The United States Army and the Mississippi River Commission explain the importance of the Mississippi River as a major trade waterway in “Valley of the Giant,” a black-and-white from the 1940s. A map (mark 00:55) shows the Mississippi River and its many outlets as the narrator explains its importance and its reach of over 1 million square miles, draining water from more than 30 states and two Canadian provinces. We listen to the slap of paddle wheels on the river (mark 03:17) and see large freighters and ocean vessels make their way through the water as the narrator continues to explain its importance to shipping, linking the Great Lakes to the Seven Seas. The film shows how the river can overflow its banks during a storm (mark 06:06) damaging the surrounding land and endangering life as we see the massive destruction of the delta that resulted from the 1927 flood (mark 07:37).
Starting at mark 08:40, the film explores the Army Corps of Engineers' methods of maintaining it as a safe navigational channel and also details how the Corps has built countless levees, dams, floodways and other protective barriers in order to prevent a reoccurrence of the flood. We learn how engineers in the 1930s straightened portions of the river (mark 14:46) between Memphis and Baton Rouge to allow a straighter flow of water and alleviate flooding, and as the film continues we see additional construction efforts take place. By mark 25:00, the narrator explains how such efforts have resulted in a valley that is better protected from the rushing waters.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com
10 янв 2017
