The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-28
THE COAST CITIES OF SPAIN.
Defenses of Cadiz, Cartagena, Bar ceiona'
FerroI and Corunna.
fFrom the London Globe. J


(From the London Globe
Spain possesses a coast line of some l3ol
miles in extent. one-third of which Is
situated to the north on the Atlantic, the
remaining two-thirds to the south ana
east on the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Generally speaking, the coast line through
| out is of precipitous nature, and the
water leaving it deep. Spain's martini
| frontier is thus naturally strong, but
despite this advantage many points are
| fortified, and though the majority of these
works date from the Moorish epoch, and
are of an unimportant and aniquated type
| few of tie more important places have
| been strengthened in accordance with the
requirements of modern warfare. In the
scheme of national defence the Spanish
| coast line stands divided into three cap
tain -generalships-th northern, with its
Headquarters at Ferrol; the southern,
with it's headquarters as Cadiz, and the
eastern, with its headquarters at Carta-
gena. Other important strongholds, such
as Corunna and Barcelona, are included
in the northern and eastern captain'gen-
eralships, respectively.
1t is now proposed to furnish some &C
count of the Notifications Of the ports
and harbors enumerated. Commencing on
the north, Ferroi (popul alton 25, COO, the
premier arsenal of Spain, first claims at
tention. The harbor here is one of the
finest in Europe and is entered by q mar
row strait two miles long This strait is
defended by the castles of San Felipe and
Palmas which cross their fire at the mar
rowest point. The town on its north
shore Is provided with three batteries and
redoubt; on the south, with solitary
fort, named Segano, after the headland on
which it stands. For many years the pro-
jected enoirc lement of the fine dock-yard,
covering "a acres, by chain of detached
forts, has been much talked about, Dub
nothing as yet has been done. Altogeth-
er, therefore, this magnificent port. which
o ffers every facility for being converted
has been grossly neglected. and Its defen-
sive resources are quite inadequate to its
| strategical value.
The fortified city of Corunna (popula-
| tion 36, 000), but IL miles southWest OF
| Ferrol, is built on peninsula that runs
southwest out between the bays OF Cor
runna and Orsan The large and excel
| is defended on the east by fort San Diego
and on the west by fort San AntoElo.
A Fashioned enciente protects the pen1h-.
sula from the land side, citadel COM
mands the town while the entrance to the
harbor is protected by two batteries and
one really strong modern fort, named
Dormideras. The heavy Krupp guns in
b., 10 81 TO Crr11 EitnRtQd in fnA
bay on small island off the eastern shore
of the Corunna, sweep the roadstead Con-
sidering this, Corunna ia ten times more
strongly fortified than its neighbor, Fer
rol.
Cadiz, very strongly fortified town,
standing on narrow tongue OF lano
| which projects about five miles mort
adapted. both by nature and by art, for
defensive purposes, and is commanded by
| forts while on the other sides large vessels
cannot approach within three-fourths OF
| mile of the city. The city itself popu-
| lation 7s,000) is situated at the very ex-
tremity of the peninsula, ssand Is In reality
huge fortress, since 1t Is surrounded by
solid rampant, over 40 feet in height,
provided with easements for the numer-
Gus batteries which are for the most part
armed with powerful guns capable OF
| piercing armor plates several inches In
thickness Inc most powerful battery is
| Soledad, which ia a fort of itself, with
quarters for its garrison, and bomb proof
| magazines. This battery can certal n ~
boast two very powerful ,and formidable
weapons in 2649-ton Krupp, firing en-
barbette, an d 26-ton Armstrong firing
| from an embrasure. On a small island
due west of the town is Fort Sebastian
and to the side south, protecting the
isthmus from the land side, is Fort San
IN 1krA ~
| work. Fort Terre. Gorda little to the
southwest Of the former, is only import.
ant from being the government telephone
and cable headquarters. Three modern
| forts, Puntales, Matagorda, and San
Luis, command the short, straight chan
mel that separates the northern bay OF
Cadiz from the southern land-looked bay
OF Cadiz puntacles., They completely
protect also the arsenal of Carraca, which
though we'll fortified itself, has had much
of its stores and works transferred to
Cartagena. Both the Bay of Cadiz and
the Bay of Puntales possess good anchor
ages and, without going into further de-
tails, that of Cadiz is defended by no less
than eight modern forts, and the smaller
one to the south by two.
Cartagena, SPANS finest port, is sit
uated on noble bay of the Mediter-
ranean. The town, with a population of
90, 900, occupies the dsolivity of hill and
small plain extending to the harbor.
which is protected from the winds by sur
rounding heights The harbor has been
much improved by the construction Of
moles Cartagsna is the headquarters Of
the Spanish navy; here is located the
naval school of artillery on board the
Gerone and the torpedo school on the
Tornado. The defenses of this arsenal are
as follows: A fortified eneieDte in the
center of the town; two detached forts
and two batteries, all on high ground, on
tie southeast side; five forts. one of CASE
mated batteries, on the northeast flank.
All of these works are very much SCAT
tered, and are said TO be in highly In
efficient condition, particularly the
Fashioned enoiente protecting the town
itself, which is also supposed to deliver
the frontal fire to sweep the an chorage.
| This fortress, in fact, is all sged to be al
most in ruins. Thanks to the natural
advantages it enjoys, however, Cartagena
would be an extremely easy place to de-
| fend by the aid Of torpedoes, backed up
| by mine field.
What CadiZ is on the Atlantic, BARGE.
Iona Humiliation 25O. O0Ol is on the Medi-