82 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



drowned upwards of 10,000 acres of lowland in the neighborhood. 

 On the 25th of December following, another hurricane from the east 

 drove the waters in an opposite direction upon the city of Leyden, 

 the lower parts of which were submerged forty-eight hours, and 19,000 

 acres of land were inundated. The enormous loss occasioned by these 

 two storms induced the government to determine on the drainage of 

 the Lake, and a credit of 8,000,000 florins was voted by the States 

 General. In May, 1840, a commission was appointed to superintend 

 the work. 



The first operation was to cut a canal round the Lake, to isolate it 

 from the neighboring waters, and to afford the means of navigation to 

 the enormous traffic which previously passed over the Lake, amount- 

 ing to 700,000 tons per annum. This canal was 37 miles long, 130 

 feet wide on the west side, and 115 feet on the east side of the Lake, 

 with a depth of 9 feet water. On the side next to the Lake, the 

 mouths of all water-courses entering it, were closed by earthen dams, 

 having an aggregate length of 3,000 yards, made in 10 feet depth of 

 water. Other great works were executed by enlarging the sluices at 

 various points, and in erecting powerful steam engines to assist in 

 discharging the water from the canal during the time of high water. 

 The water of the Lake has no natural outfall, being below the lowest 

 practicable point of sluicage. The area of water enclosed by the 

 canal was rather more than 70 square miles, and the quantity to be 

 lifted by mechanical means, including rain water and springs, leak- 

 age, &c., during the time of drainage, was estimated at 1,000,000,000 

 tons. In determining the motive power to be employed, two points 

 were to be kept in view ; first, the cost of draining the Lake ; second, 

 the cost of annual drainage ; for, when once the work was accom- 

 plished, the site of the Lake could only be kept dry by mechanical 

 power. With the exception of a few steam engines, the wind had 

 hitherto been the motive power employed to work the hydraulic ma- 

 chines used in the Netherlands to keep the country dry. And the 

 power of 12,000 wind-mills, having an average aggregate power of 

 60,000 horses, is required to prevent two-thirds of the kingdom from 

 returning to the state of morass and lake, from which the indomitable 

 energy and perseverance of the Dutch people have rescued what is 

 now the most fertile country in Europe. 



The Haarlem Meer Commissioners were convinced that the old 

 means must be laid aside, and new ones adopted to suit the magnitude 

 and peculiarities of their work. They accordingly determined to 

 erect three gigantic steam engines of a peculiar construction, which 

 was accordingly done, and the whole put in operation in 1848. These 

 engines consume but two and a half pounds of coal per hour, for each 

 horse power, and are capable of raising 112 tons of water 10 feet high 

 at each stroke, or of discharging 1,000,000 tons in 25^- hours. 



A short description of one of these engines may prove interesting. 

 It has two steam cylinders, one of 84 inches diameter, placed within 

 another of 144 inches diameter; both are fitted with pistons; the 

 outer piston is of course annular, and the two pistons are united to a 





