The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-12
THE AREA UNDER WATER
COMPARISONS WITH SIMILAR
EVENTS OF RECENT YEARS.
Flooded Districts Contain, it is Esti-
mated, About $1,000 Farms-Bad
State Of Affairs in Arkansas
Great Damage Must Necessarily
Ensue to Cotton and Corn-All
Depends Upon the Continuance of
the Waters.

Washington, April ia statement
regarding the agricultural interests of
the submerged districts of the Missis-
sippi valley south of Cairo, Ills, has
been issued by the department of ag-
riculture. 1t is based upon chart
prepared under the direction of the
chief of the weather bureau showing
the extent Of the flood on April 6.
The total area under water on April
6 was about 1880 square miles, of
which 1900 square miles was in Mis-
sissippi. $500 in Arkansas, 1,750 in Mis-
souri,, 1,200 in Tennessee and $50 in
Louisiana The region contained in
1890, SO far as can be determined in
view of the somewhat indefinite bound
airy lines OF the flood, a, population of
S79,6S5, of which 1S6,4S9 or about one
half was in Mississippi, 100,2S5 in Ar
kansas and the remainder almost
equally divided between Missouri and
Tennessee.
Taking the entire region, the colored
population outnumbered the whites in
the proportion of to l, the colored
predominating in the flooded districts
of Mississippi in the ratio of more
than to l, and in Arkansas in that
of 2 to l. In Missouri and Tennessee
the population OF the flooded districts
is largely white, in the former state in
the proportion of 10 to l, and in the
latter in that of to l.
The flooded districts contain, it is
estimated, about $500 farms, of which
about $500 are in Mississippi. nearly
10000 in Arkansas and a like number
about equally. divided between Mis-
souri and Tennessee. These farms
contain a total area of about $500 900
acres, one-half of which is in Missis-
sippi and rather over one-fourth in
Arkansas, the proportions in Missouri
and Tennessee being about the same
as in the case of the number of farms.
About 1,500 900 acres of the area I'M
der water were last year devoted to
cotton and corn; TO which crops nearly
50 per cent of the entire acreage Gull
tivated is devoted. 1t is estimated
that of the crops of last year over
Sc, 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
the balance.
What effect the flood will have upon
the crops of the present season, de-
ponds upon the length of its continu-
ance, and the practicability of wheat
planting after the subsistence of the
flood. The entire region under water
on April produced last year about
SIC, 900 bales of cotton, valued at close
to $4,000, 600; over 100000 bushels Of
corn. worth about SO, 400, 900 and wheat,
oats, potatoes and hay worth over
$500. 900 more. The most valuable por-
ton of these crops was raised in Mis-
sissippi, whose region, now submerged,
produced nearly a quarter of mil
lion bales CT cotton, besides other prod
ucts mostly for local consumption.
The counties wholly or partially sub
merged are among the largest cotton
producing counties in the United
States. Yazco county, which alone has
produced over $4,000 bales in a season,
is one-half under water, while Boliver
Coahoma, Issaquena, Wash
ington with a product capacity of
100, OOO) and other famous counties are
partially submerged.
The weather bureau predicts fur
Their extension of the flooded area, but
no attempt, of course. has been made
to estimate the serious possibilities of
such extension.