent
of it's imperiled interests, nearly 10000
farms, containing 100000 acres of land
worth over $14, 000,0 900, being submerged.
These farms contain live stock to the
value of over $1,50O, 900, and crops un-
sold and unconsumed to the value of
nearly $900,000 the entire agricultural
interests of these lands representing
value not far short of $17,000,000.
The agricultural interests affected in
Missouri represent a total capital of
rather over 100000, the $4,000 sub
merged farms containing an acreage of
about AGO. 900 acres, worth about $780,
600, the live stock representing nearly
81, 500, 900 more, and the crops on hand
another $500,OO0. Tennessee is not far
behind Missouri in the extent of Its i'm
periled interests.
What effect the flood will have upon
the crops of the present season depends
upon the length of it's continuance, and
the practicability of wheat planting after
the subsistence of the flood. The entire
region under water on April 6 pro-
duced last year about 100000 bales of
cotton. valued at close on $13,000,0 900:
over II, 600, 900 bushels of corn, worth
about 49, 100000, and wheat, oats, po-
tatoes and hay worth over 100000
more. The most valuable portion of
these crops was raised in Mississippi,
whose region now submerged produced
nearly quarter of a million bales of
cotton, besides other products, mostly
for local consumption.
The counties wholly or partially SUBJ
merged are among the largest cotton
producing counties in the United
States. Yazoo county, which alone has
produced over $4,000 bales in a season,
is one-half under water, while Boliver
county, Coahomea, Issaquena, Wash
ington with productive capacity of
100000 bales) and other famous coun-
ties are partially submerged.
The weather bureau predicts a fur
Their extension of the flooded area, but
no attempt, of course, has been made
to estimate the serious possibilities of
such extension.
Accident or Murders
Tunkhannock, Pa, April 15.-Carlton