The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-01-28
Arches Under White River
Bridges to Be Cleared
by 1000 Men.

Opening of a bottle neck IN
White River to prevent recurrence
of the disastrous 1913 flood, will be
started wednesday with the Marion
County FERA staff prepared to
spend between 81 900, 900 and $780,
900 to remove the earth Jumps be-
meath the arches of the Kentucky
and Oliver-av bridges.
Two thousand work-relief men
will be employed on the project be-
fore it is completed, according to
j. H. Crawley, works director.
The first crew of men, approx
mately 500 in number, will be shifted
Wednesday from the levee project
between Michigan and Tenth-sts to
begin uncorking the river beds last
flood maker at the Kentucky-av
bridge.
Completion of the project, set for
this fall, will end for all time, 1t is
believed, the threat of flood from
high waters to the business and in
dustrial district as well as West In
dianapolis.
River to Be Given Bit
The same plan used in tanning
the rampant waters of the MisSis-
sippi River will be used in curbing
White River floods in Marion
County.
The river will be given the bit.
The Kentucky-av. project will free
the river channel from earth OBJ
and bars and will enable
the stream to have free rein When
its flood course.
1T used to be that levees were
built higher and higher, but flood
control engineers now find it wise
to let the water out as fast as pos
sible and that's what Wei do on
White River" Mr.. Crawley ex-
planned.
Four Arches to Be Cleared
This project is really part of the
Michigan-Tenth-st levee job, known
as No. project, but it will consist
of clearing the banks from the rail-
road bridge south of Kingan'S pack
ing plant to the Morris-st bridge"
Mr. Crawley added, and not OF
levee construction"
Four arches of the Kentucky-av
bridge, damned now to the bridge
floor with earth and Stag, will be
cleared of their mounds and the
river will be permitted to course
through those arches, instead OF I'M
slightly weeds growing high on hill
locks beneath the arches.
One and possibly one-half of an
other arch beneath the Oliver-av
bridge will be cleared by the pick
and shovel method-and possibly
with a steam shovel.
Mr.. Crawley is attempting to hurry
the job and at the same time re-
duce the cost by obtaining steam
shovel from the city to hew down
the dirt hills beneath the arches OF
both bridges.
Would Lower Costs
He estimated that use of steam
shovel would keep labor costs near
err the 100000 figure for the
project.
indianapolis taxpayers will bear
only 10 per cent of the projects
cost through local taxation as the
city administration foots only that
portion of the billa
Manual labor alone, without aid
of steam shovel, wheeled barrow aft
err barrow of earth on the Michigan
l0th-st levee and channel clearing,
which extends up the bank of Fall
Greek. The cost of the project,
which is IS per cent completed, is
approximately $1.300,000.
1t will be finished in April and
will protect West indianapolis,
and the Indiana Uni
versity Hospital Center from flood
waters for all time. it is believed.
May End Flood Fears
After removal of the 100000 cubic
yards of earth in channel-clearing,
as well as planned bank rehabilita-
ton to prevent erosion, on the Ken
tucky-av and Oliver-av bridge prof.
ect. Mr.. Crawley and other engineers
believe that indianapolis will never
need to fear flood dangers within
its city limits again.
The White River will have a wide
water bed for flood creStS from the
point where it enters the city
throughout its course across town
almost to the coUnty's southern
Hooverville, the squatter village
on the west bank of the White
River near the Kingan railroad
bridge spur. may not be forced to
move. project engineers say.
Small shacks on the east bank
Of the White, below Hooverville,
however. will be eradicated when the
dirt begins to fly in the whiting
away of a principal cause Of the
present flood menace-the Ken
tucky-av bridge bottle neck.
For Your Vrni4ion and Corhurefnr