Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1917 — More Light on the Gifford Ditch. [ARTICLE]

More Light on the Gifford Ditch.

"The Ryan or Gifford Ditch,” by Lewis S. Alter, the veteran surveyor and engineer, has let loose public opinion and opened the way for accurate and unbiased understanding ol the facts suiTounding the permanent reclamation of the famous Gifford Marsh and the imporvement of the adjacent territory. Mr. Alter is' to be Congratulated on this Easterly effort to enlighten the people on the early history of and proper solution of this great problem. The county surveyor and engineer, Devere reoman, appointed superintendent .of the Ryan ditch, when it was established by Special Judge Cunningham, found upon investigaiion ot tne report of tne Ryan ditch mat in his judgment it would ibe impracticable to construct the ditch in accordance with tne report submitted, and that the ditch, if constructed in subsantial compliance with the report, would have been insufficient to drain tne lands. Recognizing the importance pi the peoples’ interest, and the probable loss to the people it any error was made in the survey or plan, ne sought advice from property owners and other civil engineers. C. S. Head, a competent and experienced civil engineer and interested, land owner oi Indianapolis, Ind., and Prof. R. C. Yeoman, dean of engineering of Valparaiso University of Valparaiso, Ind., an experienced and competent engineer, were asked to join in the investigation of the report. This commission df engineers met with some of the interested land owners and their attorney, A. Halleck, and received the following instructions: “Find out—the’ facts and report.” The engineers organized their party as follows: Devere Yeoman-was in charge ox transit party and staked out the line and directed the rodmen. He checked their readings first, which were again checked by R. C. Yeoman and C. E. Head, level-men. There two level-men ran two ' independent lines over the same course, comparing results at each set-up of the in™ struments, to insure absolute accur-' acy*. .i .The engineers rah the levels (in the manner described above) from station 0 of the main line of the Ryan ditch to station 517, where the Ryan and Gifford ditches diverge. From that point the work was continued with the same precision to a point where the Ryan ditch enters the Iroquois, at station 1362. Then they returned to station 517 and followed the Gifford ditch to the Iroquois and thence down the Iroquois to the poant where the Ryan ditch entered at station- 1362; cfosing a thirty-mile circuit of levels with an error of less than half an inch. The United States government engineers on similar surveys would have been allowed an error of better than six inches. In a similar manner No. 77 -was surveyed, then maps and profiles were made on which were placed the results of the engineers’ findings and a copy of the profiles of the Ryan ditch and No. 77. . . , . Feeling that the petitioners for the Ryan ditch should ibe advised of the facts, the engineers met William H. Hefshman, Dal Provo, Charles H. Guild and John P. Ryan at the latter’s residence, and made full disclosure and explanation of the facts and conditions found. Any comparison or defects of the old report will be omitted, the same having been set aside by the court on motion of the petitioners and is no longer an issue. There are approximately 130 square miles in the drainage area of the Ryan ditch, lying mostly in the northern and eastern part of Jasper county. This area is composed of sand, clay and muck soils and combinations, of the same. The area may be divided into four districts. District No- L to be known as the Stump Slough and some surrounding territory which is composed mostly of sandy I® 3lll and embrace an area of aboutZa square miles. District No. 2 to be known as the Coppross Creek area Ivon north and west of Laura, composed of muck, mostlv, and embracing an area of about 15 square miles. District No. 3, to be known gas the Marsh Area, which is composed largely of muck, and contains about oO square miles. District No. 4, to be known as the Pinkammk Valley, which is composed largely of clay underlaid with rock and includes about 30 square miles. The drainage of Districts- No. 1 and 2, can be easily accomplished by cleaning out, deepening the ditches already there, and constructing necessary laterals. . . The PROBLEM is to dram District No. 3, Marsh Area, comprising 60 square miles, over which Districts 1 and 2 naturally discharge their wat-

No. 3fs fl a level area through which the flood waters o Districts No. 1 and 2 must be carried without overflow. The soil of this area being mostly of much, which is Stable, and makes, it expensive to maintain open ditches. Therefore it would be most seas to eut the shortest route through said District No. 3. The Gifford Itch is the shortest, cheapest and most available route across the marsh for the drainage of Districts 1, 2 and 3. If the above districts are adequately drained down the Gifford ditch, District No. 4 will be relieved, and its drainage' wall be simpel, and easily accomplished. The drainage of the whole area could be aocomplished through District No. 4, Pinfcamink Route, but the. cost would be prohibitive, and the work would re-

quire years to construct. , , . , Districts 1, 2 and 3 can be drained by a ditch" of sufficient depth, 12 feet deep in the muck marsh, with a grade of two feet per mile, average cut of about 16 feet, and a maximum cut of about 24 feet, from the marsh to the outlet in the Iroquois river, at or near the Pullins bndge. The above grade is steeper than would be possible on the Pinkamink route, or account of the greater length of the la To f duplicate approximately this grade on the Pinkamink route would • require a maximum rock excavation „ •

of 18 feet in depth at the C. & W. V. railroad bridge south of Pleasant Grove station. It is estiftiaetd that td reach this depth with sufficient width to drain the whole area would cost half a million dollars or more. To construct the main line of the Ryan ditch through Districts 1, 2 and 3, following the course of the Gifford ditch, on a grade of 2 foot per mile, and Lateral No. 77, would cost not to .exceed $75,000. It is true that the Pinkamink outlet is the natural one, but nature, does not always adopt the most available method. ‘Nature has provided us with legs for locomotion, but most of us prefer Fords, which give us quicker and better service. . The imperative necessity of this drainage has caused the people to unite in a determined effort to accomplish this work without further delay, which is the necessary result of court proceedings. The people are to be congratulated on this move whether it succeeds or not. It is the opinion of the engineers that a better solution would have been possible through the formation of a Drainage District so that all concerned would contribute in proportion to their interests and ample provision would have been made for maintenance of the work in the sandy and muck soils. The partial reconstruction of the Gifford ditch sufficient to relieve the marsh, can be done in a few weeks time, so that a crop can be raised the coming season. 9A survey on which to base the partial construetion can be made in ten days or less. Tosum up, it is the opinion of the engineers that the Ryan ditch should be constructed, but that that portion of the d'itch through District No. 4, or he Pinkamink area through the rock, should not be constructed of sufficient width and depth to accommodate the flood waters of the marsh area, but of-sufficient capacity to drain the local area; and that areas I, 2 nd 3 should be drained down the Gifford ditch by deepening and widening the same from its junction with ‘the Ryan ditch to its outlet in the Iroquois. It is dlso the opinion of the engineers that No. 3 area (Cappress Creek) cannot, be sufficiently drained down the Pinkamink route on account of the long distance across the marsh area, but that the drainage of this area must ultimately be accomplisheddown the route of the Gifford ditch.

R. C. YEOMAN. DEVERE YEOMAN.