55 



Wabash Studies. IV: The Flood of March, 191.3, 

 AT Terre Haute. 



Charles II. Dryer. 



The natural channel of the Wabash at Terre Haute is 700 feet wide 

 and 1.5 feet deep, low water standing at 446 feet A. T. The flood plain 

 which becomes a channel at high water is 460 feet A. T. and from 9,000 to 

 1::;,000 feet wide. The bluff on the west rises to al)Out .550 feet and the 

 terrace on tlie east to 490 feet. An island terrace, a mile long and a 

 quarter of a mile wide, rising to 480 feet, stands in the flood jdain near 

 tlie west side. 



The city of Terre Haute occupies the terrace along the east banli of 

 the Wabash, 45 to 65 feet above low v/ater and .30 to .50 feet above the 

 flood plain. West Terre Haute (population 6,000) stands on the island 

 terrace 10 to 20 feet above the flood plain. Taylorville, a slum district 

 (population 600), is built on the flood plain at the west bank of the river. 

 Toadhop (population 200) is a workmen's village in the flood plain where 

 Sugar Creek breaks through the west bluff. 



The grade of the Big Four Railroad, fifteen feet high, crosses the flood 

 plain diagonally to the northwest. l>ut has an opening midway 200 or 300 

 feet wide, crossed by a trestle. The grade of the Vandalia Railroad, of 

 equal height, crosses the plain at right angles without a break except an 

 underpass about fifteen feet wide for the Paris interurban line near the 

 west end. The Wabash avenue grade to West Terre Haute parallels the 

 ^'andalia and forms a complete dam, paved with brick. Each of these 

 roads crosses the river by a steel bridge about 700 feet long resting on 

 lour or five piers. 



On March 24, 1913, tlae rivei- gauge stood at 17 feet and the water was 

 out of the channel, flooding Taylorville. On March 27th the river had 

 risen to .31.25 feet (477 feet A. T. ), where it stood for about fourteen hours. 

 Taylorville and Toadhop were submerged and the waters occupied West 

 Terre Hniitc except two small islands. The railroad grades were washed 



