V
VOL. XXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JAN. 30,1886.
NO. £
THK 8WAKF LANDS OF IHDIAlf A.
We give below the first part of the very
interesting paper read by Prof. J. 8. Campbell, of Wabash College, before the Delegate Board of Agriculture, on the subject
of drainage.
The swamp lands of Indiana are properly grouped into three classes, which are
widely different in their formation, and
which require very different methods for
their drainage. These classes may be designated as first, table lands; second, elevated valleys, and third, low lands.
THE TABLE LANDS
generally are the flat wood lands at the
sources of the rivers and creeks of the
State, and are the residuary portions of
the original level plains, which characterized the State at some older era.
THE ELEVATED VALLEYS
include the great marshes through which
flow the crooked low-bank streams, like
the Kankakee, Monon, upper Tippecanoe
and Yellow rivers.
THE LOW LANDS
are the marshes at the mouths of the chief
.tributaries of the Ohio and Wabash rivers,
i and the swamp tracts which border on
1 _ake Michigan.
The most generally accepted theory of
the surface formation of this State, sup-
-poses, that at the close of the geologic periods of crust making, during which the
-valuable limestones and coal were produced, the era of cold deposited here a
great glacier, which by its slow erosive
force, smoothed down the surface to a
plain, gently sloping to the westward,
from a maximum elevation above a level
of 1,300 to about 900 feet.
Ou this glacier surface, and within the
limits of 400 feet Of difference of level, all
the table land marshes are to be found.
Toward the close of the glacial period, the
melting ice formed vast shallow rivers,
which furrowed out in^the glacier surface,
the elevated valleys where all of the second
class of swamp lands are situated.
The Kankakee marsh is about 720 feet
above sea level at South Bend, and about
630 feet elevation at the Illinois State line.
The Little river marsh is nearly 800 feet
above the ocean at Fort Wayne, and about
740 at its lower end near Huntington.
THE COLLETT OLACIEL RIVER,
which extended south from the central
part of the State, quite to the falls of the
Ohio river, was an important factor in surface making in that portion of the State.
A similar,but much smaller glacial stream
gave character to the uplands along Sugar
and Coal creeks.
After the ice period, water and air took
up the work or topography, and have diligently and faithfully continued this work
to the present time.
The rain drop, the rivulet, the creek and
the river have done tbe carving which
gives the pleasant diversity of hill and
valley, which characterize the State.
The lowest erosion by water, in the
State, is at tbe mouth of the Wabash,
where the surface elevation is 320 feet
above sea level.
All the variations of surface in Indiana,
are included within a general limit of 1,000
feet, between the elevations 300 and 1,300
feet above the ocean.
The grand
SYSTEM OP DRAINAGE,
the product of natural forces, undirected
by man, begins with the Ohio river as the
primary outlet for more than three-fourths
of the State.
A small part of the State,east and northeast of Fort Wayne, is drained to Lake
Erie; another part along the central northern section to Lake Michigan, and a
third limited area, to the Mississippi, by
way of the Kankakee.
The Ohio channel has been furrowed
out 600 feet below the general glacial level,
and has a gentle  slope and easy  flow, ex
cept at the falls from Jeffersonville to
New Albany, which justify its well known
name, the Beautiful river. The fall in the
river from Lawrenceburg to the mouth of
the Wabash is 121 feet; the sea level at
Lawrenceburg being 434,and at the mouth
of the Wabash 31S.
. Next ln importance in size and vastly
superior in its general relations to the
drainage of the State, is the Wabash. This
stream takes its rise in Ohio, and enters
Indiana in the northeast corner of Jay
county, section 3, township *_4,north range
15 east, at an elevation above sea level of
800 feet (estimated). The river flows northwest to Huntington, where it receives the
Little Wabash. The elevation above sea
level at Huntington is 715 feet. Below
Huntington, the general direction is west
and southwest to Williamsport, and then
in a general south course to its junction,
into the Ohio.
The following table shows the elevation
at different points:
Feet
State line (east)        800 estimated
Huntington      715
Mouth Salaruonla river        «77
Mouth Kel river        MS
Mouth Tippecanoe river       516
Montezuma      41*
Terre Haute _        449
SUte line (west)      430 estimated
Vincennes «.       414
Mouth White river      H76
Mouth Wabash river (Ohio river)...      SIS
Scarcely inferior to the Wabash itself, in
its relation to channels for water flow, is
its chief tributary, the White river, whose
general direction is in a remarakable degree parallel to the Wabash.
The two streams struggle alike for the rivulets in the high tableland flats of Randolph
and Jay counties, and start on their even
course across tbe State and down towards
the lowest corner, the Wabash gaining the
nominal victory by retaining its name below their junction, which is only 50 miles
north of the Ohio.
Tbe following table shows the elevation
of White river above sea level at different
points:
Feet.
■Winchester.    1,0.8
Muncie       9M
Anderson       749
Noblesville _.       730 estimated
Indianapolis       891
Gosport -.      554
Bloomfield      490
Washington       425
East Pork Junction „       39S
Mouth White river (Wabash I       375
From these tables it will be seen that
White river is a more rapid stream than
the Wabash, having a difference of elevation of 677 feet from Winchester to its
mouth, while the Wabash has from the
State line east to the mouth of White
river, a difference of 424 feet.
Both rivers, however, are splendid deep
ditches for drainage, running from the
upland marshes of the glacier surface,
through possibly glacial valleys, into the
lower deposits, until they excavate deep
channels 300 or more feet below the original level plain. Into these main channels
the subordinate little rivers, creeks and
rivulets enter. Every valley in the State
is but a ditch in the great drainage system,
which nature unaided has kindly made.
The further extension of thia natural
system is the practical engineering problem which we are to discuss.
The State of Indiana occupies the
MOST FAVORABLE LOCATIONS
for successful physical development, and
the results of the 70 years of effort, since
the first settlement of the State, fully justifies the great expectations.
The climate between the parallels of latitude 37° and 42°, which include the State,
is the best part of the temperate zone,
while across it, the railway trafflo,between
the oceans, must pass. Here is the western limit of the timber section of the country, the soil is of unsurpassed richness,and
the material fer good roads is abundant.
Here are the finest limestone deposits in
the United States.   The clays and kaolins
are of the best quality, and the coal is not
inferior to tbe other great bituminous deposits in the Union.
Our population now is nearly 2,000,000,
and this may be doubled in a much shorter
period than has passed since the count
was begun, if we are willing to make the
most of the resources at our command.
This advancement primarily depends on
the improvement of our farming lands,
adding to the productiveness of lands now
tilled, and making it possible to cultivate
sections, which now are dismal swamps.
Your attention is directed therefore to
these swamp lands according to the divisions, or classes, already given, the
table-land marshes, the elevated-valley
marshes, and the low lands.
TABLE-LAND MARSHES.
The table-land marshes are found in different parts of the State, and are parts of
the original glacier plain. Wherever a
section is found in the State whose elevation is above 1,000 feet, it may safely be
asserted, before examination, to be flat
land, and if large enough will be a marsh.
The section in the eastern central counties which gives elevation above 1,000 feet,
and where the Wabash and White rivers
rise, is flat table land, and where unreclaimed, is marsh. From Jay and Randolph through Henry, Rush, Decatur and
Jennings to the flat woods of Jefferson,
north of the city of Madison, these elevated flats may be traced.
Like a great dividing ridge this table
land separates the waters of White river
and the Wabash.
Tbe fiat marshes of Grant, Howard, Tipton, Clinto.., Boone. Hamilton and Hendricks counties, belong to the upland
group. The deepened channels of the
White river and the Wabash, southwest of
Indianapolis, with their tributaries, have
for the most part removed the original surface in the counties south of those
named, but it is yet found in the hill tops
of Morgan, Brown, Bartholomew and
Jackson; in the knobs of Washington,
Clark and Floyd, and across the Ohio in
the Muldraugh hills of Kentucky.
The magnificent views from some of the
hill tops of Bartholomew and Brown conn-
ties, and from the knobs, have misled
many persons as to the
RELATIVE ELEVATIONS
of these sites, but it is well to remember
that Weed Patch is not so high above sea
level as McCoy's Station, or Sunman, en
the C, I., St. L. and C. railway, or Summit, near Big Williams creek on the C,
H. and I. railroad, or the top of grade west
of Centerville on the P., C, St, L. and P.,
or the bed of White river at Winchester.
Everywhere in the State, at this elevation of 900 feet or more, the same general
characteristic may be observed, an . except
where labor agencies have effected drain
age, always swampy. Even on the tops
of the knobs where the conditions are
least favorable, wherever a few undisturbed acres are found, there also is a little upland marsh. This kinship of the hill
tops of the southern part of the State unto
the great marsh lands of the mere northern portions, is a very h;» > < sting feature in the topography of tu State.
North of the Wabash the upland marshes
are found along the limestone dividing
plain, which is a yet unexplained geological feature, extending from Huntington
through Cass, White, Jasper and Newton
counties towards Joliet, Illinois. The
plain widens to the east and includes a
large part of the northeastern part of the
State.
The characteristic lake feature of this
section of the State is readily explained by
the burrowing action of the slow-moving
glacier, which generally was reducing the
surface to a plain, yet here and there, like
tbe deep holes in an ordinary stream, this
broad ice floe hollowed out the basins for
Maxinkuckee, Cedar lake and Lake Mani-
tou, and the hundred of smaller lakes,
which so pleasantly mark this part of Indiana.
DRAINAGE OF THE UPLANDS.
The methods for the drainage of the up
lands, include the removal of the obstruct
ing brush growth and fallen timber, anj
the constructing of straight open ditchee
varying in width and depth according t
the special requirements in each case.
The liberal ditch laws of the State pro
vide the methods by which these improve
ments are made, and while in some case
the taxes imposed are burdensome, th [
great good secured in general, more tha
counterbalances any special hardship or ir
equality.
__arge sections in all parts of the Stat.
which once were marshes, now constitu
excellent farm land, swamps are conver
ed into fields and the productive acr.
of the Stale has been greatly increased.
The tile makers are benefactors to tl
State, and their wares should be scatter
in the most generous manner tor additi
al drainage to the open ditches and na
ural ravines.
ln many localities the top soil of the u]
land   marshes is a oold   clay,   almost in
pervious to   water, and which of   itself
poor land.   Beneath this clay, however,
a more  pervious soil  mixed  with  sant
which after a few years can be brought
the surface by  judicious  farming.   Sti
deeper, usually sand and gravel are foum
I once suggested In an article on th
subject, that in some localities where thi
underlying gravel is well defined, that _
easy and cheap method of drainage cou
be adopted by vertical tiling, extendir
from tbe surface to the clear gravel,
tiling should be of liberal size, and t
openings carefully left open. Nature of
resorts to tbis sort of engineering f.
drainage purposes.
We may find excellent illustrations
this system in the sink holes in the fl
lands of Orange and Washington counti
Wherever these sink holes become o
structed, ponds appear.
These  sink  holes In  the limestone
gions, are  the surface marks of  the u
derground streams, which  at some earli
period formed the caves of  those sectio
of the State.   I do not doubt, if these s
face marks were carefully mapped out.t
course of  these hidden  streams could
accurately traced.
THE ELEVATED VALLEY MARSHES.
The seeond group of swamp lands, is
high-valley system, and this contribu
special topographic feature.
By appointment, under his excellen
Governor Porter, I made for the State
1882, a survey of two of these gn
marshes, the Kankakee and Little riv.
The Kankakee and its tributaries d
over 1,600 square miles of the State of
diana,and its improvement would requ
more outlay than the owners of the li
are able to contribute.
The territory included in the m
lands, is a broad, nearly level plain, vi
ing in width from 1 to 20 miles.
It has been stated before, that this pi
is 720 feet above sea level near South Bei
and 630 feet at the State line on the w.
The banks of this marsh are sand rid;
rising to a hight of 30 feet above the pi
The soil of this section is sandy, with
derlying strata of clay and gravel.
SOUTHERN PROGRESS.
We are pleased to note an important i
vance  towards  the  development  of tl
rich  mineral resources of that  region |
our  country  embraced  ln the  south*
terminus  of  the Alleghany  mount
The first step in this direction is to cllffuj
a knowledge of  those resources.   To su
ply this demand Mr. John A. Murkin, .
has  commenced  the publication  of'
Southern Geologist at Nashville, Tenn.
ia a neatly printed quarto of  eight pag
issued  monthly,  at  the  low  price of |
cents per annum.   Its correctly scient
information is put into popular form :
the  enlightenment of the  masse
dress the editor, Nashville, Tennessee.