The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-08-11
hollands Fight With The Waters



From Scientific American.
One of the best books on Holland, which
has appeared in number Of years is Mr..
David S. Medium ''Holland and the
Hollanders' and we take pleasure in CIV
ing some facts taken from this book which
are not generally known. The history of
Holland is the history of continual fight
against the waters and a chronicle of re-
clamation of land from the sea. 1t is little
wonder that 10 Holland hydraulic engineer
ing is a profession of the first order A very
small portion of Holland lies above the level
of the sea, and the rivers that flow into it.
The provinces Of Brabant, Limburg, a
section of Utrecht, Gelderland, Overijssei
and Drenthe and a part Of Groningen are
alone above the level of the sea or rivers.
This may give some idea of the enormous
amount of work which had to be accom-
plished to make Holland habitable, and
the precautions to keep it so are reverend
ing. Since the Middle Ages the Dutch
have been retaining sections of the coun-
try. The greatest work of this kind was
the draining of the Harrlemmer Nicer; the
result is that 1853 acres, in all, were
reclaimed
A canal was dug encircling the Harlem
Lake and dixie was built on the inner
side, then engines were planted at differ
ent points on the dixie and in four years
the lake was dry Eight hundred million
tons of water were pumped out of the lake.
The pumping engines were built in England
and were enormous affairs, although they
could only develop 500 horse power each.
The first engine built worked eleven pumps
GO inches in diameter, and the stroke was
10 feet The two other engines were even
larger. After the water was pumped out
canals were dug and the whole area was
further divided into sections by small
canals, and in two years the fields were
covered with COLA The total cost of the
work was about 81, 900, 900 OF course,
pumping engines still have to be employed
to take away the excess of rainfall, and
the water which infiltrates. Naturally
after the HARLEM Lake was drained with
such good success the Dutch people turned
longing eyes toward the Zuyder Zee and
many schemes were proposed with this end
in view There seems to be no immediate
prospects of any of them being carried out.
The island of Wieringen supplies the nat
ural starting point for the works, From
mainland to mainland the distance is about
30 miles and an embankment, 216 feet
wide, would have to be built This would
carry railroad and also provide for traffic.
1t is thought that this embankment could
be built in ten yeara. Access to the canals
would be obtained by lakes between Wier-
ingen and North Holland If the work
should be begun now 500, 600 square miles
might be under the pillow by the middle of
the twentieth century and the estimated
cost would be $3.50, 900, 900. OF course,
if this were done like all polders, it would
be necessary to keep them dry from hour
to hour and day to day for ever afterward.
A ''polder'' is any basin made dry, and
the greatest polder of all is the 'lowlands'
of Holland, for right below the level of the
outer water there was a swamp, if not the
sea; just as the smaller polder was drained,
it has to be kept drained, so the whole of
the lowlands reclaimed from the waters
are kept only by continual and strenuous
labor, and it is perfectly true saying in
Holland that its safety may be questioned
merely by half an inch of water
A system of impoldering from the sea
by the conjoint action of nature and of
man is being accomplished in various parts
of the country The ocean leaves against
the dixie faces, rapidly at first, more slowly
as the deposits mount higher, layer upon
layer of clay, and at last keeps dry head
above the waters save at high tide. Once
lifted above the sea level the embryo dixie
becomes covered with growth and while
agriculture is not possible, for the high
tide still overruns them, sheep and cattle
are allowed to Craze upon them and at
length when the soil has mounted sufficient
ly high to seem to justify impoldering,
they are encircled by dikes, and the work
of reclamation goes on. Farmers assist the
work of nature by digging bitches which
catch the mud and thus begin the operation.
When dixie is threatned by a food it is
protected by osiers placed upon its face,
and if the waters appear likely to mount
over the dixie then the dixie slopes are tenn
porarily heightened by planks and the
polder projectors have to supply laborers
as in feudal days the proprietors supplied
soldiers. Property of all kinds may be
appropriated, and where very heroic meas
ures are required even houses have been
destroyed Naturally every care is taken
to regulate the rivers as far as possible.
The canals of Holland are its salient lea-
ture, and they assist not only commerce,
but also the schemes of drainage. The
North Holland Canal which cost over So
900, 900, is the most famous, but Ymui-
den Canal is, while not picturesque, the
one principally used 1t is called the
North Sea Canal The new lock at
Ymuiden is 735 feet in length, 80 feet
wide, SO feet deep
The whole story of the fascinating fight
Of the waters forces upon us the consider
alton that, however, brilliant and daring
and successful it has been, if it had not
an enduring and ennobling influence upon
the national character, then it would have
been in vain No estimate of Holland
and the Hollanders is complete that omits
the consideration Of the picture of the
whole nation going about their daily work
peacefully, below the level of the sea, Sc
cure in the constructive skill and patience
and daring which have bridled its powers
and opposes barrier to its assaults.