Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-03-23
TO DRAIN THE ZUYDER ZEE.

a Gigantic Elan for Adding to the Fer
tile Domain of Holland.
The gigantic project of draining the
Zuyder Zee, for which studies have been
going on for a number of years, is about
to be carried into effect, and there is
no apparent reason why the under
trking will not be as successful as was
the draining Of the Sea of Harlem over
a quarter of century ago. For the
last eight years the preparatory work
has been actually under way. Repre-
sentatives from the States General
organized society in 1856, the sole
object Of which was to make plans for
this undertaking. The services OF
architects, engineers, chemists, artisans,
hnanclers ana representatives OF dltter-
ent corporations have been utilized to
carry on this work. No small part OF the
labor during this time has been the
careful study Of the quality Of the soil,
which changes constantly. 1t has also
been necessary to make repeated drill
ing sand borings, to find out the depth OF
the soil and the distance underground
necessary to imbed the dykes. An
off :iaI report mas lately been issued, in
which it is stated that fully three
about the Y, the arm Of the lake
projecting toward the north.
The Zuyder Zee, which is IN reality
part of the basin Of the North Sea, COW
ers 100000 acres. 1t is proposed to
leave a lake in the center covering lit
tie more than 100000 acres, leaving $780,
600 acres to be drained. It is estimated
that from 10000 to $4,000 acres will be
rendered inhabitable each year, and Tor
the whole work at least thirty-three
years will be necessary. The cost of
this undertaking will be no less than
SIG, 900, 900, but Holland does not think
she is paying dear price for the land.
The entrance to the Zuyder Zee is be-
land and Medemblijk, a decayed city Of
North Holland, at one time the, capital
OF the province. At this point the gulf
is as wide as the Straits of Gals and
here it is proposed to build the enor-
nous dyke designed to keep out the
North Sea. In the middle of this dyke
will be constructed wide canal for the
movement of the tides and to regulate
the flowing of the waters of the Yssel
and Vecht.
Navigation will be carried on between
the provinces of North Holland and
Friesland. The lake, which is in the
center Of the country, will afford COM
munication, not only between all the
great cities Of Holland but with the
great European centers. The basin will
be transformed into a fertile territory
which will probably be the means of
attracting farmers from all parts of Hol-
land, as was the case at HARLEM, where
there are to be heard to-day all the dia-
lects of the United Provinces. All the
dead cities of the coast will be aWak-
ened with new life; islands-the vestl-
ges of sunken Iands-will disappear,
and there will be created new Holland
within Holland.
The magnitude of this scheme can
only be appreciated by a IIollander,
and the difficulties in the way would
seem almost lnsurmountable to any eN-
cept the Hollanders, who have been
accustomed from time immemorial to
fighting for all that they get. Even the
land, the gift of the soil itself, which
has been bestowed upon other people,
has been denied the Hollanders. The
country consisted originally only Of
sandy marshes, which the people by
patient and laborious processes, rem
dered inhabitable, sometimes bringing
from distance, sometimes spreading
the dust from the downs over the watery
meadows, and sometimes extracting the
clay. 1t was a land without metal,
stone, iron Or coal, even wit hout wood,
for the forests had been destroyed by
water long ages before the land invited q
stray mariner to seek his fortune there.
This wrestling with the common enemy,
1t is an eternal struggle, and no one
knows better than the Hollanders
themselves that the country is a con-
quest by man over the sea, and that it
will vanish whenever the Hollanders
abandon it,
The patience, self-reliance and indom-
liable courage of the Hollander has be-
come proverbial, and even historical.
The people know that everlasting and
eternal vigilance, combined with inces-
SAINT struggle, are necessary to get the
mastery over the sea. The greater part
of the country is below the sea-level,
and, everywhere that nature has not
provided bulwark of sand hanks, the
coast must be protected by dykes. In
Zealand alone, the dykes extend over a
distance of more than 800 miles. Some
one has computed that the expense of
construction and preservation of the
dyke on the western coast of Walchern,
1t 1t were put OUT at interest, would soon
amount to sum sufficient to build the
dyke OF solid copper. Amsterdam, all
the cities of the Zuyder Zee, and all the
islands which are strung together like
ropes of pearls, are protected by these
massive dykes.
1t is no wonder that in this mighty
conflict the people have developed those
national characteristics which are almost
wholly the result of environment, and
which have enabled the people in all
ages, IN spite of encroachments from
foreign countries, and regardless of
political, religious and other upheavals,
to hold stubbornly to their own WAYS.
Holland to-day is not the glorious Hol-
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