Liverpool is one of the great cities of the world. Its importance lies not so much in its size as in its shipping. It is not so large as a score of cities in the world. It has about 750,000 people. That is, it is about twice the size of Milwaukee. But it ranks fourth in the value of the goods it ships out and receives. London, New York, and Hamburg are the only ports that handle more commerce than does Liverpool. Its yearly commerce amounts to $1,800,000,000. Its harbor is not very good naturally, but it has been made excellent by the work of man. Liverpool is not on the ocean, but is 3 miles from the Irish Sea. It is built on the broad mouth of the Mersey River. This river has heavy tides so that the large ships time their leaving or their landing to match the high tide. Why? The channel of the river has to be dredged constantly to keep it deep enough to carry the big liners. To keep the big ships in an upright position while the tide is low, many of them enter closed docks. They come into these when the water is high and the gates are closed behind them. They then have deep water about them to hold them up while they are unloaded and re-loaded. Another interesting part of the Liverpool harbor is the Landing Stage. This you see in the picture. It is a great floating pier so built that it rises and falls with the tide. This it does because it is hinged on the landside, and rests on floats that keep it all the time at the same height above the water. Vessels draw alongside it and load and unload their cargoes. It is one of the greatest shipping constructions in the world. Of what is its surface mode? Observe the crowds. The people are waiting to meet friends or to get on one of the boats. Many ferries leave this pier for places up and down the Mersey. Keystone ID: 3028 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.