The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-01-26
HOLLAND PLANS
DRAINAGE FEAT
WILL CONSTRUCT DYKE ACROSS
NORTH SEA AND RECLAIM
NEARLY 600 SQUARE MILES OF
TERRITORY.

The Hague, Jan. <z.-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 35 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 reclaiming the Zuyder
Zee would have cost approximately
SIS, SOC, 900 but, with the increased
cost OF labor and material in the past
six years. It is now believed the cost
win be well in excess of $125. 900.
The work will be done and paid for
by the sta .e, through special loans, and
the state, through rental of the land
reclaimed, expects the scheme to pay
for itself within few years and there
after yield a handsome revenue.
The total amount of land to be re-
claimed VII be S27 square miles, which
will constitute twelfth province of
Holland, capable Of supporting a pop
ulation of 100000, and wherein several
cities of ancient trading fame are ex-
pected to be restored to commercial
Importance.
The engineering work is now well
under way.
Centuries ago, at the beginning OF
the Christian era when the Romans
had their settlements in Holland, much
of the space now occupied by the
zuyder Zee was land and the south
- 81 1oIr "a
called Flsvo. Northwest tempests
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 it's banks,
throye 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 COM
merce came TO her through a canal
leading direct to the North Sea.
DIR. A. 4. 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
I74GSS correspondence. he IS now a
member Of the state council which
win carry out the work.
The first thing to do said DIR.
Beekman, us to construct a gigantic
dixie to keep out the North Sea-, This
will be 80 miles long. stretching from
Yieringen to the Tristan coast, where
the water ranges in depth from SO to
IL feet. 1t viii be everywhere I6 to IT
feet above the sea level. There will
be double track railway on top of
the dixie. It's construction will take
nine years, and it's cost, by pre-war
estimates, viii be more than $4,000
600.
The total surface to be reclaimed
IS S27 square miles. There will re-
main a lake of 500 square miles, which
viii act as a reservoir during the Pc
RODS when, owing TO the northwest
ern storms, the waters of the river
Yssel and Of the canals cannot be emp
tied into the North Sea. The water
Of the lake viii be let out into the
North Sea through five great sluices
at the Wieringen end of the dixie.
Most of the land to be reclaimed
now lies Is feet beneath the sea level.
Part of IL is expected to be dry with
in IA years, as pumping out will be-
gin as soon as the dixie is completed.
The last Of the land is expected to be
dry within IS years"