The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-12
Farms to the Number of 39,5oo, Wall
ued at S65. 5.oOO. 900. Drowned Out
by the Mississippi.
THE WORST is YET TO COME
ESTIMATES OF DAMAGE ISSUED by
THE WEATHER BUREAU.
Parts of Five states VIII Suffer De-
structiOn TO Their Most Fertile
Agricultural Districts.

WASHINGTON. April II. - statement
relative to the agricultural interests OF the
submurged districts of the Mississippi val
ley south of Cairo. ILL.,. has been issued by
the Department Of Agriculture. II is based
on a chart prepared under the direction OF
the chief of the Weather Bureau. showing
the extent of the food on April 6. To this
chart the department has applied the
crop statistics of 1896 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 and acreage of farms and OF
the value OF farms and farm implements
are those of the census, and the statistics
of live stock are the departments own fig
ures for JAM 1. 1897.
The total area under water on April
was about $500 square miles. of which
1900 square miles were i'm Mississippi. $500
square miles in Arkansas. 1.15O square miles
in Missouri, 100 i'm Tennessee and 450 IN
Louisiana. This region contained in 1890.
so far can be determined i'm view OF the
somewhat indefinite boundary lines of the
flood, population of S79.6s5, OF which 1885,
4Ss, or about one-half. was in Mississippi.
100, ,235 in Arkansas and the remainder al
Tennessee. Taking the entire region the
colored population outnumbered the whites
in the proportion OF twelve to seven. the
colored predominating in the flooded dis
tricts OF Mississippi in the ratio OF more
than five to one and in Arkansas in that
Of two to one. In Missouri and Tennessee
the population of the flooded districts is
largely white. in the former State in the
proportion OF ten TO one and IN the latter
in that OF two TO one The Hooded districts
contain, il Is estimated, about 39. 500 farms.
of which about 1880 i'm Mississippi.
nearly ten thousand in Arkansas and a like
number about equally divided between Mis-
a total area OF about 3,S00.000 acres. one
half OF which is in mississippi and rather
over one-fourth in Arkansas, the propor-
tions 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 implements, etc,
is close on Sc, ,0J0 600. and here also the pro-
portions 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
| two million, and about a million and half
| acres were last year devoted To cotton and
| corn, To which crops nearly 80 per cent.
| of the entire acreage cultivated is devoted.
The live stock on hand the 1st of January
| of the present year valued at over
| $75O0.000. divided in very much the same
| proportions as other farm property. IL
is estimated that of the crops OF last year
over three and three-quarters millions dol
| lars worth remained on hand i'm the sub
merged region on the last OF the month.
cotton representing about two-thirds OF this
amount and corn practically all the re-
mainder.
s42.OOO.OOO AT STAKE.
The largest interests at stake so far are
those of the State of Mississippi. whose
flooded districts represent invested cap
ital in agriculture alone of close on si2,eO0,-
| 600. Over eighteen thousand farms. con-
fxVn mill Of nf
an average value Of about SIS an acre. are
under water i'm the country lying between
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 $500. .000 and the
| farmers and planters are estimated to have
about $, ,VOO.OOO worth OF the crops OF last
| year still on hand.
Arkansas stands next i'm the extent OF its
| imperiled interests nearly thousand
| farms, containing one million acres of land
worth over sli,000,OOO being submerged
These farms contain live stock TO the value
consumed TO the value of nearly 500 600
| the entire agricultural interests of these
lands representing value of not far short
| OF $l7,OO.000.
| The agricultural interests affected I'm Mis-
| souri, represent a total capital OF rather
| over 81 900 600, the $500 submerged farms
containing an area OF about 10000 acres
| worth about $3.50. 600, the live stock repre-
senting nearly S15oo;oO0 more. and the crops
| Tennessee is not far behind Missouri in
the extent of its imperiled interests, the
farms being very nearly the same and the
entire value including 81, $50 600 for live
stock and 100000 for crops on hand, being
over 81, 100000
What effect the food will have on the
crops of the present season depends on the
length of its continuance, and the practical
bility of wheat planting after the subsid-
ence of the flood. The entire region under
water on April produced last year about
Tln L..I- -. a -.
100000; over II, ,OO0,O0 bushels OF corn worth
about s., 400, 600; and wheat, oats, potatoes
and hay worth over SS0O,0OO more. The most
valuable portion of these crops was raised
in Mississippi whose region now submerged
produced nearly 10000 bales of cotton, be-
sides other products mostly for local con-
The counties wholly or partially SUBJ
merged are among the largest cotton pro-
ducing counties in the United States. Va
zoo county, which alone has produced over
$1,000 bales in a season, Is oEe-half u.'1er
saquena Wauer mh Waihington % oOT with productive
capacity of 10000 bales) and other famous
counties are partially submerged.
The Weather Bureau predicts further
extension OF the flooded area, but no at
tempt of course. has been made 10 esti-
mate the serious possibilities OF such exten-
sion.
The Weather Bureau publishes a map OF
the country flooded on April 10 and says:
The flood water now in western Missis-
sippi is just beginning TO return TO the
Mississippi river through the Yazoo. at a
point just norlh OF NiSkourg- III Is expect
ed that this flood will pass into the Mis-
issippi between the mouth OF the Yazoo
and Milliken's Landing. few miles to the
north. The gradually increasing strain ex-
pected during the next few days on the
louisiana side. opposite the place where
the Yazoo floods returned TO the Missis-
sippi renders IL possible that the levees
may break and the food pour through into
northeastern louisiana. I'm which case it is
possible that much. IL not all. OF the area
in Louisiana formerly covered by floods will
be flooded again this year. Heroic work is
now being done on the leVees OF northern
Louisiana. and il Is hoped that they will be
held Intact"