Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-19

town Of Purmcrend further progress
was barred, owing to the sudden dis
covery by the authorities OF weak
spot In a neighboring dixie, which ne
cessitated the immediate filling up of
Il lock SO as To reduce the pressure of
, the water. Here, gangs Of men were
working as though their lives depended
upon it. but the water was still gain
/ ing and folks we're beginning TO evac-
uate their homes.
Villages Mcnaccd.
Some of the little villages on the edge
Of the floods now lie level with the
sea, and are defended from further
encroaehmenl by hastily erected ram
parts so-ealled box dams These
consist Of deal planks securely clamp
ed together forming a breastwork a
few feet high. A similar structure is
erected a yard further back. and the
space between filled up with sand and
earth
Holland spends 10000, 600 per year
on protection from It's never resting
enemy and the necessity for this il
indicated by the fact that the "pOld-
ois the drained tracts of land wrest-
ed from the sea and converted into
arabic land or meadows--lic from ten
to fifteen feet below sea level The
turf-eovered dikcs or cmbankmcnts
that are such I. familiar feature Of the
Dutch landscapes, are armored on the
seaside with brick masonry when
they-are in so-called safe" positions,
l. c. running from north to south; but
with basalt blocks and concrete facings
Mt the points that are exposed to the
full force of the northern and north
western blasts The land side slope
however, Is of plain earth; the con-
sequence being than once a polder is
flooded, there Is an enormous pres
sure upon the inner part OF the sea-
dixie Slowly but surely the earth Is
eaten away until only the hasat or
shell remains. If storms then
continue and pumping work Is inpos-
sible. this shell at length cullapses un-
der the renewed onslaughts of the sea
from without, and the poldcr is
doomed
At ordinary times. zuyder Zee water
contains per litre only about two
grams of salt, compared with an
of three and one-half grams
per litre Of North sea water lly the
violence Of the gale however, much
North sea water was blocked up into
the Zuyder Zee. and thence found it's
way into the polders. The sadness OF
the flood water aggravates the trouble. /
because it ruins the soil for along
about two-thirds OF the inundated |
area. generally RECEIVERS IN about
year, provided heavy rams help to
cleanse the surface of salt, but titled I
fields may be rendered unproductivc |
for two and three years, ana even
longer. The whole work OF swocten- /
ing the soil has 10 be done over again. /
Reclaimed land such as this is valued !
when in good condition nj S400 to (
$500 per acre The foss To the farmer
IN having his land thus Applied. is
great, and this factor also makes it /
extraordinarily difficult to arrive at .
anything like an accurate estimate of /
The damage done
Great Drainage Project
The disaster has served rs a pow I
erful argument for the promoters of 7
he scheme TO drain the entire Zudyer
Zee; project which has existed for 4
Years and has already often been de-
seribed and debated Il is now again
occupying the attention OF the cham
her The main idea is 20 construct
like OF prodigious strength, twenty
miles long, across the neck of the
suyder Zee, from EwNcksluis in north I
Holland, to piaam in r'ricSland and to
irain the whele basin Of the Zee. pre-
serving, however certain natural out
els for the streams which empty into
Z The cost would be approximately
1000. aoo but 50O.Oo0 acres OF pre-
good soil would be gained.
4 h a..