Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1920-02-01 | Page 23 | Dutch Prepare to Dry Floor of Zuyder Zee

DUTCH PREPARE 1 TO DRY FLOOR OF ZUYDER ZEE Will Win Spend to Annex Anne Twelfth Province nce by ly Reclamation I Tho Hague Jan 31 Work 31 Work will begin bo- bo be begin bosn gin s-n this year on the reclaiming of oC tho I Zuyder Zee Zoe one of the worlds world's bre greatest test en engineering projects b by which it t le Is I proposed to restore to Holland within v I thirty five tive years jears ears what was as once oneo hers hersI I but was taken aw b by the storms of many centuries I When hen the work Is finished not only onh the original land will be restored but many thousands of ot acres which always alwa's have been beneath tho the sea will be I read ready for cultivation Under war pre-war estimates the entire I work work of oC reclaiming reclaiming- the Zuyder LeeI Zee Lee I would would have cost about but with the Increased cost 0 of labor and I materials In tn tho the last six years ears It is isnow isnow now believed the cost will be well veil in inI excess of oC The Tho work ark will vIm willbe willbe I be done and paid for tor by the state through special loans and tho the state through rental of the land reclaimed I expects expect the tho scheme to pa pay for Itself within a few tew years and yield a handsome revenue I More Jore Citizens CItizen Expected The total amount of oC land to be re reI reclaimed reclaimed re- re claimed will be square miles which I will constitute a n. twelfth province of j Holland capable of oC supporting a L population population population pop pop- I of oC Several cities of oC 1 ancient trading fame tame are expected tobe to toI tobo bo be re restored to commercial Importance I The Tho engineering work is well under way Centuries ago at the beginning of the Christian era ora when hen the Romans lomans had their settlements In Holland much of oC the space now occupied by the tho Zuyder dor der Zee was land and the south part of oC the tho present sea was a lake called FIovo Flo Northwest tempests swept tho the North sea and washed awa away tho tract of dry land between the sea and the lake lale One Ono large shallow bod body of ot water the the Zu Zuyder der Zee Zee was was formed Tho The towns to situated on Its banks throve o as tho the merchantmen came camo Into I their ports But as ships became larger and of deeper draft traffic was diverted divert divert- I od ed d to deeper r seas leaving the once I famous ramous towns on the Zu dors shores I more fishing finning villages which thc they arenow are J I now no while Amsterdam's commerce e came camo to her through a canal leadin lendinG leading 1 direct to the North orth sea I mile Thirty Dike Dike Required Dr A. A A. A Beckman Deelman of oC The Tho Hague e 1 I who has hns devoted nearly all nIl his life lite t to toI eo o the ideal of reclaiming tho the Zee e I explained the plans to an Associated ed d Press correspondent Ho He Hoa Is a a member r of the state council which will Carr carry carryout out tho work I The Tho first thins thing to do said D Dr Bookman is to construct a gigantic c I dIKo to l keep out tho North sea This Thi 9 I will III be bc thirty m miles lies long stretching from rom to the tho Frisian coast where the water ranges in depth from n three thirty-three to cloven ell feet teet It will b bI bo boI o I everywhere sixteen to sc feet fee t tho the sea level Thero will b ba bo be boa 0 I a double track railway on top toJ o o th tho dike Its construction will take o nino nin 0 1 years enn and Its cost by war pre estimates esti estl mates will bo be moro more than titan I Tho rho total surface to bo reclaimed f is s 1 S 7 square miles There will remain ef a e aj t j f lako lake of oC COO square miles which v kill 1 Lct as a a. reservoir during the tho periods period s I when as a re result of oC northwestern northwester n storms the waters of ot the tho River 1 and of oC the tho canals be emptied d l Into tho North orth sea sen Tho The water of th the e I lake lako will wm bo be lot let out into tho the North se sea a through five lve great sluices at tho the Wier In ingen en pen end of tho dike I lost fost of oC tho the land to be reclaimed i It lies s thirteen feet Ceet beneath the sea level hovel P Part rt of ot It is expected to U boI bo bodry a dry within fourteen years as ns p pumping g gs I out will begin as all soon noon aa as the dike 1 is s I completed The last of oC tho the land is ox ox- ox 1 I petted to be dry within thirty five e I years