Name/Title
StereographEntry/Object ID
2023.055.3.0378Description
A black and white stereograph. Image is of several people walking on top of an earthen dam, a large body of water is to the left while several houses are seen at the right. Above the image "37" is printed, below the image "V23244 - Great Dike on the Mississippi, Near new Oreleans, La." is printed, to the left of the image "Keystone View Company Copyrighted, Underwood & Underwood Manufacturers MADE IN U.S.A. Publishers" is printed, to the right of the image "Meadville, Pa., New York, N. Y., Portland, Oregon, London, Eng., Sydeny, Aus." is printed. On the reverse the following is printed:
V23244
GREAT DYKE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, NEW ORLEANS
Lat. 30 (Degrees) N.; Long. 90 (Degrees) W.
At the mouth of the Mississippi River is one of the largest deltas in the world. As the river flows southwad it carries with it millions of tons of sediment which if placed on one square miles would reach to the height of 270 feet in one year. When the turbulent river reaches the still waters of the Gulf, it loses its swiftness and is forced to deposit this sediment. These deposits appear first as bars across the mouth of the river, so that it is forced to divide and form other mouths.
It is near the delta of this river that new Oreleans is located. The elevation of the city isonly about ten feet above the level of the sea, and some of the lower parts are from ten to twelve feet below the level of the Mississippi at high flood. To protect the city, great dykes have been constructed for more than six miles on either side of the city. These dykes, one of which is shown in this picture, are the edges of nearly flood plains which stretch to the basin of the valley slopes. Commonly the water is confined between the dykes at a comparatively low level. It is only in the spring or after unusually heavy rains that the river rises high enough to put any srain on these dykes. Then the tream is much swifter, and as it carries a great deal of sediment it grinds out a deeper channel. The flood plains of the Mississippi are six miles wide at Clinton, Iowa, and wider lower down the stream. The rich, alluvial soil brought by the river during floods makes the richest of farming lands.
Copyright by The Keystone View CompanyCollection
Photograph Collection