The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-03-03
WHEN DIKES BROKE.
Dramatic Description Of the Dis
aSter in Holland.
Il VIII Take a Generation to Retrieve
the Loss Caused When the Sea
Broke Througk-Some Of the
Pathetic Incidents.

]
/ Rotterdam.-"I am standing up TO
| NY waist in water. The whole island
is flooded, and the houses are giving
way" At that moment the telephone
cable between the island of Marken
n the Zuyder Zee and the mainland
snapped and the outside world heard
no more OF the plucky operators de-
scPiption of what was happening in
hat quantity picturesque spot, which
has suffered more than any other
from the storm which shattered the
hiHtoric Dutch sea dikes and flooded
miles of country north of Amsterdam.
At least sixteen people lost their
lives in the floods, cattle were swept
away, the wrecks of the picturesque
old fishing craft we're piled up on each
other in the harbor, and the remaining
inhabitants peer out from their attic
windows upon an immeasurable waste
Of angry gray water.
When the fierce northwest gale
1rove the sea down into the Zuyder
Zee the water came like a tidal wave,
casting into the sea the walls of the
mainland, and mounted the dikes of
Marken on all sides. No boat could
have got people off in time and leav-
ing cattle to their fate, men and wom-
en- climbed to the attics Of their dwell
Ings or perched on piles, fearing the
worst, but hoping that the skillful
work of their forefathers would hold
against its ancient enemy.
1t is tribute to the Dutch engineers
that every soul on the island was not
lost. AS it was, only four houses es-
capped damage.
In the mad rush of the waves solid
Hshing-boats were smashed like tin
der; two small vessels were lifted on
to the roofs of group of houses,
wrecking the dwellings and drowning
the inmates.
In one of them a man, his wife and
two children were drowned. In an
other house which was crushed eight
people Clambered from beam to beam
40 blAC hOhDO bCLIlOh uOWug anu ldbL W
all clung for dear life to the rafters,
screaming for help that could never
come. AS their strength failed and
they dropped into the swirling waters
one by one and were borne away the
beam still pointed upwards as a mock
Ing monument to their struggles for
life.
In another house the three daugh- |
ters were surprised in their beds, and |
Marken beds are like huge cupboards, |
the children sleeping on the floor, the |
parents on an ample ledge above. |
Their bodies have just been discov-
cred, the bodies locked in each others
arms.
When the house of Chaos De Ward
was washed off its foundations a wom-
In was last seen screaming from I
.op window for help. Everyone in that
is missing. The house was
carried over 100 yards, then struck an
,ther and wrecked.
All land in and around the dead
titles of the Zuyder Zee-Edam, Vol
,ndam and Monnikendam-is under
he sea. The sea dikes broke in sew
raj places near Naarden and between
Idam and Monnikendam. All night
~'ere on the dikes, but the
of the burst was disas-
Tous.
Church bells doomed their fateful
ignal Farmers, women, children, sol
iers and police all dashed to the fields
0 round up the lowing cattle and
frightened horses, but in hundreds of
ases they were too late.
Millions of tons Of water crashed
ver and through the breaches The
maze of bitches and canals, ordinarily
o still, became as mountain streams
n flood Sheep, pigs goats aud COWS
hat could not reach the high dikes
we're washed away. Hundreds that
nstinctively made an attempt to save
themselves were drowned, whilst the
Dads were blocked with frightened
erds of cattle that needed no urging
rom equally excited drivers.
Few could mark their cattle and
many will never regain their own ami
lals. Safety was their only thought
n little breaks in the stream women
ould be seen pushing perambulators
nth babes and driving cattle, all max
ng for the higher level of Amsterdam.
Iany farmers first saved their cattle,
in boats to save their fam
les.
Soldiers made a dash for many of s
he breaches and worked heroically to I
tenn the tide, but were as helpless as {