Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-12
THE FLOODS WORK.
Over $1,000 Square Miles
Under Water in the South.
Nearly 10000 Farms Submerged,
Valued at $65,000,0
A Fain. Idea Of Enormous Damage Being Gone
in Those Sections.

Washington. April ia statement rel
alive to the agricultural interests of the
submerged districts of the Mississippi
valley south of Cairo. H., has been is
sued by the department of agriculture.
1t Is based upon "a chart prepared under
the direction of the chief OF the weather
bureau showing the extent Of the Hood,
April 6. To this chart the department
has applied the crop statistics OF 1896. as
representing more closely than any one
other available data the acreage and
value of the crop OF 1897 now in jeopardy.
The statistics Of population. the number
and acreage of farms and the value OF
farms and farm Implements, are those
of the census, and the statistics OF live
stock are the departments own figures
og Jan. !. 1897.
The total area under water, April 6.
was about 1850 square miles, of which
1900 square miles was in Mississippi. 400
square miles in Arkansas, 1850 square
miles in Missouri. 1909 in Tennessee and
$50 in Louisiana. This region contained.
In 1880, so far as can be determined in
view OF the somewhat indefinite boundary
lines of the flood. a population of 3l9bsJ,
of which lS5,4S]. or about one-haf was
in Mississippi. 100,225 in Arkansas, and
the remainder almost equally divided be-
tween Missouri and Tennessee. Taking
the entire region, the colored population
outnumbered the white, the proportion
being II TO II. the colored predominating
in the flooded districts of Mississippi in
the ratio OF more than to !, and in Ar.
kansas in that of TO l. In Missouri and
j
districts is largely white. In the former
state in the proportion of 10 To ], and the
latter in that of 2 to l.
The flooded district contain, il is esti-
mated about $500 farms. of which
about is, 500 are in Mississippi, nearly TO-
900 in Arkansas and large number about
equally divided between Missouri and
Tennessee. These farms contain a total
area of about $500, 09G acres. one-haif OF
which Is In Mississippi. and rates over
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 improvements. farm imple-
ments. etc. is close upon S69.oW.00 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.O00U1, and about 1.5Do00 acres We're
devoted to cotton and corn to which crop
nearly 50 per cent. of the entire acreage
cultivated is devoted. The live stock on
hand the first OF January of the the present
year, was valued at over $500. 600. divided
in very much the same proportions as
other farm property. Ii is estimated that
of the crops of last year over s315o,G00
worth remained on hand in the sub
merged region. on the last of the month.
cotton representing about two-thirds of
this amount ana corn practically ali the
remainder.
The largest interests at stake so far are
those of the state of Mississippi. whose
Hooded districts represent an investment
of capital in agriculture alone of close
upon s42,@0O00. over 1900 farms con-
taining 2.tN000O acres Of land of any aver
age value of about SIS an acre are under
water in the country lying between the
Mississippi and Nazoo rivers. including
some OF the most productive lands of the
state. Their live stock even ut the pre-
sent low prices is worth nearly $500 001
and the farmers and planters are esti-
mated to have about S2.too009 worth of
the crops of last year stiil on hand.
Arkansas is next in the district of i'm
perlled interests, nearly l0,oo0 farms, con-
tanning 1.Uo00V acres OF land, worth ever
Sl4W0.0l0 being submerged.
These farms contain live stock to the
value of over l.5v0.000 and crops unsold
and unconsumed to the value of nearly
100000. the entire agricultural interests
of these lands representing a value not
short of Sl1.001.000
The agricultural interests affected in
Missouri represent Il total capital of over
5000 $50, the $500 submerged farms con-
tanning an area of about 10000 acres.
worth about $1.25O.0o0, the live stock rep
resenting nearly 81 .50.100 more and the
crops on hand another 500. coo
Tennessee is not far behind Missouri in
the extent of its imperilled interests, the
number and acreage OF the submerged
farms being very near the same and the
entire value including 81 $4,000 for live
stock and 100000 for crops on hand being
over SS,oU.UVO.
What effect the flood will have upon
the crops of the present season depends
upon the length of its continuance and
the practicability of wheat planting after
the subsistence of the flood. The entire
region under water April 6, produced
last year. about $4,000 bales of cotton.
valued at about $l3, 000. 600 over II 100000
bushels of corn, worth about S3.iW.VO.
and wheat oats and hay worth over $50
600 more. The most valuable portions of
these crops was raised in Mississippi
where the region now submerged Is re-
duced nearly a 100000 bales of cotton, be-
sides other products mostly for local con-
sumption.
The counties wholly or partly sub
merged are among the largest cotton pro-
ducing countries in the United States.
YaZoo country. which alone has produced
over $1,000 bales in a season, is half under
water while Boliver county, Coahoma,
Issaquena and Washington. with pro
ductive capacity of 100000 bales. and
other famous counties are partially sub
merged.
The weather bureau predicts a further
extension of the flooded area, but no at
temf'ts. of course, has been made to esti-
mate the serious possibilities of such eX
tension. The weather bureau publishes
an account of the food of April 10, and
says:
1.-The flooded water now in western
Mississippi is just beginning to return to
the Mississippi river through the GaZoo |
and Milidens. standing a few miles north. |
The gradually increasing strain during |
the next few days on the Louisiana side, !
opposite the plain where the Yazoo floods |
returned to the Mississippi renders 1t |
possible that the levee may break and |
the flood pour through into northeastern
louisiana in which case 1t is possible |
that much, If not all of the area in Louis |
lana formerly covered by floods will be |
flooded again. this year. Heroic work |
is now being done on the levees of north |
ern Louisiana. and it is hoped that they
will be held intact.