370 Topographical Phenomena in Indiana. [April 
The explanation I would suggest is, that sedimentary de- 
posits from running water have always a tendency to move or 
slide in the direction of the flow of the water making the deposit, 
and this sliding tendency is in proportion to the swiftness of the 
water. 
I assume that if a trench should be cut across the flood plain 
of a river at right angles to the current that made the deposit, 
and as deep as the bed of the river, the up-stream side would in 
no long time assume a slope of low inclination, while the dowi- 
stream side would remain steep, and drop down in falls whenevèr 
any change should take place. 
Big Raccoon creek, a stream 200 feet wide, enters the Wabash 
river from the east in this (Parke) county, and flows westward 
across the Wabash bottoms for one and a half miles. The banks : 
are twelve to twenty feet high, and those on the up-stream side 
(of the Wabash current) are easy slopes which a foot-man @t 
easily descend to the water’s edge, while all the way acros 
: 
| 
ward), is like acontinuous precipice. The trees growing = 
the north bank stand from the top of the bank well down to i 
water’s edge, lean down hill from ten to forty degrees, 
the south side they stand erect till so far undermined that 
fall into the stream. The current persistently beats eee 
left or south bank all the way across the Wabash bottom, the l 
as in the upland drift. ] 
In this country the roads are mostly laid on th 
causing nearly all of them to run due north, south, €a 
This takes them over ridges and down and up steep 
ing deep cuts and heavy fills. These cuts, where they 
the glacial drift deposit, show the same condition ge 
banks before mentioned, the south-facing side of the cu 
f ; rs at each 
gentlest slope. The water flowing down the gutters 4 
of the roadway bear most against the south bank sage 
The north bank (facing southward) shows much the ol 
ide down like 5? 
side drop 
J have 
e section lis 
an 
ticed that the little blocks or cubes into which a in the 
arates in time of drought, have a dip south 
their “season cracks,” as we may call if. 
