The Delta of the Mississippi River, Louisiana
Image Description from historic lecture booklet: "One of the most interesting places long the Mississippi is at its mouth where it flows into the Gulf. Here it has built up islands of earth brought down from above. These islands in the mouth are called the delta. This is because in the mouth of the Nile River the island there is in the shape of the Greek letter Delta, formed like a triangle. Naturally all this dirt makes the water shallow, and spreads it over a great area.
To deepen the channel, the Government built jetties from opposite points on the banks out into the river. These were constructed by driving piles into the mud and making a basket-work of willows between the piling. When the spaces between the willows filled with mud, there was a solid wall which causes the water to flow swiftly between the ends of the jetties. In this way the river is forced to wash out its own channel. These are called the Eads Jetties because the engineering was done by Captain Eads, the man who built the bridge across the Mississippi at St. Louis."
Original Collection: Visual Instruction Department Lantern Slides
Item Number: P217:set 020 002
You can find this image by searching for the item number by clicking here.
Want more? You can find more digital resources online.
We're happy for you to share this digital image within the spirit of The Commons; however, certain restrictions on high quality reproductions of the original physical version may apply. To read more about what “no known restrictions” means, please visit the Special Collections & Archives website, or contact staff at the OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center for details.
The Delta of the Mississippi River, Louisiana
Image Description from historic lecture booklet: "One of the most interesting places long the Mississippi is at its mouth where it flows into the Gulf. Here it has built up islands of earth brought down from above. These islands in the mouth are called the delta. This is because in the mouth of the Nile River the island there is in the shape of the Greek letter Delta, formed like a triangle. Naturally all this dirt makes the water shallow, and spreads it over a great area.
To deepen the channel, the Government built jetties from opposite points on the banks out into the river. These were constructed by driving piles into the mud and making a basket-work of willows between the piling. When the spaces between the willows filled with mud, there was a solid wall which causes the water to flow swiftly between the ends of the jetties. In this way the river is forced to wash out its own channel. These are called the Eads Jetties because the engineering was done by Captain Eads, the man who built the bridge across the Mississippi at St. Louis."
Original Collection: Visual Instruction Department Lantern Slides
Item Number: P217:set 020 002
You can find this image by searching for the item number by clicking here.
Want more? You can find more digital resources online.
We're happy for you to share this digital image within the spirit of The Commons; however, certain restrictions on high quality reproductions of the original physical version may apply. To read more about what “no known restrictions” means, please visit the Special Collections & Archives website, or contact staff at the OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center for details.