Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-08-07
A FAMOUS FORTRESS.
GIBRALTAR ROCK AND ITS FA-
NOUS FORTiFICATIONS
Tho Story of the Fort and the Town-The
Climate and the Peoplc-Caverns and
Passages-How the Great batteries Are
Placed.
It's nm Impressive Sight.


The famous rCck and fortress of
Gibraltar, when seen even from
distance, is very impressive, writes
Hiram Powers, in the Chicago Inter
Ocean. Three miles in length and
about three-quarters of a mile broad,
1t stands out into the blue sea as a
true "Pillar Of Hercules" monu-
ment to the brave dead who fought
In its defedse, and mighty bulwark
for its present British rulers. The
rock is connected with the Spanish
territory by strip of land called
the Neutral Land" so low that,
when seen T ON the sea but a few
miles off, the rock has the appearance
of an island.
1t was just as August was taking
It's place in the calendar of 1892 that
we approached 1t, after pleasant
passage across the Atlantic on one Of
the ocean greyhounds. 1t was about
10 O'Clock in the morning; the ships
orchestra struck up lively air, while
all the passengers crowded the decks
to see this renowned fortress, and a
beautiful sight it was, indeed AS
far as the eye could reach there were
countless sails, lit up to a dazzling
whitencss by the rays of the morning
sun. On either side of us the mount
aims of Spain and Africa loomed up
of a delicate pinkish purple co'or
which blended easily into the pcarly
tints of that southern sky. But the
great rock ahead and little to the.
left of us was the cynosure Of all eyes,
as we gradually approached the OUT
lines and details becoming more dis
tinct, until finally we found ourselves
gazing with wonder and awe at the
stupendous fortitications and defenses
OF the place, or in admirat en- at the
picturesque little town, lying at the
foot and upon the side of the mount
ain.
1t would be impossible to describe
the scene that lay before us, frown-
Ing and smiling at one and the same
time. All were eager to set foot once
more on land, and many were disap-
pointed when our captain announced
to us that we would only have three
quarters OF an hour on shore, as the
vessel was already some twenty-four
hours behind her previous record, and
had to make it up between Gibraltar
and Genoa. All our sorrows were
soon drowned in the pleasure of sail
ing to land on rakish little boats,
whose lateen sails made the trip bat
a short one. At the wharf we were
greeted by a motley crowd of Arabs,
Spaniards and English soldiery, each
one staring at us in the peculiar fash
ion of his race, but as we had but
little time to spare in gazing at them,
every curiosity shop was soon invaded
by an anxious, jostling crowd of Gus
toners. The glimpse we bad of the
place itself left us the impression of
q very closely built but clean town
with narrow, hot streets, rough cob
BILE pavements, flat-roofed houses,
mules, Arabs, fruit In abundance, and
British soldiers without end.
On the side of the rock stand the
magnificent ruins of an old Moorish
castle, built just below the famt us
rock galleries, which. by the way,
face the land, and, with the excep-
tioD of being the means of communi-
tion from fort to fort, are of no use
whatever in modern warfare. In the
town, which Is inhabited by a motley
population of from 10000 to 1000