138 



INDIANA UNIVERSITY STUDIES 



Streams, like White River, which have many meanders have their 

 velocities greatly increased when they assume flood stages, and 

 take a more direct course. The water passes over a shorter dis- 

 tance than when it follows the old winding channel, while the fall 

 between the source and the mouth of the stream remains the same 

 at all times. Thus the velocity of the current is greatly increased, 

 making it more effective as an agent in removing the top soil. A 

 very heavy compact soil will be less affected by strong currents 

 of w^ater than a light loose soil, as muck or sandy soil. However, 

 a very compact heavy soil will be readily cut into holes if the cur- 

 rent has sufficient tools with which to work. In many places 

 where the current broke across the neck of a large meander great 

 holes were cut, one to two hundred feet in width, five to ten feet 

 in depth, and in several places three or four hundred feet in length. 

 This was the case at Worthington near where the Eel River enters 

 White River. Mr. East is finishing the new channel and will make 

 a permanent cut-off, thus shortening the river three-quarters of 

 a mile. About a mile above Worthington was another example 

 of the current starting to make a channel for itself across the neck 

 of a large meander. In no case did the current cut a new channel 

 all the way across the neck. If these new channels were extended 

 entirely across the neck in the form of a ditch twelve or fifteen 

 feet in width the increase in fall would soon cause the water to en- 

 large the channel so that it would carry all of the water of White 

 River, thus making a permanent cut-off. 



Holes. Where a stump, hay stack, tree, rock or any other 

 obstacle was in the path of the current, the evenness of the current 

 was disturbed and a spiral downward swirl started on the leeward 

 side of the obstacles which acted in the same manner as water in 

 a whirlpool. It was no uncommon thing to see holes in a field where 

 there seemed to be no cause; but upon inquiry we would be in- 

 formed that there had been a hay stack, stump, rock or post at 

 that place. Figure 3, shows a hole where there had been a hay 

 stack. Farm implements were seen buried or in holes that had 

 been excavated under them, due to the swirling action of the waters 

 as the current passed around the obstacle. Corners of buildings 

 were let down in the same manner. (See Figure 46.) These holes 

 were sometimes ten or fifteen feet in depth and forty to a hundred 

 feet in length. A break in a levee always caused a large hole to 

 be excavated on the lower side of the break. Generally, the material 

 taken from the hole was carried a short distance below and deposited 

 in the form of a sand and gravel bar. 



