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INDIANA UNIVERSITY STUDIES 



just above Waverly. and the overflowing water tended to sweep 

 around the edge of the town in a more majestic course. 



The new cement bridge over the river was not damaged, but 

 there is no doubt but that its massiveness and small cross section 

 helped to direct the water to either side. Both approaches to the 

 bridge were washed out. North of the bridge the road was washed 

 away and the rock deposited in the fields below. About a quarter 

 of a mile north of the bridge the largest wash occurred, where a cur- 

 rent went across from above. About one acre of land was washed, 

 from two to four feet deep, on each side of the road as a result 

 of the unevenness of the flow caused by going over the road bed. 



A small levee planted in trees extended from the bridge to 

 about one-half mile down the river, being parallel with it and about 

 six rods away. This levee did not seem to have any effect outside 

 of keeping the current confined to the river side. The strip of land 

 between the levee and the river was badly denuded. 



About two miles southwest of Waverly a small stream enters 

 the river from the west. Parallel wdth this stream on the section 

 line of 22 and 27 is a large levee extending from nearly one-half 

 mile back to near the river, where it turns at a right angle to follow 

 the river for about one and three-quarter miles. This levee w^as 

 high enough to be above the waters of the flood, but was broken in 

 three places. The first two breaks were near the turn w^here the 

 western extension reached the main levee parallel to the river. At 

 each of these breaks occurred a hole from four to twenty feet below 

 the valley land. These holes were made by the concentrated current 

 rushing through the vents made in the levee. Beyond these holes 

 were gravel bars from one to three feet in depth, each covering 

 about an acre of good ground. These two breaks were evidently 

 caused by groundhogs, since several places were literally honey- 

 combed by their burrows. 



The third break in this levee was nearly a mile below the first 

 two breaks. This one was very severe indeed. Some twelve 

 to fifteen rods of the levee was entirely swept away and a pond 

 of over a half acre in extent was left in its place. This pond is 

 succeeded by a sand and gravel bar from one to four feet in depth 

 and covering an area of about ninety acres. The bar ends abruptly 

 in a terrace from two to three feet in height, nearly a half mile 

 below the break. A strong current seemed to have hit the leVee 

 at this point causing the break, and there might have been a point 

 of weakness here, due to the numerous groundhog burrows. Perhaps 

 as much water flowed through this opening as flowed down the 



