New-York tribune., 1876-11-25

drawing over 16 feet. With such made
ouate means of reaching the sea, Amster-
dam was continually losing ocean COM
merce. What Amsterdam lost, Rotterdam
gained These conditions, it is hoped, may be
reversed by means of the new canal. 1t gives
passage from the wharyes of Amsterdam to
the ocean by a route of less than fifteen
miles, When fully excayated it Will foat
vessels drawing % feet The width OF the
canal at bottom is variously stated as 90 and
as nearly 80 feet The surface width exceeds
200 feet, and in some places approaches 4OO.
There were three parts to this great work /:
(1) Shutting off the Zuyder Zee from the
Lake Y; (2) constructing the canal partly
through the lake and from it to the ocean; (3)
constructing harbOr on the coast, where the
canal reaches the ocean. 1t may be well to
state that the Lake pronounced y is, or
rather was, the branch of the Zuyder Zee on
which Amsterdam is situated. The Zuyder
Zee rises and falls with the tides the used
TO do the same but no such performance
could be permitted in the canal. Therefore
sea dixie was built across these tidal waters
east Of the city. and the Zee was separated
from the lake. Large locks were there pro-
vided, so that vessels can still pass from AM
sterdam to the Zee, there being considerable
coasting trade on its shores. At this point also
large pumps are stationed-the largest in Hoi-
land-whch will serve to keep the water OF
the canal at its required level.
A considerable part of the canal is con-
structed as has been mentioned, through the
Y. The first part of this operation consisted
in dredging a furrOw in the bottom of the
lake. along the line where the canal was to be
constructed. The soil raised by dredging was
then dropped on each side of the dredged
line, and chiefly supplied the material OF
the sides of the canal where it passed
through the Y the banks forming at first sim
ply pair of dams between the waters OF the
canal and those of the lake. Then pumping
engines were set at work to lift the waters
of the lake into the canal. Eventually the
lake bed for space of 12,5O0 acres, was
thus cleared of water. The land obtained is
very rich, and has been sold as high as 500
per acre for agricultural purposes; the average
price obtained was $400; near Amsterdam
portions were disposed of as building
lots at more than four times that aver
age. After leaving the Y, the canal is cut
through the immense sandhills that line the
coast. At about mile from the ocean, enor-
nous locks are provided the larger of two
basins being capable of taking vessels that are
800 feet in length and draw 27 feet of water.
The harbor is formed of two jetties each
stretching more than a mile into the ocean;
they are 1900 yards apart where they leave
the shore, and converge so that at their en-
trance the space is only 900 yards. They are
built of blocks of concrete of a total weight OF
$40, 900 tons.
On the first of this month the canal was
opened with staid and stately ceremonies, such
as might be expected of the Hollanders; IN
cuding voyage through the canal, with
King William Ill, clad in the Uniform Of
Dutch Admiral, as deck passenger OF the
steamer. 1t is related that the peasants ran
for miles along the banks, accompanying the
vessel in its progress. There was banquet
i'm the evening, at which rival poets stood on
their chairs and extempOrized sonOrous, patri-
otic, and much extended verses English en-
gineers will, however, obtain large share of
the honor of this great work. 1t was planned
by Sir John Hawkshaw, last years President
of the British Association for the Advance
ment of Science. The company that has built
the canal issued obligations for 25,OOO,OOO
horins, part of which were guaranteed by the
Government; and received also 100000
horins i'm subventiOns. The actual cost of the
work is estimated at S10,000,000, and about
half that amount will be realized from the
land sales The canal tolls are to be rather
less than ten cents per ton, which is not re-
garded as n heavy rate. There seems to be
no good reason why such successful expert
ments in combining canal building with the
reclamation of land should be confined to llol-
land. If it were attempted in some modified
form near the mouths of the Mississippi, the
ietties in the passes of that river would become
levees. 1t will not be long before some of our en-
tcrprsing countrymen will be taking hint
from the North Sea Canal rs they sail up it to
Amsterdam, the steamer floating higher than
the tops of the houses in adjoining meadows,
while sleek cows (each wearing n blanket to
keep out the damp are grazing on the slopes
of the canal banks. Amsterdam used to be
much sought by Americans anxious to have
Dutch capital invested in their enterprises, and
perhaps will be again when the odor OF un-
fortunate railroad bonds has subsided. But it
is not very likely that much better invest
ment will for long while be offered to the
Amsterdam people than that which now gives
their commerce an easy pathway to the sea.
This is moreover an investment literally at
their own doors, since the finest houses of
Amsterdam front upon its canals