The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-04

Sun Another Dutch Conquest Of Salt
Water.

Little Holland. with ~ 100000 peo-
pie living safely behind their wave.
washed dlkrs. il about 81 make 4 new
conquest from IL old enemy, the ocean,
ALREADY Dutch engineers have begun
the tremendous task which viii result
ia turning the Zuyder Zee Into 400
square miles Of dry land. Where Of old
the great Dutch yer fleets gathered,
where now -four thousand fishermen sink
their nets. there will fiae happy vi.
lagos, broad pastures, poplar bofdsrel
reads and sleepy canals~new farms
and homes for h..y thousand Dulehmen,
The task % be undertaken i = ne.
msndous one II win cost nearly s7a,'
000o 600. IN return the government ex.
peets 81 secure annual rentals Of more
than ss.O00n0O from those who accupy
and tlli the hard won ground
As long ago ~ ist0 Holland east her
eyes upon The zuyder Zee. and = plan
nas considered for shutting of the
whole Of the Zee, but AZ that time i
MAS contended by engineers that the
thing vas impossible. u was even a.
serted that the pumping dry o. HAarlenl
| axe was beyond accomplishment, but
IA 1850 this was DONE, and many thous.
ands u acres Of rich land were thrown
open for settlement.
in All practical respects, u Il the plan
of 1870 that i now 10 be carried out A
great dam or embankmcnt viii b. built
across the north end o. the sea from
Wieriugen, IN North Holland, 70 Piaani,
in Ffiesland. having sluces into which
the North Sea. thus creating A great
lake. which VIII b. cut up into sections,
and one section reclaimed al a time,
work having already been started on the
first.
The Zuyder zee u. In reality. a decp
gulf, forming the mouth Of the Yssel
and other rivers, and u i the design.
instead Of simply dlking the Figers with.
IN their narrow channels. 10 allow them
81 flow into a central reservoir. Of lake,
situated AZ point approximating what
Il now the middle Of the Zuyder Zee.
The estimated cost u the whole project
Il 81, s2s 900. OF the land reclaimed It
Il calculated that $50 square miles viii
b. hi for cultivation. and the nation
should derive an income Of AZ least s..
000.n00 a year IN rents from this area.
81 diked lands on the average Of the
Sufatf Afe ar NNfAH ii"n Wv y" -
a.. acre a year.
AZ present some o. the thousand. of
fishermen pursue their hardy calling
upon the waters Of the Zee. and the
gross income they derive from the fab.
cry 4 approximately si.0o0.000 a gear
IN addition TO the loss q their occupation
these fishermen viii also I've compelled 20
abandon their boats and other equip.
ment, a. not suitable 20 the rougher
waters ~ the North Sea, and Il viii be
necessary for the government 70 eompen-
sate these men, thus adding another
considerable item 20 the expense &C
count
That portion Of the work 70 be I'm
ntediatelv undertaken i the building Of
the great dixie which i 10 stretch from
the coast Of North Holland 20 the island
of Wieringen. and the drying and recov.
ery Of that portion Of the Zuyder Iee
known under the name Of the "Wierin-
gen Nicer" forming the northwestern Of
the four polders, or sections Of the ofigi.
nal plan.
This polder viii be about $4,000 acres
in area, Of which the bornigs indicate
that fully 10000 acres will be fertile
soil.
As the dixie between wieringen anil
the coast Of FTiesland i not 70 be built
ct present. the eastern dixie of the poll
der win be directly on the Zuyder Zee
and will have 20 Withstand tne highest
storm food tides. which In this part
rise to about ten feet. above the average
water level. It being necessary, there
fore. to build the dixie five metres above
the average low water level
By means Of low inner bikes the poll
der will be divided into four parts,
from each Of which the water will be
pumped out separately. For this work
| four steam pumps Of 1900 horse power
each will be erected.
Thus It will come TO pass that IN
another generation men win plough
and build their cottages where the an
chors Of their fathers boats used to
drag. and little Holland viii nave won
another Battle in her endless warfare
with the sea.--Technical Warld Maya
zine