The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-06-07
UNDER THE SEA.
An Rariy bay Rlopd Ia ItoIland..Not Il
plensRnt rIace 70 Live.

ENhshut FlHcu 10 IlNts
A writer III SdHthdr'a 1ionthty his
been giving some very interesting and
instructive articles on Holland, its peo-
pie, and their pecnliarities. Holland, II
~ known, is like tho lower Mississippi
bottom lands, lower than the level Of
the seq which surrounds it, and nothing
but extensive and costly dikes or leyees
keep the waters from pouring In upon
the land and its people. Breaks in the
dikes and inundations hayei occurred
with great loss Of life and properly.
The inundation OF November, 1870, Is
thus described
A continued and violent gale from the
northwest had long been sweeping tho
Atlantic waters into tho North sea, and
Ind now piled them up on the fragile
COASTS Of the provinces. The dikes,
tasked beyond their strength, burst in
every direction. The cities Of Flanders,
to considerable distance inland, were
suddenly invaded by the waters Of the
ocean. The whole narrow peninsula Of
North Holland was in imminent danger
of being swept away forever. Between
Amsterdam and Meyden the great Die.
mer dixie was broken through in twelve
places. The Hand.bos, abulwark form
ed OF oaken piles, fastened with metal
clamps, moored with iron anchors, and
secured by gravel and granite, was
snapped 10 pieces like packthread. The
"Sleeper, a dixie thus called, because
1t was usually left in repose by the ele-
ments, except in great emergencies,
alone held firm, and prevented the
consummation Of the catastrophe, Still
the ocean poured in upon the land with
terrible fury, Dorp, Rotterdam, and
many other cities were, for time, nj.
most submerged. Along the coast, fish
ing vessels, and even ships Of larger
size, were aoated up into the country,
where they entangled themselves In
groves and orchards, or beat TO pieces
the roofs and walls Of houses. The de-
struction Of life and property was enor-
nous throughout the maritime prov.
inces, but in Friesland the desolation
was complete. There nearly oil the
dikes and sluices were dashed TO frag-
ments; the country, far and wide, con.
yerted into M angry SEQ, The stceples
and towers Of inland cities became
islands OF the ocean. Thousands Of
human beings were swept out Of exist
ence in q few hours. Whole districts Of
territory, with their villages, farms and
churches, were rent from their places,
borne along by the force Of the waves,
sometimes 70. be lodged IN another part
Of the country, sometimes TO be entirely
ingulted. MulGtudes Of men, women,
children, Of horses, oxen, sheep, and
every domestic animal, were struggling
in the waves in every direction. Every
boat, aud every article which could
serve as q boat, was eagerly seized upon.
Every house was inundated; even the
graveyatds give NJ. their dead The
living infant in his cradle, and the long.
buried corpse in his coffin, aoated side
by side. The ancient food seemed
about to be renewed. Everywhere
upon the tops Of trees, upon the steeplea
Of churches-human beings were clus.
tered, praying to God for mercy, and
TO their fellow men for assistance. AS
the storm at last was subsiding, boats
began TO ply in every direction, saving
those who were still struggling in The
water, picking fugitiyes from roofs and
tree tops, and collecting the bodies Of
those already drowned. Colonel Ro-
bles, Seignenr de Blly, formerly much
hated for his Spanish and Portuguese
blood, made himself very active in this
humane work. By his exertions, and
those Of the troops belonging to Gronin-
gen, many lives were rescued, and grati-
tude replaced the ancient animosity. II
was estimated that Of least twenty thou
sand persons wore destroyed in the
province Of Friesland alone. Through.
out the Netherlands, one hundred thou.
sand persons perished. Tho damage
done to property, tho number of animals
ingulfed in the sea, were almost incalcu-
able. i1sl7 9ltr tu. saAi y tf
.Is 7 N"