The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-13
able by II land force through engineer
Ing contrivances by which the entire
strip could In nm instant DO blown to
powder md covered BY tho sea.

HkIlD COulu Nil w biSNa W
powder and covered by tho sea.
DESCRIPTION or THE FORTRESS,
AT the southern end OF this sand coy
cred bed Of mines tho Rock rises almost
perpendicularly fer over l,4OO feet.
Many fancy It's contour resembles lion
couchant. Mth Its head reared aloft to
tho north and towards Spain. 1t Is
grand enough without tho similc;
breaking away in essoning crags to tho
south and ugain confronting Africa with
lesser but none tho less insurmount-
able wall OF stone, about whose base the
sea ccaselessly roars and lashcs, tlinginS
tho spimo and spray to tremendous
heights among tho scrass at Europa
Point. 1t is three miles IRON its land.
ward face OF rock 10 its seward front OF
stone. The average width OF the huge
nonolith is thrcc-fourths OF mile.
Tho Rock, practically sea.encircled. is
completely girdled at its base with cam
non. Cannon protrudc from innumer-
able bastions and outworks from base
to peak. Cannon, hundreds OF them,
arc behind portfolios, cut from the
solid rock, in hewn chambers beneath
the mountain, tier OIL tier and miles in
length. Cannon are upon every cray
and prccipicc upon its very peaks. 1t
Is q stupcndous mountain OF stone out
OF whose sides, at every anglo, can be
poured more awful destruction than
ever issued from the very craters OF
Etna and Nesuvius.
Barring the comparably few cannon
upon the heights, it is NIL peaceful
enough in appearance where you stand
beside tho signal station. Pretty foot
and donkey paths wind to shaded road.
ways below. Over to the cast tho Rock
falls sheer 1,400 feet to tho Mcditcrra-
mean. Away down there like . line OF
seafoam and ,driftwood cast upon q
thread OF shingly shore beneath gray
precipices, lies little Catalan, the lone
soonest and most picturesque fishing
village in al Europe. 1t is said some
Genocse fishermen were shipwreckcd
here, and fastened to the rocks like
things OF the sea, u thousand or so years
ago. Sometimes great columns sol
stone. falling from quarter OF 4 mile
above them, crash through their white
shells OF houses and grind score OF
souls into the tiinty shore. The thun-
dcrs Of siege have no tcrrors for them.
They cannot be dislodged. And they
remain there, the only things OF life OH
Gibraltar's Mediterranean shore.
Just opposite the Northern Pin.
nacle," on tho western shore, the Old
Mole or brcakwatcr extends 100 feet
into the bay. just one half the dis
tancc from this to. Europa Pointt the
New mole has been pushed into thefsea
nearly 1000 feet. Here is safe anchor
age for the entire merchant and battle
ships OF Great Britain. At, any time
several hundred craft OF all nations
may be seen in"the bayou Gibraltar;
while convcrging4 or .diverging towards
and from thenarrow straitdividinE two
continents, are ever in view stately pro-
cessionj OF the trade arcoSies OF the
world; some under sails white as sea-
gulls' wings, and some trailing behind
their huge tunnels what. from your
dizzy height, seem like delicately pen
cilcd fronds OF shadow upon the radiant
waters blue.
Down there between the two molcs
you can see the fiat roofs OF the city
crouching beneath the crags. At its
northern end, just abreast Of the Old
Mole. and we'll up the mountain side,
which on the west is less precipitous
than elsewhere, stands 4 huge Moorish
tower, just ,250 years old, built by the
first Moorish invaders, and the most
ancient perfectly preserved relic OF
Moslem rule in Spain. is almost en-
tire III its massive strength, though!
honeycombcd by innumerable cannon
balls; while its great Tower OF Homage.
is now q powder magazine, while mod
crn barracks and officers quarters with
pleasant gardens ill the area within its
ancient walls. & 500
GLOWING PEN PICTURES.
To the south, Africa seems but step
across q cleaning pool. 10 the east
there is only the vast Mediterranean,
dotted with many strange and curious
craft. 10 the west, the sight ranges
overa beautiful and picturesque hnrbor
scene, with every manner Of ship that
floats, from the loviathan man-of.war. to
the lateen sailed fclluca, including q
half dozen American schoonors and
banks with their shapely hulls and slen-
der spars, and rests beyond the waters
OF the bay upon the circling Spanish
shore. There is Cabrita Point, darlien-
ing grimly against background OF
flame where the setting sun floods tho
entrance from the Atlantic. Around to
the northwest Algcciras ghostlike lifts
through the purpling pail. To the
north, 4 score ofvillas and villages pink
or white as the light and shadows
changcfully play upon them, show, like
the ivory beds 5ot q rosary, against
ranges OF aloes and masses OF vineyards;
the whole with background OF billowy
foothill, dark, then blue, then purple,
and finally az opaline misty dream
where the peaks OF the Spanish serras
blend with the lar horizon OF tho north.
All this is what one can SEQ at Ei
Hdcho upon the heights. Of Gibraltar;
but what wraiths OF history, mythic
and real, crowd from the past upon the
wondrous scene! This spot where yol,
stand, and towering Apes Hill, across
the Strait in Africa were the olden Pill
lars Of Hercules. Down beneath you at
Europa Point is the very spot where
tho divine bull rested from his flight
with Europa, to whom the continent
owes its name. Just across the Strait,
at Ceuta, the traitorous Count Julian,
outlaw from Roderick's liccntious To-
ledo court, first betrayed Spain TO tho
Moslcms. The resultant invasion under
command Of Tarek lbn Zeyad, then
chief OF the garrison Of Tangicr, gave
to the rock the name OF Gibel-al-Tarell,
mountain OF lark, corrupted to the Glib
raltar OF to-day.
Then for 700 years it was mount OF
death and glory for, Spaniard and Moor
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