Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-07-19
dsli istella uea II s
The Dutch Dykes.

The kingdom of the Netherlands. or, az
it is murc commonly known. Holland. OWES
! its existence as much to the skill aud ell
ersy OF its people. as to ANYTHING else :
| The surface ot large part OF the coun
try is several feet below the level Of the
sea and. bat for the ingeuuil, and un-
crasils vigilance OF the government and
people. th, ocean would soon he. sWce,,
my over tnat thriving country. and il
would be llotted froai the face of the
earth But ly the ai'l OF science and con-
>tant Labor dt krs or huge euhiinkincnts.
have been erected along the low, Hat coast.
bs ufrHas Of Which tie Waves are kept at
buy. and he country saved from rum =
I Thrse It, kes are often sixty feet III height.
c>pcciil!y along the shores "f the GcrnlaI
Ocean al the wcst, and those oi the IN,
der Zoe on the east. The Dutch. taught
hy experience, are ever ON the watch I"
take advantage OF every circumstance I"
resist the encroaclmrnts "t the sea. H0l-
Land was originally II series of banks of
sand or mud exposed to lnundatlon from
the Rhine. and other rivers. as wtlla from
the sea and thus exhibited il succession
Of shiny and barren sauds. But patient
industry. by raising dykes against the sea
aud rivers, has converted the waste lntO
u smiling garden.
The most constant care is necessary to
keen the dykes in repair ; and n sleeplcss
watch is maintained over them at all points.
The slightest crevice or crack is at once
reported, aud w0rknen are set to repair
my il. Not moment is lost. Tor every
:, cond gained by the water increases the
leak until it sometimes sweeps away the
dam, causing triyhtful destruction to life
and property.
At the present day the dyke system has
been brought to such Il state OF perfection
that oyerHuws are of rare occurrence save
during seasons of unusually violent and
protracted storms. But hundred years
ago, the low country was ut the mercy OF
the SEA for the dams were vastly inferior
to those of day. and the system OF drain
age was but inpcrtrctly understood. Then
ovcrilows were both frequent and terrible.
Somctincs miles OF country We're laid un-
der water, and thousands oi human beings
drowned. The greatest Of all these disls.
ters occurred nearly six hundred years ago,
when the ocean swept away nearly MS much
land as is contained in Wales. and destroy
ed many towns and several thousand hu.
man beings and cattle.
At the ime at which, more than CEN
tury ago, the low country was i'll CONSTANT
danger, and the season Of storms was al
ways period Of dread and anxiety 70
the people Many were the tales which
were mld at winter tiresides by the old
folks. Of dangers incurred and lucky ca
canes made iii moments OF peril frOM the
waters until even the children came 10
think of tho sea with q feeling Of horror
and dread, aud to regard it rs their NOR
tai enemy. lude-d VIC may say that the
people wcic in . state Of constant Eus'
pcns,.. which may have done much to give
t,rn the patient courage which they have
t,u,,su.i,,rd 20 their descendants. Mothers
vonid CLASP turlr little ones to brcast, and
vnu1cr if The, would ever grow 10 nIan'
hood and MoManhuod, orloM long II w"ui"
Ia. he l,tc the cruel SEA would llse III It's
wrath, and sweep them all INTO one co'i''
unnu grave. Every one. therefore watch
ID the d, kcs ; and the government always
felt assured, that wle ther The agents Wric
tn,thtul ur lut. the vig.,ancc "i the people
never slept. aud that an! danger would DC
detected at once.
In the wear 1869, there lived on. the
SlltTe bI tUt ttti''i Wv '''f ~
mce oi North Holland, poor fisherman
ly the nuaic OF Duk Dauneker. lie hau
il family of yonnY chIldteh' the usual ac-
commandment ot II poor mans lot hnt ne
was lucky in having wife who made the
hest of their humble cundltlon' and spared
no effort to brighten and cheer her goo"
man m his labors. The Daunckers were
honest. God fearing people. aud respected
bv all the community. Yet they were
very poor. and it was with difficulty that
they could procure their daily stores OF
bread and cheese. The sea supplied them
with fish but OF meat they had none.
Dirk Dauneker's ancestors had been
f,hcrmen before him, and sume had found
a last resting place in the blue waters
which had supplied their daily waats III
life. His father had persisted IN an mum
dalion twenty years before and he himself
had narrowly escaped being drowned. 1t
had left Il vivid impression upon his mind'
a nd he shuddvred 10 think Of it, though a
score of years had elapsed since then,-
He had SIX children. four boys and two
girls, all as pale faced and moon-eyed as