Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1917 — MORE LIGHT ON GIFFORD DITCH [ARTICLE]

MORE LIGHT ON 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 of the facts surrounding the permanent reclamation of the famous Gifford Marsh and the improvement of the adjacent territory. Mr. Alter is to be congratulated on this masterly effort to enlighten the people on the early history of and proper solution of this great problem. The county surveyor and engineer, Devere Yeoman, appointed superintendent of the Ryan ditch, when it was established by Special Jtldge Cunningham, found upon investigation of the report of the Ryan ditch that in his judgment it would ibe impracticable to construct the ditch in accordance with the report submitted, and that the ditch, if constructed in subsantial compliance with the report, would have been insufficient to drain the lands. Recognizing the importance of the peoples’ interest, and the probable loss to the people if any error was made in the survey or plan, he sought advice from property owners and other civil engineers. C. S. Head, a competent and experienced civil engineer and interested land owner of Indiaifepolis. 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 of 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 of transit party and staked out the lins and directed the rodmen. He checked their readings first, which were again checked by R. C. Yeoman and C. S. Head, level-men. These two level-men rin two independent lines over the same course, comparing results at each set-up of the instruments, to insure absolute accuracy. The engineers ran the levels (in the manner described above) from station Q 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 Ryah 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 point where the Ryan ditch entered at station 1362, closing a thirty-mile circuit of levels with an error of less .than half an ipch. The United States government engineers- on similar surveys would have been allowed an error of better than six inches. In a similar mariner 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 ditqh and No. 77. Feeling that the petitioners for the Ryan ditch should he advised of the' facts, the engineers met William H. Hershman, Dal Prevo, 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,lyingmostly in the northern • and eastern part of Jasper county. This area is com posed of sand, clay and muck soils and combinations of the same. The area may be divided into four districts. District No. 1, to be known as the Stump Slough and some surrounding territory which is composed mostly of sandy loam soil and embraces an area of about 25 square miles. District No. 2, to be known as the Copperas Creek area lying north and west of Laura, com-

posed of mrick, mdstlv, and embracing an area of about 15 square miles. District No. 3, to be known as the Marsh Area, which is composed largely of muck, and contains about 60 square miles. District No. 4, to be known as the Pinkamink 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 drain District No. 3, Marsh Area, comprising 60 square miles, over which Districts 1 and 2 naturally discharge their waters. District No. 3 is a level area through which the flood waters of Districts No. 1 and 2 must be carried without overflow. The soil of this

area being mostly of muc& which is unstable, and makes it difficult and expensive to maintain open ditches. Therefore it would be most feasible to cut' the shortest route possible through said District No.‘3. The Gifford ditch 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 will be simple, and easily accomplished. The drainage of the whole area could be accomplished through District No. 4 } Pinkamink Route, but the cost would be prohibitive, and the work would require 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 bridge. The above grade is. steeper than would be possible on the Pinkamink route, or account of the greater length of the latter.

To 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. Jt is estimated that to 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 v 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. A survey on which to base the partial construction can be made in ten days or less. To sum up; it is the opinion of the engineers that the Ryan ditch should, be constructed, but that that portion of the ditch through District 'No. 4, or the 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 areas 1, 2 and 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 also the opinion of the engineers that No. 2 area (Copperas 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 accomplished down the route of the Gifford ditch. R. C. YEOMAN. DEVERE YEOMAN. , CHAS. S. HEAD.