110 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



connections at this establishment or additional waste not seen by me. At the mouth 

 of this sewer, which was nearly submerged by the water at the time of my visit, I 

 found a continuous outpouring of oily and tarry materials into the river, which 

 formed, at a distance of 50 feet below, a practically continuous film alongshore about 

 10 feet wide, with irregular patches extending farther out. 



The wind at the time of my visit was blowing across the river from the west, with 

 the effect to hold this floating film against the eastern bank. In an eddy just below 

 the projecting mouth of the sewer was a triangular patch of black tar about half 

 an inch thick and some 3 feet on each side. The amount of tar in the water here is 

 shown by its accumulation in a thick layer at the water's edge, on the sides of 

 barges, etc. A belt of this hard oil tar, three-fourths of an inch thick at its lower 

 edge, had formed on the hull of a cabin boat, according to the owner's statement, 

 within a month since it was cleaned away. 



The third source of contamination is the illuminating-gas works, situated on the 

 bank of the river at the foot of Swan street. In these gas works, according, to 

 the statement made to me independently by the superintendent of the works and 

 by a workman whom I encountered there, the material principally used in making 

 the gas is what is known as "naphtha oil,'' brought by rail from Whiting, Ind. 

 From these gas works, I was told, only the washings of the gas escape into the 

 river. These are received in an open iron tank, the overflow from which, as it runs 

 rapidly down the bank, forms a rivulet about a foot wide and an inch deep. At 

 this point a film similar to that from the fuel works was formed on the surface of 

 the water, apparently containing, however, less tarry material. The current inshore 

 is here slower than above, and the film was continuous for about 20 feet out from 

 the bank at a distance of 50 feet below the point of entrance. 



As we rowed across the river, about a quarter of a mile below these lowest gas 

 works, small patches of this oily surface coating could be recognized halfway across 

 the river, and the odor was strong for a considerable distance out. On the opposite 

 side of the river there was neither appearance nor smell of this contamination of the 

 surface. It would appear from information collected concerning the oil wells that 

 this waste which I saw was derived entirely from the gas works, that from the wells 

 coming oft' in quantities and at intervals only, as the tanks are emptied. 



Going above the Eagle-street sewer, all appearance of pollution from these sources 

 disappeared within a few rods, and, thence, as far upward as 1 went, I saw no signs 

 of it on the water, and could get none of the charcteristic odor from the driftwood 

 or other water-soaked debris alongshore. The city waterworks are, in fact, situated 

 on the river bank within the city limits above the mouth of this sewer, taking the 

 water through an iron pipe which extends about a third of the way across the river; 

 and here, as I was told by workmen in charge, no trouble is ever experienced with 

 oil or tar or any similar substance. From this I judge that the fish occasionally 

 taken above the town, which taste of oil, have recently come up from below, and that 

 all important contamination of the river by these oil wastes is to be looked for at 

 Terre Haute itself. 



The time <& my visit was said to be an unfavorable one for an estimate of the 

 amount of pollution apparent at the towns below, since, although the river had 

 begun to rise, it was coming up but slowly and was still below the medium stage. 

 High- water mark is 28 feet, and the river stood at 8f by the gauge on the wagon 

 bridge at Terre Haute. I was also repeatedly informed that the damage is much the 

 worst in the spring, when the ice breaks up with the spring rise of the stream. 



I saw, however, some slight but unmistakableevideuce of present contamination as 

 far down as Darwin, 23| miles below ; and again, less evident, but still recognizable, 

 at Old York and Hutsonville, the latter 48 miles by river from Terre Haute. At the 

 place first mentioned I saw on the still water, at the mouth of a small creek opening 

 into the river, a continuous film of an oily appearance, measuring probably 2 square 

 rods, with flakes or patches of a thicker, blackish, tarry film, from mere specks to 

 half an inch or more across. This was pointed out to me as the characteristic 



