The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-03-14
zUYDER ZEE TO
Be RECLAIMED
Work on S125,OOO,OOO Engineeb
ing Project will Start I
This Year. -
PROVIDE LAND FOR 100000
Dixie Thirty Miles long Is Part {
Plan TO Add New Province to Hob
Iand-Area Of s27 Square Miles \
to Be Reclaimed. ia

The Haguc.--WOrk Is TO begin thI&
year on the retaining Of the ZuydeF
Zee. one OF the worlds greatest elT
cheering projects. by which It Is pros
posed to restore to Holland within SJ
years what was once hers but waa
taken away by storms Of many ce1a
turtles
When the work Is finished not only
The original land viii be restored, bug
many thousand acres which alwayd
have been beneath the sea will ID
ready for cultivation. 1
According to pre-war estimates tha
entire work Of retaining the Zuydee
Zee would have cost approximately
SIS 100000, but, with the increased
cost of labor and materials in tho
last six years, II is believed the cost
will be well in excess Of Sl25,000, 0001
The work will be done and paid fox
by the state. through special l0anssl
and the state, through rental Of the
land reclaimed, expects the scheniE
TO pay for itself within few yeara
and thereafter yield a handsome reTe
enue.
viii Support 100000 Persons. NJ
The total amount Of land to be fes
claimed will be SGT square miles,
which viii constitute twelfth Prov
Ince Of Holland, capable OF supports
J Ing a population of 100000, and where's
! In several cities Of ancient trading
fame are expected to he restored To
commercial Importance. The engineehs
Ing work Is now well under way. 4
/ Centuries ago. at the beginning pt
/ the Christian era, when the RomanA
had their settlements In Holland, much
Of the space now occupied by the Guy,
der Zee was land and the south part
Of the present sea was lake, called
I Flevo. Northwest tempeSts swept the
North Sea washing away the tract
Of dry land between the sea and the
lake One large shallow body OF VA
ter--the Zpyder Zee-was formed.
The towns situated on its bang
throye rs The merchantmen came intd
their ports. Rut as ships became largef
and Of dceper drought, traffic was az
vertcd To deeper seas, leaving Tho
once famous towns on the Zuyder,s
shore mere fishing villages. which they
nre now. while Anisterdam's commeres
eamc 70 her through canal leading
4 direct to the North sea.
To Build Dixie Thirty Miles Long,
nr A. A. Bcckman Of The Hague
whn has devoted nearly all his liz
to tho idea Of retaining the Zuydet
Zee. explained the plans to the AsSf
clated Press correspondent. He u
now member Of the state council
which will carry out the work.
"rhe first thing 10 do" said Doctos
Beekman, SIS TO construct a gigantic
dixie to keep out the North sea. This
win be 30 miles long stretching
from Wierlngen TO the Tristan coast
where the water ranges in depth from,
33 to II feet. II will be everywhere
10 TO II feet above the sea level. Their
will be doube-track railway on tor
of the dixie. It's construction will taixe
mine years and its cost. by prevail
estimates, will be more than S20,00Oy
900.
THE total surface to be reclaimed J:
SGT square miles. There viii renal.
lake Of coo square miles, whlcn
will act as a reservoir during the pc
RODS when, owing to northwestern
storms, the water Of the River YsSel
and ~ the canals cannot be emptid
Into the North sea. The water OF Dbl
lake will he let out into the NORTH
sea through five great SluiceS at I'll
WIeringen end Of the dixie.
Most of the land TO be reclaimed
now lies 10 feet beneath the So
level. Part Of It Is expected to Isl
dry within II years, as pumping Dll
will begin as soon as the dixie is coh
petcd. The last Of the land Is e.
pected TO be dry within IS yearSF