The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-03-26


Dispatches flom London announce that
the river dikes at Hertogenbosch or Bois-
le-Duc in Holland have failed TO resist the
pressure of the floods caused by the recent
storms and have been swept away by the
furious waters. Bois-le-Duc is fortified CITY,
situated at the confluence of the IA and the
Dommel the united waters of which rivers,
with those of the Beers and the Ley, dis
charge into the Mouse, near the village OF
Rosmalen, short distance to the northeast
of the city. Numerous canals, forming
part of the main system, which extends
across the country from Maestricht on the
Meuse to the same river three miles north OF
Bois-le-Duc, intersect the latter city and
carry within its limits the waters of the inun-
dation. The level of the plains OF Holland
is in some places as much as sixteen feet be-
low that of the sea, and the main rivers
are, in consequence, considerably higher
than the general surface of the land they in
tersect, being, like the Mississippi south
ward of Memphis. the aqueducts through
which the drainage of the more elevated
watersheds is conveyed to the sea. The very
low lands are drained more by canals than
rivers, and the banks of the latter are, conse-
quently, lined with earthen dikes, by
which the river waters are confined and
foundations prevented after periods of
heavy rains and storms. These dikes, or
levees along the rivers. must not be con-
founded with the great works which protect
of Not lie tba
croachments of the North Sea- The ocean
bikes are so massively built of earth and ma
sonry, protected by piling and fascines, as
to withstand the heaviest storms. But pre-
viously to their being brought to such per-
lection the most awful calamities recorded
in the history of the Low Countries were
due to the failure of these dikes to resist the
assaults of the sea. Holland is therefore pro-
tected by her dixie system from external and
internal sources Of inundation, and the ca
tastrophe at Hertogenbosch has been
caused by the destruction of the river dikes
in its vicinity. The river Mouse drains
territory of between eleven and twelve
thousand square miles, and within the area
in which the. recent great storm expended
most of its force. The river became gorged
with the food water suddenly poured into
it. The united waters of the Dommel, IA,
Ley and Beers, which discharge into the
Meuse near Hertogenbosch could not
find an outlet, and backed up on the down
pouring floods from their own watershed,
causing an overlapping or bursting followed
by total destruction of the bikes. Until
the foods in the Meuse subside there are no
means of relieving the inundated districts
from the waters, because they now rJrm the
basin into which great deal of water from
the main river, in addition to that Of their
own streams, finds its way The wide range
of the calamity, the number of unfortunates
involved and the general interests of the
country demand that careful inquiry
should be made by the government of Hol-
land into the causes of these disastrous in
undations and the proper means of prevent
ing their recurrence. BY applying the re-
suits of such an investigation to the protec-
ton of our own Western valley lands a vast
amount of money might be annually saved
to the country.