Dikes and Ditches; Or, Young America in Holland and Belgium

by Oliver Optic

"These depressions of the surface were filled with water. The first thing to be done is to shut out the ocean and its tributaries—all those rivers of which I have been speaking, that form a network of canals all over the country. For this purpose a dike is built on the border of the land to be enclosed. Take, for example, the Island of Ysselmonde,—the land next south of us,—and Holland really consists of nothing but islands formed by the rivers and the natural and artificial canals. It will, therefore, be a correct specimen of the system of dikes and ditches throughout the country, though some of the sections are subject to greater or less difficulty in the drainage, owing to various causes, which will be explained.

"When the dike around Ysselmonde is finished, the country is protected from inundation from without. Sometimes in winter the river may be blocked with ice, which stops the passage of the water. All the ice from the Rhine and Meuse must pass through these rivers on their way to the sea, and, being stopped in a narrow place, it forms a dam. In 1799 a large portion of Holland was threatened with total destruction, on account of one of these blockades. Behind the dam the water rose seven feet in one hour, overflowing the dikes, and breaking through them. This danger is incurred every winter; but disaster is generally warded off by the vigilance of the dike-keepers.

"We will suppose that the dike we have built around Ysselmonde protects it from the exterior water; but as the water in the Maas, at high tide, or even at low tide, is above the surface of the polders, they cannot be drained by the ordinary ditches; and it is necessary to remove the water by mechanical means. For this purpose windmills are erected on the dike,—as you see them in every direction,—many of which work water-wheels, pumps being but seldom used. The apparatus for removing the water is of several kinds, including a scoop-wheel, the screw of Archimedes, and the inclined scoop-wheel. The water is not lifted to any considerable height by these instruments.

"When the height to which the water is to be raised is too great to be accomplished by the agency of one machine, a series of them is introduced. Supposing the land in the middle of Ysselmonde to be twenty feet below the level of the Maas, four series of operations would be required to lift the water. The central portion is enclosed by a dike, with a ringsloot, or canal, outside of it. The windmills raise the water five feet. Outside of this, as the level of the land rises, another canal and ditch are made, and the water is lifted another five feet; and the process is repeated until the water is finally discharged into the river. The ditches which separate the different tracts of land are used as highways, for conveying the harvest to market, the difference of level being overcome by locks. Of course the character of these works depends upon the formation of the land.

"The soil of the polders thus drained is remarkably rich and productive. The two chief exports of Holland are butter and cheese, the low lands furnishing excellent pasturage for cattle.

"In the service of the government is a special corps of engineers, called Waterstaat, who are employed in watching the waters and the dikes, and in guarding against any breaking of the latter. In the winter time, which is the period of the greatest peril to the dikes, these men, many of whom are gentlemen of the highest scientific culture, are stationed near the places where danger is apprehended. Buildings containing all the necessary materials and tools for repairing the embankments are provided, and, indeed, all precautions which skill, and science, and care can bring are at hand; for the safety of the country depends upon these structures.

"The coat of arms of one of the Dutch provinces is a lion swimming, having this motto: Luctor et emergo, 'I strive and keep my head above water,' which seems to be the whole business of the Dutch people, figuratively and literally. If you visit the great dike of the Helder, as I hope you will, you may stand on the low land within it, and hear the thunder of the sea, as it beats against the dike, fifteen feet higher than your head.

"The canals of Holland serve a triple purpose. They are the highways of the country, they drain the land, and they serve as fences. You travel all over the region in the canals, and all the productions are conveyed upon them. The roads are for the most part built on the tops of the dikes, but they are not solid enough to permit their use by heavily-loaded wagons. Many of them are paved with bricks, on account of their spongy nature, which answers very well for the passage of light vehicles.

"The people seem to have a peculiar affection for these ditches, and you will often find that the Dutchman has his little private canal, extending around his house, apparently only to gratify his national vanity, though perhaps really it is his fence. Even here in Rotterdam, I have noticed a filthy ditch, from four to ten feet wide, between the house and the road. It is nearly filled with water, which is covered with a vile green scum. The wonder is, that this stagnant water does not breed a pestilence.

"The principal canals are sixty feet wide, and six feet deep, though of course many in the cities and elsewhere, intended for the passage of large vessels, are broader and deeper.