The Coolidge examiner., 1932-04-15

! Inc rivers OF hOlldnO, Ike dlI
rivers whose lower reaches have but
little fall. drop sediment along these
lower levels, especially at their
mouths. The sea has resisted this
| encroachment, and in retreating has
continually fought to regain lost ter
ritory. 1t has thrown barriers across
| the river channel to make the rivers
| themselves destroy the land of their
! creation il has buried the rich al
luvial soil fathoms deep under un-
productive sands, and where it does
not throw up sand dunes as q fort
reSs against itself. the state must
accept the challenge and wage q
royal battle.
The other rivers that have con-
I tributed TO the veal and woe of Hol'
land have been less vacillating in ap-
| preaching their outlets, but equal
vigilance has been needed to keep
their waters from inundating the
land. bikes must be built on both
banks as high and as far upstream
as experience demands.
Along the North sea there are
! places where. owing TO changing
winds. the sand cannot accumulate
in quantities sufficient TO form pro-
tecting dunes. Here sea-dikes must
be built-veritable fortifications.
They are built of earth, firmly
packed on the sea-face. and partly
paved with dressed Norway granite
or Rhine basalt blocks.
Beginning at the top, the dimen-
sions are as follows:
Thirty feet across the top, on
which there is a dOuble-track rail
road for the transportation Of ma.
terials with which to make repairs.
On the sea-face it inclines at an
angle of 80 degrees for a distance
of about 40 feet; then the slope is
one in three. Here the stone paving
begins and extends about so feet.
From this point for 100 feet a
sod surface Is maintained, but be-
yond that for 100 feet, where the
forces of the storm-lashed waves
beat hardest, the surface is faced
with stone. This carries the face
to a point about three feet below
! high tide; then a fiat pavement Is
laid out and beyond the low-water
line.
AS precaution, three rows of
piles are driven in to hold the fac
ing in place. and two other rows
of larger piles, with their tops pro
truding, extend along the line
where the waves are most aggres-
Sive.
Costly But Necessary.
The amount of labor required to
| construct such Notifications can
hardly be imagined. and the cost is
well-nigh beyond conjecture. The
piles, all of which come from other
lands, cost, in place S4 each.
This defense is not an idle pre-
caution. When the west winds drive
| the waters of the English channel TO
/ meet those DETECTED by Norway's
unyielding shores. they fill up the
North sea and seek their old course
across the Netherlands.
The sluggish current of the Zul-
/ derzee is weak contestant with
| the remorseless tide of the North
! sea. Consequently its shifting sands
threatened to close up the harbor of
Amsterdam and also rendered pre-
| carious the navigation out to anc
! around the Helder. 1t was therefore
decided some years ago to construct
a ship canal directly to the North
sea.
This great work was completed in
1870. with the sea terminus al
Ijmuiden. The sea being higher al
high tide than the water in the har
Dor at Amsterdam. it was necessary
to have big locks at that end.
The traffic through this canal is
so great that the water let through
| in the locking would soon become a
source of danger The harbor OF
Amsterdam is. therefore. shut off
from the Zuyderzee by means of
| dikes, with series of locks to per.
nit ingress and egress.
Protecting Dikes Everywhere.
1t Is not the sea alone that calls
/ for the defending dikes. Every out
let into the sea must have embank
ments high enough to overtop the
/ highest incoming tide, for twice
every day these outlets become estu,
aries of the sea. and the land would
be covered by the invading brackish
water if it were not for the dixie
| like banks.
The farmers frequently build their
dwelling houses under the lee OF
these banks, and from the deck OF
a passing steamboat one can lit
orally look down the chimney,
though he may hardly, as some have
claimed, see what the farmers wife
is cooking for his dinner.