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A Physiogeaphic Survey of an Area Near Terre Haute, 



Indiana. 



By Chas. R. Dryeb and Melvin K. Davis. 



The Survey. — In the summer of 1909 the senior author of this paper, 

 in despair of living long enough to l'eceive any help from the U. S. Geo- 

 logical Survey or from the State of Indiana, resolved to try what might 

 be done by his own students toward a serviceable topographic survey of 

 the area around Terre Haute. Four young men and two young women 

 were ambitious enough to undertake the work. For a base map the atlas 

 of Vigo county was used and found to be very poor, in fact a disgrace to 

 the surveyor, the draughtsman, the printer and the whole community con- 

 cerned. We simply made the best of it. The profiles of three railroad lines 

 traversing the region were obtained, and other base lines and points were 

 determined with a surveyor's level. Most of the topographic work was 

 done with the hand level and staff. It was found possible to require that 

 no discrepancy between different lines of levels should exceed one foot. 

 Highways and divides were followed and section and other cross-country 

 lines were run wherever necessary. About two days a week for six weeks 

 were spent in the field, and the result was found to be worth while. While 

 surveying was being done the location of particular features was noted 

 in order that no time would be lost when their special study should come. 

 The map drawn by the junior author of this paper from the data thus se- 

 cured has proved adequate for the purpose in view. 



General Description. — The area surveyed is immediately west of Terre 

 Haute and comprises about 25 square miles in Sugar Creek township, 

 Vigo county, Indiana. It is bounded on the east by the Wabash river 

 and includes a portion of its flood plain. West of the Wabash bluffs, here 

 eighty to one hundred feet high, the area consists of an originally smooth 

 upland of glacial drift 540 to 560 feet above sea level, which has been sub- 

 maturely dissected by the branches of Sugar creek. The remnants of the 

 original surface have been reduced to the scrap-tin outline characteristic 

 of the leaves of the pin oak. The larger valleys are flat bottomed and 

 contain alluvial filling to a depth of 40 or more feet. The drilling of a 

 well at Vandalia mine No. 81, section 24, showed the deposit to be 40 feet 



