13G 



(tf strennis have been taken nu(ler,i;ixiuii(l ami diverted from tbeir ancient 

 channels to new and alien outlets in jjreat springs on the eastern and 

 western borders of the area'. 



Eeniarkable examples of this are to be seen in the nnderground 

 capture of the headwaters of Indian Creek in Monroe County, by Salt and 

 Richland creeks. In the case of the famous Lust River, in Orange County, 

 some twelve miles of the surface cliannel liave been al);ni(loned in favor 

 of a subterranean course. 



The dejith to whicli these uudergi'ound clijuinels penetrate the rock is 

 limited only liy the thickness of the limestone formation and its eleva- 

 ti<in alime the main lines of drainage'-. Near the Ohio River, where the 

 main drainage is deeply intrenched into the Mitchell plain, the rock is 

 cavernous |o a depth of .'!<)() feet'. In the northern portion of the area, 

 where the main streams li,M\-e not cut so deei), and where also the lime- 

 stone formations are thinner, the underground openings in the rock do 

 not go so deep, but even in this part of the area the limestone may be 

 cavernous to depth of more than 100 feet'. 



Nor is the cavernous cli.ira(t<'r of the region confined to the higher 

 portions, well above drainage. In all but the deeper valleys, the valley- 

 floor itself may be riddled with solution holes and underground channels. 

 This is e.\emi)litie(l in the valley of French Lick Ci'cek. The extremely 

 free underground cdnnnmiication of the waters underneath this valley 

 has been i'ei)eatedly in-oveu by the interference of wells in the valley with 

 the How of the mineral spi'ings. The testimony taken in the case of the 

 French laik Sjirings Co. vs. Howard et al. showed this so conclusively 

 that it may not be out of jilace to review it at this point. 



'P.ccdo, lor. (if. 



■-'('ininn;is, On llir \\i:i I li> riiiu: nf (lie Snlxii i-l>iinii'i'i-i>iis Linn'sluncs of Sdiinicni 

 Iiidijina, Proc. 1ni\. .Vend. Sci. for 1!i0."i, pp. S.".-1(iii. 



'(iriM'iio, Caves and Cave I'(iri;iatiiiiis of tlii' MitclicU l/inipstono, I'roc. Ind. 

 .\oad. Sci. for tOOS. p. 100. 



■•Most peoplo do not realize tlic depth to which limestone formations may be 

 affected by soUition. In the remarlvable treatise by Martel on the cave regions of 

 Kiirope (Les Abimes), there are described many well-like solution holes that go 

 almost straight down into the rock to depths of GOO feet or more. Into many of 

 those Martel actually descended by means of roije ladders, and e.K])loved tlie i aves 

 at the bottom. Tl)e famous region of the Karst, on the eastern side of the Adri- 

 atic, has been litei-ally honeycombed with caves and sinkholes to great dei)ths. A 

 more extraordinary region could scarcely be imagined. The Recca, in Austria, 

 flows in a subterranean chnnnel, wliicli is in i)laces more than 1,000 feet l)eneath 

 the surface. 



