The Coolidge examiner., 1934-01-19

still in existence, those Seventeenth
century Dutchmen tried reclaiming
bays and lakes, rather clumsily at
first, but gaining experience as the
interesting work went on, and ways
and means were improved gradu-
ally. The four big lakes, Purmer,
Beemster, Schermer and WOrmer,
lying to the north of Amsterdam.
were attacked and rained by wind
power only.
The biggest lake of them all,
Haarlemmermeer (to the southeast
Of the center OF the bulb-growing
district, the city of Haarlem), with
stood all efforts of the winddriven
pumps to the end. 1t was only after
the steam engine had been devel-
oped into an efficient power plant
that the fertile bottom of this lake
was added, between 1883, to the
ground floor" of Dutch territorys
and sold or given to colonists from
different parts of the country.
Though the first daring plan for
the Zuider Zee's reclamation ap-
peared in 1867, the work of drain
ing this huge lake, even as late as
1850, would have been as stiff a feat
OF engineering as driving a tunnel
through ST. Gotthard or bridging Nj
agara falls with planks on trestles.
But engineers and statesmen began
to speculate about the Zuider Zee,
and to weigh the pros and cons of
the problem.
Reclaiming the Zuider Zee would
obviously include the building of a
big inclosing dam Ito avoid drain
ing the Atlantic) on a mud bottom
right across the sea, and the es-
tablishment of pumping units capa-
BILE OF swallowing permanently to
the last drop the ever-fiowing wa
ters of the Rhine mouth feeding the
inland sea, and discharging them
at some point where they could do
| no harm.
More Land Needed.
Like Manhattan, the Netherlands
now really had become much too
| crowded. Only in the Netherlands
1t was not room for shops and Of
fees that people wanted; it was
homesteads and arabic land. Far
seeing economists pointed out that
| something would have to be done.
| Why not get the Zuider Zee bottom
ready to receive the eighth million?
| In DR.. G. Lely the Dutch nation.
in 1886, found the man it needed to
turn it from it's phase of ftful spec
ulating into one of definite prospect
ing-and so on to the final eXecu-
tion Of his comprehensive. plan Off
1891: to connect North Holland with
Friesland by heavy dam 90 yards
wide and 20 miles in length, separat-
ing the waters of the North sea and
the Zuider Zee; to inclose four of
the most fertile parts Of the result
ing basin by smaller dams; and to
put several big pumping stations to
work to finish the reclaiming job
Because of the impossibility OF
draining the entire Zuider Zee.
fresh-water lake, called Ijsselmeer
| (Ysselmeer), after the River Ijssel.
which discharges it's water into it.
would be suffered to remain in ex-
istence among the four polders to
be reclaimed.
! Doctor Lely, gifted engineer.
was minister Of public works when
the Dutch government by an act of
parliament of June IA, 1913, decided
to put his plan into execution. On
account Of the economic depression
following the World war very lit
tie progress was made during the
| first few years. But some kind of
stability in prices, though on much
! higher level than anybody could
have expected, was reached about
1925, and work was started in real
earnest two years later.
| Though at first it had been in
tended to start reclaiming the four
polders (reclaimed areas) only aft
er the inclosing dam had been com.
| pleted, this plan has been aban.
| doned since. AS a matter of fact,
the Northwest polder had been com
pIetely embarked and drained to
ward the end of 1880. This is the
only one in the new pOlders that
has been reclaimed; the other three
will be ready about 1850.
The Big dam in 1890 consisted
only of a few artificial islands where
the sluices were in course of con
struction. The inclosing dam was
completed on May %, 1892, amid a
pandemonium of sirens and whis.
ties. The Dutch national anthem
was broadcast around the CONT.
nent at II 80. during the expectant
pause before the last bucketful of
! clay fell splashing into its place.