The St. Johns herald., 1898-10-29
ANOTHER GIBRALTAR
Gngisnd's New Stronghold on Chs
 Straits of Fuca-
Great Secrecy NaiD Dtained During the Construction Of the Fortress - Ds~ sSJiption Of ths Works
 and ArEna zSeEt,

Within year it is confidently ex- pected the Straits of Fuca will echo the music Of the shore guns at Esquinalt. Great Britain's new and most modern line ot defenseS at the southern ex- tremity Of Vancouver island Never has military undertaking in tins of profoun6est peace been prosecuted with strictsr secrecy than the construction of these fortifcations, and all that the Victorians know all about the marvel GUS system of protection at their doors might be told in 9 few brief ragraphs that the new forts are designed for stern work, not for display; tiiaC their armament will be the most modern and best in the world; that submarine mines and torpedoes gre prominent feature; that the forts" are located somewhere in the bowels of the earth between Point Macauley and Esqui- malt naval yard; that the magazines are stocked for siege If necessary, and that the work of construction ia now nearly accomplished, that of sqa; ;pnent has begun.
 At present taa albaque1v pirca ase being piac 3a ac -aEas 1 ts5Ga sa ,as. -.ad
 roa1s. 1ad -.,s a-,il- Is aBz lc again assume more of the appearance of ve3l-CT5erGI nlltary barracks and less that -t a great inning camp.
 Readers of the Seattle Post-Iutelli- gencer were, when the work com. menced, given sn idea of the plan of r,Fr ,Dlz and ordnance rising tAcrefrona CD giant elevators hyIrauIicaiiy oPerG5ed; the guns visible and exposed only in the brief moment -eo:ircd to sight and fire theri. This general plan has been faithfully carried ouc, and the topography Of the point, es viewed from tac water, has il con2ocE9lcG changed considerably IA5 aili mas disappeared, and L.11drc~s Cf tccS cf have filed il the nliria.Ul5 valley. How the forts look r --1 the sho~e none can say save lllc uc 1oz1-nIL -, -y3 C-i- cers IF charge, for ia tllc lI25o Jy7 D years the scene of operations has night and day been surrounded v a line Of seuti. pels, tJ pass whom nothing less yhCo aD order from the iIapori1l war oi-e was required. The worA13en. tee, have been changed about, So that | would be impossible for any Of tho-3, even should he feel so inclined, to disclose the secrets of the strol Shold. And not even the highest officers of the resident militia have as yet been admitted with in the sacred precincts bounded by that faithful sentry line.
 Now that the greater part of the work of construction is over 1t is prob able that less secrecy will be exercised, but at no time can the general public hope to gain adQittance to the forts as they do to the warships. They are not established fer the qualification of sightseers.
 1t is not thought likely that any large additions will be made to the perlns- nent forces of Royal Marine artillery and Royal engineers under Col. Raw storne and Maj. Muirhead respectively. The force Of two or three hundred ct present in possession of the barracks will be quite sufficient to keep the place iD order in peaceful days and should war 2t any t..ra cosc its shadow oyer the land the British CoIumbia Bat talon or Garrison artillery EiE 5s 'oaoo quite cou upe5ent to defend thefs