The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-07
TERRIBLE INUNDATlONS IN HOLLAND
BREAKING OF THE DYKE-DISTRESS
AMONG THE pEnDI

correspondent Of the London DaHy Neirs
writing from Rotterdam on the 18th of January,
describes terrible inundation which had occurred
in Holland:
the vast accumulation OF snow in this district vas
causing the rise of the river to danperous evtaot
With anxiety and dread the nhabitant watched
the daily increase of the invading waters now Ia
den with i'm nense masses of ice, and strenuouslv V
exerted themselves to strengthen the resistance OF
fered by those artificial barriers, by which alone
Holland Is preserved from total submersiOn. But
still the Hood rose, and the ice masses formed them
selves as it were into huge battering rams pres
sing with Their irresistible strength against the
dy kes and dams.
The sound Of the church bell, clear and ominous
in the frosty air, kept telling the sad tale of immi-
nent danger, and warning all who could labor to
aid in the good cause, and those who could not to
prepare for the worst. Higher and higher rose the
waters, and the surface of the ponderous shift
ing ice-mass stood within half an inch of the dyke
level. Good God! should it rise that half inch
higher their cottages, their cattle their provisions
their all would become prey to the unsparing
havoc! Then rose to heaven many a PRAYER for
help-fOr mercy At last a bullying out in the
dyke directed the anxious gaze of all to one spot
for the waters were pressing hard upon it. With
the strength and energy of despair they tried to
stay the progress of the food as it sought erress
from its narrow channel into their fields and dwell
lings. AerXes as well tried to bind the ocean in
chains.
ed through-the ice masses and the flood rose above
1T, and swept on in their terrific course submeroinp
fields, barns and cottages drowning the cattle de-
stroying all. The aged and the sick, the women
and children sought refuge in their attics where
benumbed with cold, without bedding, clothes fire
or provisions, they had to pass days of inexpress
BILE terror-or horrible starvation. For long time
1t was impossible to approach them it is feared
many a cottage has been swept away in the flood
and its inhabitants frozen to death on the ice
masses. One family of seven persons were rescued
from the attic in which they had sought shelter, so
thoroughly exhausted by cold and hunger that thew
could not even answer the questions of their deiy-
erers
poor mother with her infant, to which she had
given premature birth, was lying in bed in the
bleak attic of her homely dwelling, while her hus-
band, from aperture in the roof sought by cries
and signals to attract the attention of few brave
men, who, at the imminent risk of their lives were
endeavoring to make their way between the ice
blocks in order to rescue some of their pershinp
fellow creatures from destruction. They went to
the poor fellows help, descended into the attic
through the aperture in the roof, through which
they returned, bringing with them the mother and
her babe. 1t was time, for the waters had already
risen to within two inches of her bed.
As | write, fresh intelligence arrives from the
inundated districts detailing additional scenes of
retchedness-people dying from hunger and cold
their houses cut away by the ice, as corn is mown
down by the harveSters scythe; a church which
has stood hundreds of years swept down, as puff
of wind sweeps down house of cards; and the
prospect is even yet more fearful Holland has Of
ten suffered much from foundations, but never
within the memory of living man has an inunda
ton been accompanied with much distress and
destruction-with so much heartrenGing grief and
despair