428 



that a pre-glacial" tributary of White River occupied the region below the 

 gorge of McCormick's Creek. The underground drainage merely had to 

 develop through the narrow divide, composed entirely of Mitchell lime- 

 stone. The great static head given the waters which reached into the 

 southern part of section 23, in connection with a favorable dip of the rock, 

 insured underground drainage.. Moreover, the nature of the rock as 

 exposed in the gorge would make this drainage not only apt, but very 

 rapid. The hard Mitchell limestone in the upper part of the gorge is a 

 continual occurrence of small irregular folds and dips, and even small 

 faults, all being more or less disrupted and broken. Then below comes in 

 a structure of loose, brecciated, highly argillaceous limestone, which is 

 very easily eroded and carried away. This material is so loose that it can 

 actually be torn from place by the bare hands. It is exposed in the falls 

 and in the sides of the perpendicular cliffs below. 



Thus, the present drainage of Flatwoods was initiated through the 

 present McCormick's Creek by underground drainage. On account of the 

 peculiar structure of the rock and the great fall, the drainage soon became 

 open, somewhat as it is at present. 



While the above outlined drainage through McCormick's Creek was 

 in progress the middle part of Flatwoods remained a shallow lake. But 

 finally the stream cut down enough to drain the region, with the exception 

 of the middle portion and several small isolated depressions. Stogsdill 

 Pond is one of the remaining representatives of these isolated depressions. 

 The middle portion remained a great swampy morass for ages, and was 

 even such at the time of the coming of the white man. It has since had 

 the timber removed and better drainage instituted. The fine muck soil 

 resulting from the long continued swampy conditions is now the most 

 fertile part of the Flatwoods region. 



(Note 1. The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. 

 J. W. Beede, and Dr. E. R. Cumings, of the Department of Geology of 

 Indiana University, under whose general charge the work of securing the 

 data for the above report was carried on, as part of the work of the 

 Department of Geology. Indiana University. The writer was also aided 

 by his brother. Burton J. Malott, who proved himself valuable in the gath- 

 ering of certain data.) 



i Note 2. It was the writer's intention that a contour map accom- 

 pany this paper, and data was gathered with that end in view, but press 

 of time has precluded its preparation.) 



