The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-08
How Europels Deepening Its
Rivers and Digging Canals.
IN GERMANY AND RUSSIA
The Dutch Canal System and how it is
Managed-A Tour Through South
HoIand--The Boat People and
How They Live.
Especial Correspondence OF tho Times
Dispatch, Copyright 1893

9Se or rallrOada 1t promises also TO De
the age OF canals. Water transportation
Is still cheaper than any other, and the
European nations are deepening their
rivers and constructing canals to join
their waterways. It is only question
Of time when tho United States Will do
canals joining some or the principal
parts Of our country. M {Ss
/ came from Antwerp to Rotterdam by
boat TO learn something about the canals
or the Dutch, and since then have Wis
ited their waterways In the north. Hol-
4 land Is the canal land OF the world. 1t
has more interior waterways than any
8 region except the Yangtse Kiang valley
about Sha nghai, Hangchow and Soochow.
It Is. all told, only about as big as Mas.
sachusetts. but II you could stretch its
paygahe waterways out In one straight
line they would carry you from New
York to San Francisco and almost back
70 Chicago before you got to the end Of
them. There are In all about two thou.
sand miles OF other waterways includ-
Ing little rivers and the mouths OF the
schaldt and Rhine. and also the Zuyder
Zee and other places where tho northern
ocean runs Into the land
Indeed. there Is so much water hero
that one OF the most important duties
OF the Government is taking care OF It,.
The Government has a department
known as The Waterstaat and the queen
has In her cabinet a minister OF water.
ways. This department has some OF the
best OF civil engineers. 1t has men who
devote themselves to studying how to
keep the North Sea from rushing in and
drowning out the country. for almost one
half OF Holland Is below the level of the
ocean, SO that in some places, the fishes
I'm fC11 nh ha fh,t hAH
house roofs. 1t has mon who are en-
gagged In planning and building ship
canals, such as the mighty waterways
which connect Amsterdam with tho
ocean. and 1t has Others who are schem-
ing how to build a great dyke across the
zuyder Zee to redeem as much land as
good.sized Texas county. which, when
redeemed. will be worth hundreds OF dol
lars an acre.
This undertaking rs for a time In abey-
ance, but there Is no doubt that 1t will
eventually be carried out. The Dutch
have done much OF such reclamation in
the past About fifty years ago. they
lifted billion tons Of water out Of the
region near Harlem, and rnado seventy
square miles OF good fnrming land. 1t
cost them more than million and a
half OF dollars, but the land was worth
1t. In another place they have redeemed
IL. d0 acres at a cost OF about four mil
lion dollars and as soon as the work
was done. foreign syndicate offered
them sa.oooo,o FOR tho property as a
whole. The Government refused this
offer, and eventually got several hundred
thousand dollars more than 1t cost to
make the Improvement.
AS to the Zuyder Zee scheme, this Is
bigger one than any that has yet been
undertaken. II Is estimated that 1t will
cost over S15,o0.o01. but it will result In
tho reclamation OF a vast tract Of land
The work will take thirty-three years
and the taxes on the land recovered will
then bring In $4,000. 600 a year to the Gov
eminent. making the matter a good
longtime investment. At present, the
Government is afraid Of it. aud although
Iii the plans have been completed. no
york has been actually done.
IN THE ISLANDS OF ZEDLAND Il
Have YOU ever heard Of iceland? 1t is
The southwestern province OF Holland
consisting OF the Scheldt and the Mas
Formed by tho silt brought down by these
Fvers. The most OF the province isc be-
low sea, 1evol. being protected against
The ocean by mighty dykes. It was
through this province that came from
Antwerp to Rotterdam on the little
steamboat Telegraf III.
AS j rode down the Scheldt passed
ale Kroonland OF our own American line
moving UP with a. cargo from New York
Tor Antwerp, and little later on came
In sight of the dykes. Near the Dutch
boundary the river IS walled with stone
s held between piles. We rodo high above
+ the rest OF the country. and could see the
roofs OF the barns and houses even with
the top Of the dykes On the opposite
side the trees showed out like bushes
over the wall which extended on and on
up the river as FAR as our eyes could
reach. We passed the great forts that
guard thisA entrance to Europe. and went
on through fat country on the edge
OF the sea At times We could see the
fields beyond the walls with the cattle
feeding upon them. Long lines of trees
m, SEED out the road which seemed to
be Ching over the landscape making
me s Of Macbeth's words coming to
\ BIG DUTCH CANAL.
We SIN left the scheldt and passing
through locks came into the canal OF
south Cleveland. This is one Of the larg-
est canals Of southern Holland. 1t is
wide and high banked. and so straight
that the tugs and barges which fiji 1t
grow smaller and smaller and finally
BLOCK the canal In the distance
me LOCKS are old fashioned. They are
moved by hand by quaint old Dutchmen
IN CAPS roundab bouts and fat pantnloons.
az every lock Dutch girls brous! out
- oAkkoAto hHlShAIldCkS TO Sell to the mas.
sengers. They We're pretty girls ana =
liked their quaint costumes They wore
short skirts white clogs and black stock.
tngs. Several had on bright vests ma
two had horns CT gold over each Of their
eyes. the horns twisted around In tn
shape Of a miniature old fashioned bed
spring, Three Others had gold or silver
helmets fitted tight to their heads. show
Eng out through their lace caps. Thev
laughed as we dealt with them but n.
varlably got the best of the bargain
HORSEPOWER. MAN-PoWHR AND
STEAM.
Most u the craft of this canal Ia oar.
rled along by tugs. although some barr
es are pulled by men and women and
others by horses. So far but little eleo.
4 tricity has been applied to those canals.
although this matter Is seriously congd'
cred by the Dutch, At every few steps
along the way are nosts for tying tho
boats and we now and then passed BEATS
ut anchor.
Leaving the South Beyeland canal We
entered the ooster scheldt, a sort Of