The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-15
Great Britain Building q New
Gibraltar in the Pacific.
TO MAKE 1T IMPROBABLE
stronghold Il 70 Be on h Site OF the
Town OF Esquimait. B. C.-City Is
Being Effaced to Make Room
for Arsenals and Gum

ed. Unlike Siboney, Cuba, though
when General Miles ordered II destroy
ed. Esquimalt will not go up in smoke
and. unlike Siboney. upon Its site VIII
rise one of the greatest fortresses In
the world. This point is of particular
Importance to Ca%lifornians. because
this magnifcently designed stronghold
VIII be next door to US in British Col
umbia. right above the Washington
state line. Some idea Of it's proposed
strength may be gained when 1t Is
known that the British engineers have
already dubbed II the New Gibral-
tar"
The jutting peninsula on hich the
town of Esquimalt Is situated mas
been selected as the exact spot In all
the Pacific coast possessions OF Brit
ain where this impregnable fortress
| shall be built: hence the notice now be-
ing served on all Esquimalt landhold-
ers. ~lessees. etc. to pack their posses
sions and move. OF course the gov
| rnmen will pay them fairly for the
land, houses and improvements they
are obliged to give up. Some OF the in
habitants have already moved out ana
their houses are being demolished to
make room for the great arsenals,
uOfkS III IOIlllICdtioIS Nv
ment proposes to erect In their stead.
For some time past, in a quiet way,
the government has steadily been max
ing improvements I'm Esquimalt, but
not one of the residents suspected that
the town was to be RACED.
Two or three weeks q a couple OF
the engineers walked through the
town, and wherever directed py an Of
icer accompanying them drove deep
into the ground a little iron post. Their
stroll took the trio along the Victoria
Esauimalt road from the Canteen field
past the picturesque parish church OF
st. Paul's and down the one street
of the little town" to its termination
at Esquimalt wharf.
The posts are still I'm position. with
the letters wv. D." Uhe sign of the
war Department.. and the significant
broad arrow beneath. to tell the resi-
dents of the place that the time Is
approaching when the town is to ne
officially effaced and Queen Nictoria's
army and navy secure und1sputed
possession of the entire peninsula, OF
which during the past half century
the naval hamlet has been the center.
In a word. the department is pre-
pairing to take possession of all pri-
yate property contained within the
town of Esquimalt. in order to COM
plete the equipment of the naval sta
ton n make here at the southern
| corner Of Vancouver island a supply
depot of the British empire as impreg-
nable as was Gibraltar SO years ago.
The people are taken by surprise.
They cannot but admit the wisdom
and necessity of Esquimslt town oc-
ing passed out of existence. Their
present business is simply to press
upon the representatives of the impe-
rial government the full extent of The
actual. sentimental and prospective
value of the several holdings. In the
meantime the relentless war depart
ment Is showing no un-Br.tish haste.
but the private property upon
which the government has set its eye
is being quietly acquired. so that even
now the purpose and result are appre-
hendable.
The plan contemplates the equip
ment OF a store, repair and supply sta
ton second to none In the empire; the
building and manning of forts capa-
BILE of defending this depot against
any force tina could be brought
against II by sea or land; the provid-
ing Of docks large enough to receive
the best and biggest examples of mar
inc architecture skill and the estab-
lishment of barracks, a service prison
and other necessary buildings for the
use and benefit of the numerous sol
diers and sailors who will be required
to hold the forts and man ships
of the station.
The naval history of Esquimalt has
been from first to last one OF steady
expansion and development. The sta
tion owes its existence to-day CHIEFLY
to geographical conditions. making II
naturally a place of strategic value.
yet. surprising as 1t may be to many,
IL was not a naval or a military officer
who mounted the first gun in Nicto-
ria's service suburb. Here. as I'm not
a few other places. the colors OF the
nation followed the house flag of the
Hudson Bay company, n IL was one
OF the outposts of this s~emi-naticnaI
colonization corporation who first rec
ognized the advantages of the magnih
cent harbor and commanding eminenc-
es overlooking. that are natures con-
tribution to the value of the new
stronghold.
The present dry dock at Esquimali
was commenced i'm 1850. and completed
some few years later under the joint
control of the imperial and dominion
governments, both of which contrib
uted "a its cost about $I55. 900. Ii IL
"A massive stone work of great solidi'
~. 450 feet I'm length and IS feet wide
Practically all the British warship:
that during the last Is years have seer
Pacific service have at some time ol
other during their commission occu
pied for cleaning or repair.
or these the largest have been tn,
fiagships warsprite and Royal Ar
thur. both of which tested It's capacit,
for breadth and forced upon the Brit
ish admiralty for consideration a fac
that has an important bearing upoi
the present operations.
Up to the building of the existing
dock and for some little time thereaft
err II was not anticipated that an!
larger craft than the then best q
England's navy would ever require &
be cared for on the E.squimalt blocks
Never vet has a ship been detaile'
for service on the North Pacific tina
Is too large for docking here. The da,
has gone by. however. when such
restriction can be allowed to stand
and the question now is wheteher tn
existing dock shall be enlarged on
new and much larger one be construct