Evening star., 1897-08-07
DRAINING THE ZUYDER ZEE
To Reclaim an Area Two Thirds the Size Of
Rhode Island
IF the Work is Carried Through 1t
Will Add Materially to the
Wealth of Holland.
Written for The Eyering Star.

Written for The ESeEing Star.
The Dutch consul in New York says that
one of the results of the recent elections IN
Holland will be the beginning of the great
work of draining the Zuyder Zee. This Is
the most elaborate scheme of conques:
ever proposed against the ocean. and Its
successful completion ten or twelve years
hence will annex to Holland strip of ter
ritory two-thirds as large as the state OF
Rhode Island 1t will be one Of the great
engineering feats of the age.
To the mind of the Hollander, inspired
by the wonderful results he has already
achieved in -reclaiming the waste of waters
which once covered his country, this great
inland sea could not fail to appeal as a
tempting field for further conquest. AS far
back as 1870 the proposal to build huge
dyke uniting North Holland to Friesland
was rut forward, but the plan has been re-
tarded by the governmental policy of Hoi-
land, which has been all for conservatism
and retrenchment during the past quarter
of century. Five years ago commission
was appointed to prepare plans and make
an estimate Of the probable cost OF the
project
This commission reported two possible
routes. One was to extend from Helder to
the Isle of Wieringen, which Is ten miles
long, and across to Workum, on the Fries
land shore. This would practically en-
brace all of the Zuyder Zee, and would give
Holland an even frontier against the North
sea. 1t was estimated to cost $J000O,O0O
and to require sixteen years for completion.
The second plan was to drain only the
southern portion OF the Zee by means OF
dykes extending from Enkhuysen by the
way Of Isle of Urk to the mouth of the
Yssel, distance of twenty-eight miles.
This section embraces about two-thirds as
reclaimed at half the cost, as the water is
very shallow, being on the average little
more than ten feet deep. As the task of
bringing the reclaimed land to the high
state of productiveness required by the
Dutch farmer will take years, the wise
legislators have decided that the second
route will be the more desirable. AS soon
as the new government. which has not
yet had time to organize, gets itself es-
tablished, beginning will be made on the
dyke and canal at Enkhuizen.
The manne~ in which the people of Hol-
land have been gradually extending their
territory during the past 600 years is in
teresting. As one Of their descriptive writ
ers has said. The enemy against which
they have to contend is triple-the sea, the
lakes and the rivers. They drain the lakes.
ers." All Of these processes win be involved
in the new work which they are about to
undertake.
How the work win BE Done.
The great dyke WIN begin at Enkhuizen,
q short distance north of Amsterdam. on
the peninsula known as North Holland.
which was made an island q few years ago
by the compIetions OF the North sea canal,
another great engineering work to the
credit OF the Dutch Enkhuixen was once
one of the great commercial cities of Hol-
land, with population OF 10000 but the
sea. which fights the Hollanders as fiercely
as they contend against 1t, locked Its har-
bors and ruined it. It IL now the deadest
of dead towns. and its few hundred inhab-
itants have Httle to do except to dream of
the past greatness which shall return to
them with the completion OF the grand
dyke.
The first step in the work win be to drive