The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-01
HOLLAND IS READY ID RECLAIM FAMOUS
 ZUYDER zEE AREA
Millions Are to Be Spent Draining Land and Re storing 827 Square
 Miles
By Associated prss

The Hague, January S.-Work is to begin this year on the retaining of the Zuyder Zee, one of the worlds greatest engineering projects, by which it is proposed to restore to Holland within S5 years what was once hers, but was taken away by the storms of many centuries.
 When the work is finished. not only the original land will be restored, but many thousands. of acres which always have been beneath the sea will be ready for cultivation.
 According to pre-war estimates. the entire work of retaining the Iuydef Zee would have cost approximately $SS.- SOO.000, but, with the increased cost of labor and materials Tn the past six years, it is now believed the cost will be well in excess of $12J.000.00o. The work will be done and paid for by the state through special loans, and the state. through rental of the land re claimed, expects the scheme to pay for itself within afew years and thereafter yield handsome revenue.
 The total amount of land to be re claimed will be S27 square miles. which will constitute a twelfth province or Holland, capable of supporting a popu- la tion of 300, ,000 and wherein several cities of ancient trading fame are ex- pected to be restored to commercial inn portance.
 The engineering work is now well under way.
 Centuries ago. at the beg!nning of the Christian era when the Romans had their settlements iu.JIoflsnd. much Of the space now occupied by the Zuyder Zee was land and the south part of the IT sent sea was lake, called Flevo. , rthwest tempests swept the North { ga, washing away the tract of dry land between the sea and the lake. One large. shallow body of water-the Zuy- der Zee--was formed.
 The towns situated on it's banks as the merchantmen came. into their ports. But as ships became larger and of deeper draft traffic was diverted 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 his life to the ideal of retaining the Zuyder Zee. explained the plans to the Associated Press correspondent He is now a member of the state council which will carry out the work.
 "The first thing to do." said pr. diqe to keep out the North sea. This Beekman, 'is to construct a gigantic will be 30 miles long, stretching from Wieringen to the Frisian coast, where the water ranges in depth from SS to l 1 fleet. It will be everywhere 16 to T. feet above the sea level. There will be double track railway on top of the dike. Its construction will take nine years, and it's cost, by pre-war esti- mates, will be more than s20,000, 000. z
 'pThe total surface to be reclaimed is S27 squpare miles. There win remain lake of 500 square miles, which will act as a reservoir during the preiods when. owing to northwestern storms. the waters of the River Yssel and of the canals cannot be emptied into the North sea. The water of the lake will be let out into the North sea through five great sluices at the Wieringen end of the djke.
 Most of the land to be reclaimed d now lies IS feet beneath the sea level Part of it is expected to be dry with in 14 years, as pumping out will begin as soon as the dike is completed The last of the land is expected to be dry within 35 years