The Portland daily press., 1895-07-20

its construction. The first step in the
construction will be the formation of an
island on the Breesland, midway between
Wieringen and the Friesland coast. This
island will be provided with harbor on
either side, and the Amstel dep, which
separates the island of Wierinen from the
mainland of North Holland, having been
closed, the work of constructing the en-
bankment will proceed simultaneously
from four different points-Wieringen
Frieslland, and the two harbors. The
foundations both of the sea wall and the
island will consist of interwoven willow
twigs, with earth, sand, stone. mud, and
rubbish of oil kinds, forming solid mass
quite imperyious to water. The width of
the embankment rising above this foun-
dation will be 216 feet and the average
height II feet inches above the sea
level at Amsterdam. The sides will be
protected by facings of stone brought from
Scotland, Norway, and Germany, and
carried above rows of oaken piles of a
height sufficient to prevent any injury
from the highest tides or the severest
storms. The summit of the embankment
will be but 12 feet in breadth, but a
little lower down ON the southern side
there will be level SO ga feet in width
and on this level will be wagon road
and a railroad as we'll between North
Holland and Friesland.
At the Wierengen end of the dixie will
be situated the locks by means of which
access is to be obtained to and from the
North Sea. Two of these locks will be
constructed-one having n width of near
ly thirty three feet and a length of 800
feet, and the second, which is intended
for fishing craft only, width of about
twenty feet and a length of 131 feet.
There will be complete system of sluices
provided with flood and ebb doors, SO ar
ranged that it will be possible to regulate
the level at pleasure. The size of the
locks and all the arrangements for their
control are calculated to discourage the
war vessels of foreign nations from seek
ing entrance through them to the interior
of the country.
The northern sea wall complete and the
Zuyder Zee transformed into lake unin-
fuenced by tidal action, the work of re-
claiming land from the bottom will be-
gin. The process adopted here will be first
to construct, on massive foundations,
powerful dikes inclosing the portions of
the Zuydef Zee to be dealt with. On
the dikes will be erected at intervals
pumping stations, and the water will be
pumped out of the inclosed space into the
Ysselmeer, from whichEit will finally pass
through the sluices into the North Sea-
Each of the four polders will be divided
into sections, regulated in size and form
by the depth of the bottom. AS the water
begns to sink, under the influence of .the
pumping engines, the shallowest portions
will of course become dry first These
will at once be prepared for immediate
use by those who are to cultivate the
land separate canal and embankment
being constructed for them wherever nec-
essary. In dry seasons these canals will
become irrigating bitches, SO that the
fortunate farmer who tills the bottom of
the Zuyder Zee will have positive adj
vantage over his fellows in that he will
never be affected by drought.
The HARLEM polder is up to the pres
ent moment the largest work in the way
of reclaiming land ever undertaken by
Holland. The HARLEM which covers an
area of seventy-two square miles and is
populated by about 10, 600 souls, will
seem very small affair when compared
with those proposed to be made in the
Zuyder Zee bottoms.
With their usual conservatism the Hol-
landers propose ''to go Slow with this
stupendous task, and it is intended that
at least thirty three years shall be ex-
pended in reclaiming the whole of this
great area 1t is proposed that as soon as
the great sea wall is completed, which
will require nine years, polder one shall be
commenced. This will be completed in
the fourteenth year. Work on the Sec
ond will begin in the eleventh year,
and be finished in the twenty fourth year
and SO on until in thirty-three years all
shall be completed and the last acre put
under cultivation. By this arrangement
something like 25, 600 acres of land will be
annually thrown upon the market, which
will give to the enterprise large sums of
money to be used in the prosecution of
the work remaining to be done.
The estimates of the cost of the work,
as made by the Zuyder Zee association,
contemplate q total outlay of something
more than SIS, 0O0 900, while the highest
estimates, in which the worst side of
every point is considered and taken into
account. including compound interest
upon the money, foots up S131, 900. 600
The value of the land thus reclaimed will
be at very reasonable estimate $780, 0O0,-
900, while the advantages to follow from
thus adding to the territory of the coun-
try large and fertile province considered
either from it's moral or it's fiscal side,
may not be computed The produce from
these fertile lands will be millions of
guilders per annun, and many thousands
of people will find ample opportunity
here for the exercise of industry and thrift
while the State will receive benefit in the
way of largely increased revenues.
One serious drawback to the enterprise