The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-05
DRAINING THs zUYDER zsE.
A Great Work Which VIII add an
area OF Rich Land to Holland.

Area or Rich Land to Holland.
From the sun Francisco Call
The largest work Of land reclamation now
going on in the world has just been started
In that land of change, Holland, OF the
Netherlands. BY the expenditure Of $780,
OOO, 600 or thereabout it is proposed to add
to Holland territory of 10000 acres
about equal in area to Rhode Island.
AT some remote period in prehistoric
times an unusually powerful food tide,
accompanied with q derce southwest wind,
broke down the limestone wall which con
nected Dover with Calais, and sweeping
Holland and from the coasts Of
the Zuyder Zee an area OF dry land
equal to nearly 100000 acres The
old shore line l. still visible on the bluffs and
surroundings demonstrate how far the land
then extended into what is now sea. From
that time until the beginning of the nine
teenth century the sea continued to play the
same pranks with the coast OF Holland, now
carrying away villages, and again piling
up sand at the mouth Of rivers and bays.
Amsterdam, the seaport Of the Zuyder Zee,
more than once saw her outlet choked up,
and had to protect the mouth OF the Amstal
with long jetties, which, after enormous
labor and expense, proved futile.
A few years ago it became apparent to
there was no remedy for the danger except
supplying Amsterdam with a seaport on the
west coast Of North Holland, and ship
canal was dug to point near Houiem.
This, together with sea dikes which were
built along the coast, answered the purpose
Of keeping out the hungry sea 30 well that
the Dutch began to think of turning the
tables, and OF recovering from the sea some
OF the land 1t had gained. A sea wall along
the FrIesland leland, connecting the north
point of North Holland with some point on
the east shore of Friesland and converting
the Zuyder Zee into a lake, was proposed,
but was found that no human construction
would stand against the rush Of the current
OF the North sea when driven by west
wind.
The original scheme was thus abandoned
and III its place project has been set on
foot to build dam across the Zuyder Zee
from the Island of Weiringen to Hiudelo-
pen, on the coast of Friesand. Tho whole
length Of the dam will not be more than
twenty-five miles, and the sinking of the
foundations will be an easy job for en-
gtneers familiar with submarine construc-
lions. When it is completed IL Is proposed
to pump out the inclosed $50, leaving a
channel for the escape of the waters of the
Easel, and the result will be, as stated
above, the creation Of O tract OF new land
as large as Rhode Island. There is nothing
lmpractlcaOle In the scheme.
Over half the soil Of Holland, like that of
our prairies, is pure alluvium; of the rest a
large portion is covered with gravel aud
sand diluvium. But the clGys, where not
too largely mixed with sea and sand, are
very fertile; it is assumed that the land
which would be reclaimed by the drainage
OF the Zuyder Zee would be worth $500 an
acre. The Dutch have embraced systems
Of diversified agriculture which get maxi
mum yield out of their land.
II the population of Europe continues to
increase it will be necessary to enlarge the
area Of productive land for immigration
can only prove at best temporary relief.
Only one-half the area of Germany is under
the pillow, quarter is in forest and the other
quarter Is in pasture land or irreclaimable.
The total area of France is about 1872, 600, 600
acres; of this about rs, 600 acres are I'M
der the pillow, leaving $1,000, 600 for forest,
pasture land and land not are BILE. 1t stands
to reason that there must be an increase In
the area Of productive land If the people
are to live.
In France that area has been increased
within the past thirty years by the engineer
ing devices which have put an end TO mum
dations in the southeastern departments; the
work of reclamation is going on year by
year. In Germany the area engrossed by
forest Is disproportionate; some day it will
be curtailed and the Germans will then find,
as we have found, that IL is cheaper to irri-
gate than to clear a farm. Probably the
cheapest and most effective way of enlarg-
leg the productive territory is the one which
the Dutch are adopting-to ravish land
from the sea.