The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-02
Tie Dutch and the Sea
The successful

The Dutch government has just put before states
general for approval authorizing the government to
undertake the reclamation the zuyder sea- an enterprise
which involves the expenditure of no less S185OoQOoo
For many centuries the people Of the Netherlands have in
dviduaIy carried fight against the water and hun
dreds Of miles formerly covered by muddy waters
and have thus reganed for agricultural pur-
One of the most successful works in this direction
was the reclamation of the so-caled Folder by
vhAch Of less than seventy-wo square miles
was made fit for agriculture and pasturage.
The land which the government intends to regain by
the drainage Of the Zuyder extends over an area Of
100 square miles work for carrying out this i'm
lnense scheme viii be extended period Of thirty
years According to the program mapped 5000 acres
viii be reclaimed each year huge DAM tbirty-fve miles
in length be the first place This win start
in the extreme north Holland lead to the coast of
Friesland BY means Of this enormous dam the Iovand
win be protected against foundations the North Sea
AT the same time work VIII be construction
of four large poder any observer passing through
Holland viii be noticeable that the square nat reg
aTy the country long straight canals and bitches
the numerous windmills and locks, many dams and
des wall and polders the most extensive
common system of land retaining work The area at
present covered 10y the Zuyder Sea was for
nery fertile soil, protected by huge downs The downs
washed by heavy seas and thus zuyder Sea
was formed
The soil Of the northwestern part Of Holland consists
to large extent of muddy thickness varying from
twelve to thirty feet this would soon be converted
svamps and seas especially by ercolatn water and
atmospheric evaporatons no protective measures were
taken The SOIL almost tits surface is saturated with
water The evaporation alone cannot keep it dry and an
outlet for the exist These tracts of land
have therefore been divided polders-that is TO saw
certain arshy reclaimed for agriculture and
protected by bitches which asan are surrounded by low
ME- rr.7a rrlG
lects in these dches whence pumped from time to
time TO more elevated spots by numerous steam
pumps In former years this work was exclusively carried
by means of thousands Of windmils a rule the
then conducted into the numerous navgabIs can
ais which generally lies from four feet above the
level Of the poiers and which at the same time form thar
extensive of waterways Holland which gives the
country such easy ana cheap transportation On
other hand however these canals lie not high enough
enable the into the great rivers or
into the Therefore numerous sIuces and locks have
been built in those districts which of ebb
opened thus bringing the higher and higher levels
untiI st reaches the open sea
idea Of magnitude of work carried out So
far may be gathered fact that by means Of ga
steam pumps than 15625oo Of fertile ground
1906 winams 7S5soo have been RECLAIMED Tor
agricultural purposes.
AS already mentioned above the amount Of Sls5oo3Qo
be expended for reclamation Of the Zuvder sea
the ouer hand however the ground thus reclaimed
win have value Of At laas, $5oOooooo besides adding
new province to the land OF Queen Ti.aelnlaa-
The interesting feature IN the work steadily
sied Holland IS the cutting ~ the turf peat The
generally used fuel which is o. sreat nror
tor country n c1al ike Holland The peat
generally during months Arr Tu.a Juv ana
August when thousands 81 and busly
a5sed harl work The peat generally Ions
dseass whence he water pumped e he pol1ers
dried in small square pieces ana so5 an over
Holland Special vessels employed aese districts 81
the country which carry the
Science and Snake Bites.