FLOODS IN HOLLAND

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2699, 19 February 1916, Page 5

FLOODS IN HOLLAND

FRESH AFFECTED TOWNS BEING EVACUATES By Telegraph—Press Association—CuDyrisht Amsterdam, February 17. A stonn is imperilling fresh districts in Holland. Tho waters are rushing in. at Monniokondam, and tho inhabitants aro re-evacuating that, town and Vol endam. A railway dyke between Purmerand. and Ottstzaam has been destroyed, threatening a fresh catastrophe. Large forces of troops are striving t» stem tho floods. A rupture of the dykes at Salsmeei : near Amsterdam, appears inevitable. I would involve several polders (tracts a low lajid reclaimed from the sea b; means of high embankments). Last month tho whole of the northern iwrtion of Holland was in dangei of being flooded owing to the bursting of the Zuyder Zee dykes at various poults. The people fled from Edam and other towns. Volendara was entirely flooded, and the water poured in with terrific force at Broekinwaterland. The storm caused a tidal wave, which destroyed railway communication with South Holland. The storm and floods wero the most serious that had visited Northern Holland. Tho population were awakened by the ringing of alarm bells, and were terror-stricken to find that they wero confronted.- by the waters, which were rushing through the streets and lionses. Soldiers and civij bans , vied in their efforts to prevent I the extension of the .floods. Volendam n-as completely isolated, Mei'ken entirely submerged, and Nonnickenzam was partially under water. It was feared that the whole of North Holland would be inundated. The dyke near Muiden broke at 2 a.m., flooding the streets. The peoplo spent the jiight combating the flood. There were similar inundations at Broek, the .water pouring over the dyke with a noise like thunder. Some of ths houses were swept away, and the population fled in boats. Many cattle were drowned, in the low-lying Polderland. At Broek and Edam tho cattle were stalled in the ehurches, where the people were taking refuge. The greater part of the fishing fleet was destroyed. The financial .loss was enormous. On the mainland, wneu the floods came, the soldiers heroically dashed into- tho breaches in the dykes, and vainly endeavoured to stem the tide. Scores of rich farmers were made penniless, and it will be years before the laud recovers-its fertility. The flood menace in Holland is ever-present, but for years has been under olfective control. One quarter of the whole Kingdom of Holland lies beZow tho Amsterdam zero—the avcrago high-water level of the Y at Amsterdam nt the time when it was still open to the Zuyder Zee—and a system of dykes or stop-banks prevents the country from being converted .into a - shallow. _sea.-, _ A! disastrous inundation, in'l42l destroyed V 2 villages and 100,000 lives,