New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
DRAINING THE ZUYDER ZEE
THE MOST DARING UNDERTAKING OF
THE DUTCH PEOPLE.
From The London Standard.

From The London Standard
An interesting report from Sir III. Howard on
project for draining the Zuyder Zee was issued
yesterday by the Foreign Office. This undertake
ing has been subject of discussion in Holland
for more than half century; but as bill for
doing il has now been introduced into the Sec
ond Chamber of :he States General after an
elaborate investigation by a commission, 1t has
at least come within the sphere OF practical
politics, though it may be retarded by the recent
ministerial crisis. which resulted in the reSlSna-
tion OF the Cabinet. The Dutch have won much
of Holland from the grasp Of the ocean, but
never before have they undertaken anything so
daring this. Perhaps We might more cor
TeCtty call ii act Of reCOnquest, for there can
be little doubt that the Zuyder Zee. like the old
Lake of Haarlen, formed 10y an invasion
Of the sea. That was successfully reclaimed
about fifty years ago by the methods usual in
Holland, though greater scale. and the an
| neXation Of the Zuyder Zee Will be upon one
much more vast
! The work may be carried out either Of two
! planS-namcly piecemeal. as is usually done on
| the coasts. by incloSiug with dixie large tract
at present under water and then pumping TINS
into the sea, or else 10y shutting out the ocean
once FOR all. by the cousti Nction 90 one great
barrier dixie, and then D. o-todinS To cath
the incloscd area by instruments. The latter *
plar-at any rate. at thu outset Tbs eli k Is
to run from WierinEeu. in North Holland, u
Piaam. in FreSlaud. Ihe llae followed Is short
er than the one proposed in a FORMER sch mc
and il ought 10 he. from its more sheltered p"-
stion less liable to injury from storms. The
cost OF the dixie Will exceed -SV'lV'p HORNS,
| but that is 10y no means the whole outlay 1t en-
tails. \ canal must lie constructed; the sea
walls for Il considerable distance along the road
must be raised: other important works taken in
hand and the fishermen of the Zuyder Zee com
pensated.
amount to about - ,UbOts norinS. When
| the North Sea has been effectually barred out,
the next step viii be To reclaim two great tracts
on the western side of the Enclosed area, the
one containing about seVcnty-twO square miles
| of fertile land and the other about half much
again. The construction of the dixie. it is esti-
/ mated.
will be ready for cultivation in five years more
| Thus fourteen years will eIapse before the ex-
penditure brings in any return, and the whole
work will be completed I'm eighteen years, at a
cost which altogether is estimated at nearly
| fSOoOU0 of English money This sum il is
| proposed to raise by loan. and to pay it off
| principal and intereSt-in sixty years. pos
sibly less. y large area of. the Zuyder Zee viii
| obviously still remain unreclaimed. but this will
! now he fresh water lake instead of part of the
sea.
From this change many indirect advantages
ere expected To follow. At first OF course the
water thus inclosed will be salt, hut i'm no Ions.
| time il will be fresh enough for agricultural if
not for domestic purposes. and ultimately for
| toth. rms alone VIII be a great advantage to
the adjoining proviuceS-whiCh. generally de
pendent on the immediate rainfall. often suffer
much from want of in the summer M
and will enable the supply in the canals which
were the principal highways of Northern Hol-
land till the railroads came and are even now
! of the utmost inheritance. to he kept at it's
| proper level. In fact. the mere change from an
arm of the North Sea Il great fresh water lake
! in itself would repay. though. perhaps Indirect
! ly, no small portion of the expenditure
But il Will be possible largely To increase The
amount reclaimed without trespaSsng too much
on this lake for il would still be $40 sauare
| miles in area. Two other poders are contcm
plated on the FrieSland side. which toset her :, ra
not much less than three times the area of the
others. The whole work. including these could
be executed in thirty-three years. and the aC(i-
tional cost would he about 94.OOa0oo forins
No less than 40 square miles wouId ha a,,,Iaj
| TO Holland. and the value of the land i'm tha
| commissions opinion, would fully repay the
| outlay. The less ambitious plan would bring i'm
/ a more immediate return but would he mo-
| expensive and in many ways less satisfactory
| In the long run obviously. very much is saved
| by having to contend in the actual worl. -
reclamation, not with an inlet of the sea but
/ wit fraS ct LII,