The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-19
TO DIVERT THE WATERS.
Plan to Turn Part of the Kankakee
Into Tippecanoe River.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-Serious consid-
Grafton Is being given to a project which
mas In view the diversion of part of the
waters or kankakee river to Tippecanoe.
for the purpose Of doing away in part with
the effect OF disastrous overhows. In In
diana the exceptional fertility of the areas
or swamp lands reclaimed by drainage
dtches and OF the bottom lands protected
from destructive overfiows by dykes is
fully recognized. During the past few
years enormous sums of money have been
spent In the State In expensive drainage
WORKS and in throwing up dykes and Ievees
10 prevent the usual spring overfiows. The
results In nearly every case have amply
repaid the investment
"A preliminary investigation lust COM
pleted by Edward Johnson. jr.. assistant
engineer OF the United States geological
survey. shows that such a diversion is
feasible at two points. First, at a point
seven miles east OF Knox, in Starke county
on the Yellow river. which is a branch of
the kankakee. and where the water may
De diverted TO point one-half mile south
on the Tippecanoe. near Orc. in the south
eastern part OF Starke county. There are
numerous bitches constructed through this
section Tor the better drainage of the land
; Inc watershed between the Yellow and
lippecanoe rivers Is found at a point two
miles south of Yellow river and from this
point within a few rods of each other are
ditcnes which run north and south. re-
spectively, into each river From accnrat 70
profles OF these bitches il was found that
tne Ilppecanoe at the point mentioned is
sixteen and one-half feet lower than the
point selected on the Yellow river The
watershed is only from one-quarter to less
IMAM one-half a mile. and the connecting
canal would not have to be very deep. The
natural course followed would be the line
OF the bitches known as THE Hacker {"
running north. and Williams and Osborn
ditch, running south.
Considerable Strengthening OF Yellow
river has been done. From a point seven
miles east Of Knox TO its confluence with
the kankakee IL has been either straight
ened or made to follow q better defined
course Its fall Is about four feet To a
mile. making total fall I'm this distance
OF about nifty feet. and a fall of about
twenty feet from point at which the
canal would enter IL TO Spring creek which
Is a tributary OF considerable Importance
entering IL about half way between Ober
and its outlet Diversion at this point
however. VIII not be recommended. for the
reason that no great quantity OF water
would be diverted from Kankakee river TO
the T1ppecanoe by canal at this place LII
would simply mean diverting the water of
Yellow river above Ober. which is not OF
considerable Importance. an estimate of
the discharge on Aug. IS being only forty
second-feet. Further, there would be
considerable objection 10 this plan by the
residents of Knox and the property owners
adjacent 10 Yellow river. The straighten-
Ing OF this stream has done away with the
disastrous effects OF overflow and the
stream Is now the natural outlet for the
future sewage system for the town of
Knox.
The second project would connect di-
rectly with kankakee river at a point
north of North Judson and run south IA
the large Monon ditch which flows into
the Tippecanoe eight miles north OF Mon
course OF the Monon river. This canal
would carry large quantity OF water 10
the Tippecanoe. as the Kankakee Is a
stream of considerable Importance III
would also drain much desirable land iu
Starke and Pulaski counties.
A large sum OF money is being expended
on the Strengthening OF the Kankakee river
for thirty miles through Starke county
This IL doing away with a great deal OF the
overflow of the adjacent lands, but a canal
TO the Tippecanoe would materially in
crease its beneficial effects The natural
course OF this canal would be that OF the
Staufer and Burbank bitches. The former
starts a few miles south OF North Judson
and runs north into Kankakee river while
the latter starts at nearly the same point
and runs south into the Monon ditch The
preliminary examination indicates that IL Il
possible and feasible 10 connect the Tippe-
canoe and Kankakee rivers at this point
and a thorough investigation would repay
any person who Is directly interested In
the adjacent farm lands on the Kankaket
or In the water power OF the Tippecanoe.