Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-04-22
THE FLOOD STATISTICS.
The Sixth Break in the Mississippi
Delta Levee System.
RATIoNs FOR THREE THOUSAND

Were Distributed at yicksburg We'd
sday-Approxlmate Value of Agri-
cultural Property of the Submerged
Region Reaches SPOTLIGHT.
Memphis, April 22.-The sixth break
in the Mississippi delta levee system
occurred at 10 o'clock yesterday at a
point few miles south of Lake Provi-
dence La, on the Mississippi side of
the river. The break is a large one,
and a great volume of water is rush
ing into Issaquena county, Miss. This
county, with the adjacent counties OF
Sharkey and Yazoo, have already been
partly inundated from the earlier
breaks, and yesterdays crevasse, it is
believed, will not materially affect the
situation in that vicinity. The water
is gradually spreading over Madison
parish from the Biggs crevasse, and 1t
will be several weeks before it subsidies.
Reports from the sixth mississippi
crevasse in Issaquena county, on Prom
Used Land plantation, show that is is
not widening, and that the flow of
water through it is slackening. The
water inside the levee was only six
feet below the level of the river. This
crevasse has already caused some
hundreds of persons to leave their
homes, and may be severely felt on
Lower Deer creek, where much land is
still above water. Unless closed before
the river falls it will protract the flood
situation below
Three thousand people were issued
rations at Vicksburg yesterday. and
this total will be considerably increas-
ed, it is believed. The situation pre-
sents many difficulties. Some planters
are ready and anxious to supply the
wants of their tenants. Others, who
see no prospect of making crop. being
on low land, are either unable or I'M
willing to do so.
The bureau of statistics of the treas
ury department at Washington has
made the following report on the dam
age caused agricultural interests on
the Mississippi river flood.
Since the publication on April II
of statement relative to the agricul-
tural interests of the submerged dis
tricts of the Mississippi valley south
of Cairo, Ills, the area under water
has been considerably extended. This
extension is below Vicksburg, Miss,
but on the right or west side of the
river, and is mainly due to break
1000 feet in width in the levee at Biggs.
The outflow of water at this point has
totally submerged four counties of
louisiana and partly overlooked five
others, while a break at La Fourche
crossing, in the northern part of the
same state. has resulted in the sub
mergence of an additional area of
nearly 300 square miles in La Fourche
and Terrebonne counties.
In this newly submerged region
there was in 1890 total population of
1886 in the proportion of four colored
persons to one white. The region con-
tanned in the last census 7,747 farms,
with total area of over 10000 acres,
of which 100000 were improved. OF
this last mentioned area 213,OO0 acres,
or over one-half were last year devot-
ed to cotton, over 91,000 acres to corn,
5000 acres to sugar cane, 1000 acres to
hay and an inconSiderable area to
other crops.
1.-THE total value of these farms, in
Guiding fences and buildings, but ex-
elusive of their movable equipment,
was in 1890 close upon $11, 000, 900, and
the value of the implements and ma
chinery upon them was over $500, 900.
Jan. / of the present year they
contained live stock to the value of
81, SOC, 900, and so late as March / last
they were estimated to have still on
hand about 100000 worth of the crops
of last season. The total value of the
farms submerged by the breaks in the
levees that have occurred since the
10th inst, with their farm implements,
live stock and crops on hand, there
fore, is close upon $4,000. 900.
This region produced last year near
ly 100000 bales of cotton, over 1900, 900
pounds of sugar and over 1900, 900
bushels of corn, besides hay, potatoes,
oats and other minor products, the
entire production aggregating a value,
even at the low prices that have pre-
vailed, of more than s4,250, 900.
1.-THE total area submerged at this
date is over 10000 square miles. 1t
contained at the last census 1926
farms, with a total area of 1904 466
acres, nearly one-half of which was
improved, and a total population, agri-
cultural and other, of 49,, O41 If to the
value of its farms, farm buildings and
farm machinery, according to the CEN
sus of 1890, there be added the value
of it's live stock on Jan. / last and of
its products of last season still on hand
on March l last, the total of 800, 176, Ut
will represent the approximate value
of the agricultural property of the
submerged region.