Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1874-03-06

will restore it but more direct connec-
ton with the ocean by means Of a canal
of sufficient dimensions to admit the
largest ships. This was colossal un-
dertaking, for by referring again to the
map it will be seen that there is no
harbor on the shore of the North Sea
directly west of Amsterdam.
1t is bleak, exposed and stormy
coast, without headland or break
for hundreds of miles; and it would
seem impossible here to construct a
harbor which would defy the combin-
ed power of the winds and waves of
the open sea.
Again, the canal must be construct
ed through the arm of the Zuyder Zee
called the j. But they conceived the
idea of draining this vast body of water
covering 12,50O acres, and recovering
the land at the same time that they
constructed the canal. 1t was also
found that if they could lower the lev
eel of the Y, they would have SO much
less of embankment on each side to
build through the same, and as the Y
is the natural reservoir for draining all
the country around it, the land must
be kept on low level so as to be re-
cipient of all surface water.
How should the level of the Y and
the harbor Of Amsterdam be reduced
while they were connected with the
Zuyder Zee and the ocean? The en-
gineers met this difficulty by propos-
ing a dam across the Y at its debouche
into the Zuyder Zee, four miles east of
Amsterdam. This dam was to be one
mile long. Locks were to be built in
lit to pass the great inland traffic of
the Zuyder Zee, four miles east of Am
sterdam. The water of the canal and
the harbor of Amsterdam were, by
means of immense pumps, to be kept
three feet lower than the Zuyder Zee;
thus giving better drainage to all the
adjacent country. Such were the great
| difficulties to be overcome: First, an
artificial harbor on the ocean second,
the draining of an inland sea; third,
the draining out the Zuyder Zee and
the cutting of the canal through the
upland and raising banks to it on eth
er side through the waters of the 7.
But the Dutch were not to be intim.
idated by these difficulties. A corpo-
ration was formed in 1865. Govern.
ment lent its helping hand by guaran-
teeing bonds to the amount of 81, ,0O0,.
0U0. Tie stock 10 the amount offs $25,.
100000 was taken.-The whole work
will be completed in 1876. The canal
IS to be seventeen miles long, three
! hundred feet wide, and twenty eight
feet deep. Unexpected difficulties OF
every kind have been met and sur
mounted by courage and skill. The
dam across the Y has given away three
times, on account of the sinking of the
| foundations. The locks in this dam
are built on piles driven one hundred
feet deep. Through the Y the canal
| is built by dredging ont the channel,
mixing the earth with water and fore
ing the material through flexible pipes
to the embankments, where it is dis
charged and sinks to the bottom
Thus, gradually, the banks of the canal
rise and solidify until they reach the
top of the water. The canal is now
nearly finished to the sea. Immense
steam pumps have been erected along
the banks at intervals, which are en-
gagged night and day in pumping the
waters of the Y outside of the canal
embankments into the canal, from
whence, at low tide, it flows into the
sea.
Thousands of acres have already
been reclaimed, living below the level
of the canal from five to ten feet. The
lands thus drained are called polders.
As soon as they are sufficiently dry
they are sowed the first year with mus
tard or rape seed. This crop keeps
out noxiouS weeds and prepares the
soil the second year for grass or grain.
The polders are divided off into small
farms of few acres each, separated
by canals and rows of trees, with cot
tages exactly similar on each. The
farms are then sold or rented. The
land of the polders is exceedingly fer
tile, having the advantage of artificial
drainage in wet weather and the best
means of irrigation in dry season.
The lands thus reclaimed by this COM
pany will be worth $S,O00.O0O. The
harbor of the North Sea Canal is the
grandest and most difficult part of the
work. 1t consists of two piers extend
ing about one mile into the North Sea.
approaching each other as they ad-
vance from the shore. The shore ends
of the piers are about 1000 feet apart,
and at the mouth of the harbor $50
feet apart. They are laid in water
thirty feet deep, and rise above the av-
erage water level thirteen feet. These
piers are laid on a foundation one hun
dred feet wide, of loose basalt rock
thrown loosely on the bottom of the
ocean. The concrete blocks under
water are laid in courses on this basalt
by divers. Above low water mark the
blocks are laid in cement with close
joints, and the more exposed are fast
ened together by iron anchor ties
The blocks of which the piers are built
are thirteen feet long, three and half
feet high, and four feet in breadth,
weighing ten tons each. So severe are
the storms to which these piers are ex-
posed, that even some Of these immense