The herald., 1897-04-12
MILLIONS
OF ACRES
Rendered NOn=PrOduCtive
by Floods
FORTY THOUSAND FARMS
MAY NOT YIELD so MUCH AS A
LIVING
Loss in Crops Alone Will Aggregate
Twenty Million Dollars and the
Flood Is Spreading
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, April ia state
ment relative to the agricultural inter-
ests of the submerged districts of the
Mississippi valley south of Cairo, ILL.,,
has been issued by the department Of
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 was about
is, 800 square miles, of which 1900 square
miles was in Mississippi, 4,500 square
miles in Arkansas, 1,750 square miles in
Missouri, 1900 in Tennessee and 450 in
Louisiana. The region contained in
$780, so far as can be determined, in view
of the somewhat indefinite boundary
lines of the flood, a population Of S79,-
eS5, Of which 1856, ,4S9, or about one-half
was in Mississippi 100,235 in Arkansas,
and the remainder almost equally di-
vided between Missouri and Tennessee.
Taking the entire region, the colored
population outnumbered the white in
the proportion of to 1, the colored pre-
dominating in the flooded districts of
Mississippi in the proportion of more
than to 1, and in Arkansas in that of
to 1. In Missouri and Tennessee the
proportion of the flooded districts is
largely white, in the former state in the
proportion of 10 to /, and in the latter in
that of 2 to 1. The flooded districts con-
tain it is estisssatcd, about 900 rarIIIs,
OF which about Is, 500 are in Mississippi,
nearly 10000 in Arkansas, and a like
| number about equally divided between
| Missouri and Tennessee. These farms
contain a total area of about $500, 900
acres, one-half of which is in Mississippi
and rather over one-fourth in Arkansas,
the proportions in Missouri and Tennes-
see being about the same as in the case
in the number of farms
About a million and a half acres of
the area under water were last year de-
voted to cotton and corn, to which crops
nearly 95 per cent of the entire acreage
cultivated is devoted II is estimated
that of the crops of last year over three
and three-quarter millions dollars
worth remained on hand in the sub
merged region on the last of the month,
cotton representing about two-thirds of
this amount and corn practically all the
remainder.
What effect the flood will have on 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 en-
tire region under water on April pro-
duced last year about 10000 bales of
cotton valued at close to $13, 600, 900, over
II, 900 bushels of corn, worth about
$3,400,000 and wheat, oats, potatoes and
hay worth over 100000 more. The most
valuable portion of these crops was
raised in Mississippi, whose region now
submerged produced nearly a quarter of
a million bales of cotton, besides other
products mostly for local consumption.
The counties wholly or partially sub
merged are among the largest cotton
producing countriesin the United States.
Yazoo county which alone has produced
over $4,000 bales in season, is one-half
under water, while Bolivar county, Goa
hama, Issaquena. Washington with a
productive capacity of 100000 bales) and
other famous counties are partially SUBJ
merged.
The weather bureau predicts further
extension of the flooded area but no at
tempt of course has been made to esti-
mate the serious possibilities Of such ex-
tension.
RECEDING SLOWLY.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 1.-THE water
in the Mississippi delta is slowly reced-
ing. Reports received here tonight from
the overfiowed country are most encour-
aging. The day has been an ideal one
and every planter in the delta is in
better spirits.
At Greenville the river as we'll as the
back water surrounding the town IS
stationary tonight. Everything is in
readiness for the receipt and>distribution
of provisions from the government and
as soon as thS-@rmy officers arrive the
work will be actively entered into.
At Lula, Miss, decided Improvement
Is noted. There is still some suffering in
the back country. but 1t Is being allevia-
ted by the planters and today a repre-
sentative of the government arrived and
will assist the destitute at once
The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley rail-
road has been busy all day with pile
drivers replacing washoutU The road
will probably have trains running into
Lula and Clarksdale on Tuesday.
1t is now believed the water will dis
appear by May 1st anu II this proves true
a fair crop can be made.
The river is falling at Memphis to-
night. At Vicksburg and all points
south, steady rise is noted.
RAILROAD TROUBLES.
OMAHA, Neb.. April 1.-THE North
western road is now engaged in a con-
fict with the current of the Missouri
Where the Fremont. Elkhorn and Mis-
souri, valley branch of the system crosses
the river at Blair the bridge is on q big
bend in the course of the stream. The
neck is narrow and low. Since the floods
came this spring the river has shown
q decided tendency to change it's COURSE
at this point and make cutoff. If X
does the bridge VIII be left over lake.