The river is to the right, while the shore to the left includes train tracks, smokestacks, boats, and houses. The Julien Dubuque monument is barely visible on one of the bluffs, with the Mount Carmel motherhouse on another bluff behind it.
A building with only a partial frontal four-story facade still standing has been destroyed by fire. Men and women in dark clothing stand around it, and there is a horse in the lower right corner.
The photo is shot looking north on 12th and White Streets. The road, trees and buildings are covered with snow. There is a horse and buggy going down the road, and nuns walking on the sidewalk to the right in front of St. John's Lutheran Church,…
Four people stand on a natural outcropping of land extending into the river. Two remain on dry land, while the other two appear to be prepared to go into the water.
Emily, dressed in a white shirt, dark skirt and white hat, is leaning against a log fence looking toward the camera. Albert D., standing next to her, is looking backward at the horse and buggy coming down the road.