The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-12
THIN STRICKEN SOUTH
Statistics Showing the Extent Of
the Great Floods,
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LOST.


There Being Two Million Acres Un-
der water In That state-Arlxnnsas
Also suffers Heavily.
Washington, April ia statement
relative to the agricultural interests Of
the submerged districts of the Missis-
slppl valley south of Cairo, Ills, has
been issued by the department of agri-
culture. Il is based upon a chart pre-
pared under the direction of the chief
of the weather bureau, showing the
extent of the flood on April 6. To this
chart the department has applied the
crop statistics OF 1896 as 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 of acreage
of farms and farm implements are
those of the census, and the statistics
of live stock are the departments own
figures for Jan. T. 1897.
The total area under water on April
6 was about $500 square miles, OF
which 800 square miles was i'm Missis-
sippi a 500 square miles in Arkansas,
$50 square miles in Missouri, 1,200 in
Tennessee and $50 in Louisiana. This
region contained in $780, so far as can
be determined in view of the some
what indefinite boundary lines of the
flood, a population of 319,6S5, of which
1856, ,4S9, or about one-half, was in Mis-
sissippi. 100. OBS in Arkansas and the
remainder almost equally divided be-
tween Missouri and Tennessee. Taking
the entire region the colored population
outnumbered the whites In the pro-
portion of ~ to Z, the colored predom-
mating in the flooded districts of Mis-
sisippi in the ratio of more than to 1,
and in Arkansas in that of 2 to 1. In
Missouri and Tennessee the popula-
ton Of the flooded districts is largely
white, in the former state in the pro-
portion of 10 to 1, and in the latter in
that of to /.
The flooded districts contain, It is es-
timated, about $4,000 farms, of which
about 1S,50O are in Mississippi, nearly
TO- coo in Arkansas and like number
about equally divided between Mis-
souri, and Tennessee. These farms con-
tain a total acreage of about 3S00,0 600
acres, one-half of which is in Missis-
sippi and 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 inn
provements, farm implements, etc, is
close upon S65. 900 900, 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 1000. 600, and about 100000 acres
were last year devoted to cotton and
corn, to which crops nearly So per cent
of the entire acreage cultivated is de-
voted. The live stock on hand Jan. 1 OF
the present year was valued at ovei
$500, 600, divided in very much the
same proportions as other farm prop
erty. 1t is estimated that of the crops
of last year over SO, 100000 worth re-
mained on hand in the submerged re-
| gion on the last of the month, cottor
representing about two-thirds of thi'
amount and corn practically all th'
remainder
The largest interests at stake so far ar
those of the state of Mississippi, who's
flooded districts represent an invested
capital in agriculture alone of clos
upon $42, 600 0O0 over $4,000 farms, con
tanning 100000 acres of land of al
average value of about SIS an acre, ar
t,,.e., 49, NT,,.is,,i,,,,i o,,d waco ,.i,,e,e
,WgeiI .ile r. -
NJ, H. -,
anus - .o,,+ -, r,,,,a,, q
, enen a. 'Ie 90 soo noo ana tha Ssr,,
WI III iioI'i- ~ .,,.,s4'5 -, -
e'ti 90 ooa 900 ,,1l,,.+t, Cf tbo oror,s n
az aDout 9-'0O1,JyO iii, 80, 80
i''1' 90 ,t,,,d- -, q, Tho a,,+a,
80. ,-,l's +a-,ozt, ,,aa,.l,, IN M
go -.s a,tatr,i,.- 5oo ooo acres of Ian,
tI5 ~ 80, e. 4 ono 6oo heinz s,1br,areef
NJ M el sosr,s oontoiT, i've stocl 70 IN
-,ai,,a 80 o,,er q 5oo OoO and orons nm
80 "a ,,,oo,e,,,,,d 20 the vaIua q
,,o,,.,.- coon oo0 the entire asrio,ilture
-. 90 tbese Lands renresentinp
-,ai,,o ,,o4 c,, ebort of an O6o oOo
mr. ac,'.,,lt,,ra1 interests affeoted Z
nri.so,,rj ,.anresen+ a total canitaI :
80, o,,e,. ca 0oo ooo the Z 5000 sul,
.s,.ara,7 e,,.,,,s ror+oi,,ipe. an acrea ge r
-iSl',,t ,7o ooo .crog ,,,ort, about 81 25O
ooo 49, I,,yo stoot, ranresanting nearl
~ Zoo ooo ,,,o-o ara tba crons on han
3I,oVV'OY 3,9y eroo ooo rro,,,,os.ao is not 20
,I ,L,,,',,,i l., 49, az,+a,+ 90 its a.,
peiliiiG l,,l'i ,itS,1.t.
PerlIsu illS seaot tbe aood viii have uno
,,,o cro,s of the present season depend
upon the length Of its continuance, con an al
~ ~, Pi''ot, P'1'-,,1oraa % tbo aood Tbe antiI