The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-08-18
THE SIEGE or GIBRALTAR.
The Unsuccessful Attempt of spain to Re-
gain the Eortress

The Unsncoessful Attempt of spain to Re-
gain the Fortress.
The most memorable siege in history
was the unsuccessful attempt Of Spain
to regain In 1873 the fortress of Glib
raltar. which England had taken by
storm few years before For three
years and seven months the strong
mold was invested by large force OF
all arms. and a practically uninter-
rupted fire from 135 guns. including
some fifty mortars of thirteen-inch cal
lbre. was maintained from January IL,
1TSO, till February Q. 1888. Meanwhile
the gallant little garrison was only
once relieved. and suffered all the
pangs' OF starvation. not unmingled
with feeling of despair: still they
clung to the gigantic rock. repellfng
attack after attack with indomitable
courage and endurance. and infllcting
enormous losses on their opponents.
The most interesting and exciting
episode during this long siege was the
1eroclous attempt made by the Span
iards toward the close. when they
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overcome the already exhausted but
still untiinching garrison. More than
$4,000 troops and ITO pieces Of ord
nance of large calibre were at the dis
posal of the Spanish general. and an
Ingenious type Of floating batteries,
strongly resembling the famous
cheese boxes on RATS" of the late
war. had been devised by the Dons,
who expected great things Of them In
the meditated assault.
The numbers of the opposing forces
were ludicrously disproportionate. Be
sides the above mentioned troops and
guns the Spanish possessed nine. line
of-battleships, fifteen gun or mortar
boats, covered boats sufficient to land
nearly 10000 men, and in addition the
ten floating batteries, which consisted
of large vessels, their sides protected
by banking of timber seven feet
thick, and the decks and guns screened
with a slanting roof Of shot-proof ma
terial.
To this gigantic armament the de-
Tense could only oppose some 1000
men, many Of them sick or wounded.
and all reduced to scanty rations for
many months past; ammunition was
limited. and the cannon even then were
antiquated.
On September s, 1882, fire was opened
on the fortress at preconcerted Sig
nal by the entire strength of the Span
fGH npffllaru hot Ian ofinaf
The floating batteries were moored
within half-range and proved indeed
inyulnerable to shot and shell, which
lasted all night and day until late on
the 18th On that day the garrison,
unable to make any impression on the
feet, whose efforts were beginning to
give the small force of defenders con-
siderable trouble and inconvenience,
conceived the brilliant idea of loading
their guns with red-hot shot and burn
Ing shells, which, though of little or no
penetrating power, turned out to be
very effective against the wooden sides
of the battleships and gunboats; in
fact, within very few hours every
one of the floating batteries lay per-
Sectly quiescent on the water. useless
mass of burning hulks.
The endeavors and energy Of the de-
tenders finally prevailed over the vast
numerical superiority of their oppon-
ents, and on the 14th of the month the
desperately conducted attack was given
up and the Spanish troops retired to
their lines, severely crippled by the
enormous losses they had suffered,
winter quarters were taken up, the
bombardment practically abandoned,
and peace was declared on the I'd of
February following.
Thus ended the most memorable
siege that can be found in the pages of
history; remarkable for many reasons,
but most Of all for the small loss of
life among the defenders, who, during
The three years and half that the
Investment lasted. lost in all but 500
men, while they inflicted on the enemy
4 total loss of several thousand lives.