The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-30
TO BRING HOLLAND
OUT OF THE SEA
Reclamation o fthe Zuyder
Zee, Worlds Greatest En-.
cheering Project.


THE HAGUE, Jan SO.-work 10 n
nesin this year on the reelaiminE OF
tne Auyder Zee. one OF the world ) great
NV engineering projects. by which IL
~ proposed to restore to Holland within
~ years what was once hers bat was
s nn,en away BY the storms OF many CEN
When the work is finished, not only
the original land will be restored hui
many thousands OF acres which always
nave been beneath the sea will he
ready Tor cultivation.
According to prewar estimates the
entire work OF retaining the Zuyder
Gee would have cost approximately
so,s0O,V0O but, with the increased cost
" labor and materials in the past sly
years, it Is now believed the cost viii
Pc Wen n excess of sl25,ooO,0OO This
work wlllFbe done and paid for by the
state, through special loans, and the
STATE through rental Of the land re-
CANNED, expects the scheme to nay for
ltseM within few years and there
aiser Yield a handsome revenue.
The total amount Of land to he re-
claimed win be SCI square miles. which
VIII constitute twelfth province OF
Holland, capable Of supporting a popu-
iatlon of $780, 600, and wherein several
cities Of ancient trading fame are ex-
peeted to be restored to commercial i'm
purtance.
The engineering work is now well un-
der way
Centuries ago. at the beginning OF the
Christlan era when the Romans had
their settlements in Holland, much OF
me space now occupied by the Zuyder
Zee was land and the south part of tho
present sea was a lake called Fleyo.
northwest temnests swept the North
sea washing away the tract of dry
land between the sea and the lake.
One large shallow body of water--the
Zuyder Zee-was formed.
The towns situated on its hanks
throve as the merchantmen came into
& their ports But, as ships became larger
ana OF deeper draft traffic was al -
Il yerted to deeper seas, leaving the once
famous towns on the Zuyder's shores
mere fishing villages, which they are
now, while Amsterdam's commerce
came TO her through canal leading
direct to the North sea,
Dr. A. A. Beekman, OF The Hague.
Who has devoted nearly all hts life
70 the ideal OF retaining the Zuydcr
Zee, explained the plans to the Assoc
ciated Press correspondent, He is now
member Of the state council which
will carry out the work,
The first thing to do" said Or
Beekman lis 10 construct n gigantic
dixie TO keep out the North sea This
VII be 80 miles long, stretching from
Wieringen to the Tristan coast. where
the water ranges in depth from 80 &c
IL feet, 1t will be everywhere l6 10 II
feet above the sea level. There viii
be a double track railway on top OF
the dixie, Its construction will TAX,
nine years and Its cost, BY prewal
estimates, win be more than 500 0O0 Op0
THE total surface TO be reclaimed /,
S27 square miles. There will remain 9
lake OF 600 square miles, which will ac
as a reservoir during the periods when
owing to northwestern storms, tn
waters OF the river Yssel and Of tn,
canals can not be emptiod into tn,
North sea The water Of the lake vii
4 be let out into the North sea through
five great sluices at the Wieingen IN,
OF the dixie.
Most OF the land to be reclaimed
now lies 10 feet beneath the sea level
Part OF II is expected To be dry within
IA years, as pumping cut will begin Il
4 soon as the dixie Is completed. Tn,
last OF the land Is expected to be dr.!
/ within IS years.