The Penn's Grove record., 1896-02-14
ron AGES.
Engiand's Unbroken Hold Upon til
Rock of Gibraltar,

Rock of Gibraltar.
Gibraltar is almost an island OF rock,
its only connection with the main land
Of Spain being a narrow u ay
known as the neutral ground" This
Is patroled up to a certain point by
English sentries, looking neat, trim and
business-like In their short, red coats
and white helmets. Just beyond the
line Of the sentry boxes the Spanish
territory begins. and another relay Of
guards, clothed In the yellow and red
of Aragon and CASTLE, stand ready to
see that the realm OF Ills majesty, Al
fonso Kill. Ii not to be encroached
upon and that no M crosses the Dor
der without first passing through the
little Spanish custom house. For near
ly 200 years, night and day, these two
sets Of sentinels have watched and
challenged and glared at each other
and seem likely to continue doing 50
for a good many years to come.
The fortress stands at the end of q
rocky promontory, extending about
three miles into the sea and about halt
a mile In breadth. The north end
which overiooks Spain, springs W
nearly perpendicular to a height Of 1,S0t
feet. The east and south sides are
steep and rugged and extremely diff
icult OF access, even Il they were moi
fortified, so that 1t Is only on the wesi
side, fronting the bay, where the rock
declines to the sea and the town II
situated. that 1t could be attacked with
the fsintest hope Of success. Here
however, the strength Of the fortified
ton is such that the place may be said
to be impregnable. The lower batteries
are all casemated and marked by
bushes, while higher up vast galleries
have been excavated in the solid rock
and mounted with heavy modern artil
Iery. The damage which might ensut
from the explosion Of shells In guarded
against by. open t~raverses. and a net
work of passages gives communications
between the different batteries and pro
tects the gunners from the enemy's
FIRE, Looked at from below there II
nothing save an occasional portfolio e
indicate the deadly character of this
huge material monolith, but If 1t could
be looked down on from above, II
would be found to present from sea e
summit q perfect labyrinth of stone
tunnels, bristling with cannon and
stored with chained lightning sufficient
to shake the earth to its very center.
Gibraltar has been besieged no less
than thirteen times. Its possession
rested alternately with the Moors and
the spaniards until 1704, when 1t was
attacked during the war Of the Spanish
succession by the English and Dutch
fleets and surrendered after a shorl
resistance. The spaniards. during the
line years following, vainly endeavoret
to recover IT. but In 1713 It's possession
was secured to the English by the
peace Of Utrecht The last and most
memorable Siege was In ITO, when
Gen. George Elliott and his gallant
band of 1000 hslf-starved men success
fully held the place for four years
against the combined fleets Of Spain
and France. That was q close shave fol
the English, but they have provided
against q occurrences In such a manner
that It seems csttain that nothing short
Of an earthquake will ever dislodgs
them from the rock. 1t Is said that the
fortress ID kept victualed for a siege
Of ssysn years. Aerial railways. tele
phones, tolesrAphs. electric search
lights, and q perfect code Of signals
have united the garrison practically In
to q fighting msshspA The blue waters
Of the bay sgs said to be treachensas
with sunken torpedoes. and eyen ih'
elements are guarded against by mean
OF position or rangeinders. whereby
the. guns above, although enveloped In
clouds OF mists, can be electrically
pointed and discharged from half q
mile 10 a mile below and the enemy
made to think that great Joye II hrpi
ing clouds at him. frein high heaven II
sslf.