Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-15
IMrREGNABLE FOX AGES.
Gibraltar's Rock Has Been Regarded =
Impossible of Capture.

Gibraltars Rock Has Been Regarded IS
Impossible of Capture.
Gibraltar is almost an island Of rock,
its only connection with the mainland
Of Spain being narrow causeway
known as the Neutral ground" This
Is pa-roled up TO a certain point by
English senries, looking neat. T.m and
5us.ness-like i'm their short red coats
and white helmets. Just beyond the
line c. The sentry boxes the Spanish ter
1.-ory begins and another relay Of
guards clo,hsd in the yellow and red Of
Aragoa and Castle stand ready to see
th2- the realms of his majesty. Alfonso
NIL, era nC- 90 be encrOached upon
and -hat no one crosses the border with
out first passing through the little Span
i-l custom house. For nearly 200 years
n.gl- and day these two sets Of senuies
nave watched and challenged and glared
o. each other and seem likely to con-
Llue so doing for a good many years
10 come
The fortress stands at the end of a
rocky promC-0ry extending about three
miles into the sea and abou, q half
mile en- breadth. Tie north end,
which overl0oks Spain, springs up
nearly perpendicular t0a height OF $500
feet. The east and south SIDES are
steep and rugged and extremely diff
cult Of access even If they were not
fortified; So that i IS only on the ives,
/ side fronting the bay, where The rock
| declines 10 the sea and The town is SIT
ua-ej, that j. could be attacked with
-he -aintes- hope Of success. Here, how
! ever. the strength OF The fOrtidc2-ion
IS such chat the place may be said % ba
impregna5le. The lower batteries are
/ all casem2-el and masked by bushes,
While higher I'D vast galleries have
been exc waited liz the solid rock and
mounted with heavy modern artillery;
-he damage which might ensue from
/ the explosion of shells is guarded
/ against by open Taverses, and net
| work of passages gives communication
/ between the differeCt batteries and pro-
| tacts the gunners from the enemy S
/ fire. Looked az from below there is
I nothing save an occasional empty port
/ hole % indicate the deadly character
\ of this martial m0nolith, but If it could
| Dee looked down on from above +.
J would De found 70 present from sea
/ Co summit perfeC, labyrinth OF stone
/ tunnels bris-iug with cannon and
I stored with chained l.ghcning sufficient
l 90 shake The ear-h to its very centre.
According to the historians Gibraltar
has been baS.eged no less than thirteen
,-mas. its possession rested alternately
WITH he N1Ors ana the SDaniards until
/ 1904 When it was attacked during The
/ war OF The Spanish succession BIZ the
/ English and Dutch fleets and surrender
/ cd otter q short resistance. The Span
-arIs during The nine years following
/ Va.n.y e1C63vOred TO recover 10. but In
/ lll5 It's possession was secured 20 The
( English by the peace CT Utrecht. The
/ LAST and most memorable siege was i'm
/ llls. when General George Elliott and
his gallant band Of 5000 hali-starvel
/ men successfully held the place for
-FOUR years against the combined fleets
| OF spain and France. That was Q Close
shave for The English. bu, they have
I provided against its recurrence in such
/ manner mat 70 seems certain thai
no.1-ng shou- Of an earthquake will ever
ois.odse them from the rock. ID Is
SAID that the fortress IS always ken.
/ Ncualed for a siege of seven years.
/ Aerial railways, telephone. telegraDhs.
( electric Se1rchEgh,s and a perfect code
OF signals have united the gaAtson
practically INFO fighting machine
/ i'1e blue waters Of the bay are said TO
De ireacAerous with sunken toDedoes
. ana even the elements are guarded
Snst by means Of position or rance
nndsrs whereby ;he guns above. a.
enough eoreloped in clouds or m;s+s
can De electrically pointed and ais
c1arsed from half a mile below ana the
| enemy made 20 think that Great low
IS hurLng clouds az him from HIGH
1eaFen 1self-Cbarlascon. News and
/ Courier.