Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-07-27
BIGGEsT FORTRESS
IN The new WORLD
Great Granite Fertilization That Is
Building at Halifax, Nova
Scotia.
HEWN OUT OF The SOLID ROCK
VIII BE Armed with sixteen of the
Heaviest Modern Guns-Gunners to
lie Perfectly Protectsd-Direc-
lions From Coming Tower.

Halifax special: Work was begun
here this week on what is intended to
be the most formidable fertilization in
the western hemisphere. For a num-
Der of years the British government
has been strengthening the defences at
Halifax, land and sea. The armament
or the garrison, which had become an
tiquated, was renewed with modern
guns OF high power, and the British
North American squadron, whose sum
mer rendezvous is at Halifax, has been
increased from year to year until now
1t includes some of the finest warships
In King Edwards navy.
Within a few years after the COM
pletion OF the Canadian Pacific railway,
often spoken Of as Britain's military
highway from ocean to ocean,, ESqui-
mault on the Pacific coast was forti-
fled, too, and a garrison established
there. This awakening TO the tactical
value OF these W widely distant
points in the Canadian Dominion has
much interest on both sides OF
the border, but no explanation OF It
has been vouchsafed other than the
general one of the increasing import
ance Of Canada as al internal part Of
the British empire.
Plans Kept secret.
The active beginning Of construction
work has renewed public curiosity as
to the details Of the plan for the new
Fertilization, but as usual the authori-
ties are reticent and only a general out
line Of what is TO be done has been
made public 80 far. But now some ad-
ditional particulars have been ascer-
tanned in an unofficial way and these
| serve In haiQhtnn the infaraSf In tho
great project. The site selected is
three miles west Of Herring Cove on
the neck Of land that u n out On the
west side Of the harbor into the Allan
tic ocean and terminates in Cape Sam
bro.
1t was at first proposed to build the
fort on the shore n have II rise sheer
above the sea after the fashion former
ly adopted by most European coun-
tries, but this suggestion has been put
aside and the fort will be located a.
short distance inland and will be hewn'
out of solid rock. The imperial au-,
thorities selected a large granite cliff
which has a hollow In the center. The
main part of the fort will be located I'M
this hollow with works TO be constructs
ed OF cement, giving the appearance of
q solid cliff.
Like II warship's Turret.
1t Is said that in it's general form the
fort Will ollow the design Of the arm
ored turret Of a modern battleship, and
there Will be other features Of the work
that will follow out this analogy with
a warship.
The main will consist of
sixteen guns, the authorities say, but
their exact calibre they decline to tell.
These guns will be fired by i~nstruc-,
lions from a coming tower, and the
men handling them will not be exposed.
They will work the guns from below,
getting the sight and other directions
from the coming tower, much as the
mortar batteries at Sandy Hook, N. j.,
are worked. The guns will Of course be
Of the disappearing type.
Speaking OF the guns for the new
fort recently a military official said
that they would be OF the most power
tul Kind In adoption. He was remind
ed that the United States already had
a 16-inCh gun mounted for the defense
Of New York harbor, and was asked If
he wished to be understood as saying
that the Halifax guns would be larger
han this.
There will be no 16-inch guns in the
armament of the new fort" was the
reply. But I meant what / said when
[ stated that they were to be the most
powerful in adoption in good military
practice
BY this 1t would seem hat the mill
tary man is OF the impression that the
great piece Of ordnance at New York
Is an experiment that has not yet DEM
onstrated it's merit, also that he wished
1t to be inferred that the new pieces
here would not be Of such large calibre.
The existing Notifications In and
about Halifax are, on no small scale
and their armament is of recent design.
Such extensive improvements have been
made Of late years that the port had
come to be considered as very strongly
defended, but the new works will be on
a scale that will entirely o~vershadow
the old ones.