The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-02-26
WHEN D|KES BROKE
Dramatic Description of the Dis
aster in Holland.
II VIII Take a Generation to Retrieve
the Loss Caused When the Sea
Broke Through-Some of the
Pathetic Incidents.

Pathetic Incidents.
Rotterdam.-"I am standing up to
my waist in water. The whole island
is flooded, and the houses are giving |
way" At that moment the telephone |
cable between the island of Marker |
in the Zuyder Zee and the mainland |
snapped and the outside world heard |
no more of the plucky operators de- |
scription of what was happening in |
that quantity picturesque spot, which |
has suffered more than any other |
from the storm which shattered the |
historic Dutch sea bikes 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 were piled up on each
other in the harbor, and the remaining
inhabitants peer out from their attic
windows upon an Unreasonable waste
Of angry gray water.
When the fierce northwest gale
drove the sea down into the Zuyder
Zee the water came like q tidal wave,
casting into the sea the walls of the
mainland, and mounted the dikes of
Marker 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
4ngs or perched on piles. fearing the
worst, but hoping that the skillful
work of their forefathers would hold
against its ancient enemy.
It 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
fishing-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
as the house settled down, and last of
all chung 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-
tiers were surprised in their beds. and
Marker 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 of its foundations a WON
an was last seen screaming from a
, top window for help. Everyone in that
, household is missing. The house was
, carried over 100 yards. then struck an.
, other and wrecked.
, All land in and around the dead
cities of the Zuyder Zee-Edam, Vol.
r endam and Monnikendam-is under
the sea. The sea bikes broke in sew.
a eral places near Naarden and between
' Edam and Monnikendam. All night
: watchers vere on the bikes, but the
e suddenness of the burst was disas
q trous.
Church bells doomed their fateful
signal. Farmers, women, children, sol
diers and police all dashed to the fields
+ to round up the lowing cattle and
|, frightened horses, but in hundreds Of
a cases they were too late.
Millions of tons of water crashed
It over and through the breaches. Tht
4 maze of bitches and canals, ordinarily
s so still, became as mountain stream.
d in flood. Sheep, pigs. goats aud COW!
n that could not reach the high dixie
e were washed away. Hundreds tina
o. instinctively made an attempt to saw,
II themselves were drowned, whilst tn,
e. roads were blocked with frightened
T. herds Of cattle that needed no urginl
from equally excited drivers.
Few could mark their cattle an,
If many will never regain their own ami
IT mails. Safety was their only thought
e In little breaks in the stream womel
d could be seen pushing perambulator
ID with babes and driving cattle, all mai
ing for the higher level of Amsterdam
D. Many farmers first saved their cattle
y returning in boats to save their fan
lie lilies.
q Soldiers made a dash for many @
a. the breaches and worked heroically t
stem the tide. but were as helpless a