New-York tribune., 1901-11-24
A NAVAL STRONGHOLD.
PORTSMOUTH WITH ITS OUTER AND
INNER LINES OF DEFENCE-POTEN-
TIAI. ENGINES OF WARFARE
MAKING FOR PEACE.
Portsmouth, November l.

Portsmouth, November l.
The adamantine strength OF Englands I'M
pregnable naval arsenal is inadequateiy ols-
closed even in great function. such as the
reception of the Duke Of Cornwall has been To-
day The scheme of defence for the protection
of the Portsmouth dockyards and the adjacent
port OF Southampton is a comprehensive one
and cannot be revealed in detail in the course OF
holiday cruise of few hours. The mlshty
floating rampant the Channel Squadron. can be
seen it lies at anchor in double lines OIL
battleshiI,s and cruisers; and few of the outer
batteries and forts can be deserted as the pulLs
of smoke circle about the saluting guns The
lines Of defence run far seaward to the entrances
of the Solent and Spithead, and are carried in
land to ancient Porchester and Fareham the
inner harbor with its dockyards and naval base
being completely encircled with forIihcations
All these cita dels and batteries are fully manned
in time of peace. and the garrisons are not re-
inforced for a public function even Of an i'm
periai nature The shore defences. like the
Channel feet. always in readiness either
for the byplay Of dress parade or for the bust
ness of war. Not a single ship recalled
from the Mediterranean for to-day's pageant
nor was there any draft upon adjacent military
stations for manning the land defences.
The Spithead forts either land fortifca-
tons of considerable magnitude. scientifically
constructed, citades built upon the shoals
masonry and armed with powerful guns
series Of Notifications, Monckton. Gillkicker and
tie Blocknouse Fort, lead eastward to the en-
trance Of the harbor and further along, facing
eastward, Point Battery, Southsea Castle,
Eastney, Lumps and Cumberland. with Spit
Bank, Ryde Sand, Horse Sand and No Mans
Land in the shoals. This chain CT Notifications
defends Portsmouth not only from frontal at
tack by hostile feet entering Spithead. but
<1cr- L from,
Etone Harbor. bay fully as long Portsmouth
Harbor, and separated from it by Portsea ISL |
and, with its four naval towns. Westward, be- |
yond Southampton Water. the forts on the |
Isle OF Wight and at Hurst Castle. on the op |
posite shore. which command the entrance to |
the Solent from the Needles and included |
In the general scheme Of defence When the |
Ophir anchored overnight in Yarmouth Roads. |
the Duke Of Cornwall received salutes from the |
outernost citadels of the long line of defences |
OF a naval stronghold. 1t was not an auspicious |
halting place for royalty. for the shore not |
far from quaint Yarmouth Charles passed a |
dreary vigil while waiting for fishing smack |
to convey him the Solent; and Hurst |
Castle the temporary prison Of the un-
fortunate monarch.
While the Ophir started this morning from the |
outermost rim Of the scheme Of defences at Var
mouth and passed two Of the shoal fortresses
and four five batteries Of the Spithead series,
1t berthed in the narrow entrance Of Ports
mouth Harbor without a glimpse Of the internal /
Notifications. The harbor itself is surrounded ;
with a chain Of fortresses and batteries designed
TO prevent the bombardment of the dockyards
and the naval works by hostile force in pos
session Of the ridges behind the shores. There
are five forts the Gosport side, by which the
peninsula to the west Of the dockyards Is COM |
manded. AT Fareham the chain is continued by |
another series of six fortresses along the Ports
down ridge the northern and eastern sides |
Of the harbor. By these inner defences the |
dockyards. the gun wharves. the shotyards and |
the complete naval plant of the Admiralty are
protected from land attack by enemy ap-
preaching Portsmouth from the north. Ports
mouth, with the Channel feet in the offng, and |
with the batteries and citadels Of the Soent and |
Spithead fully manned, represents the maxi |
mum OF defensive ornaments for a maritime |
nation It is the stronghold Of the naval indus |
tries. by which England has been rendered in |
vulnerable against attack from the Continent |
The gunnery school for the feet is island |
IN the harbor: the practice ground Of torpedo
fotia off Fort Monckton; the Channel fleet |
often rides at anchor IL Spithead, and the five |
towns are mainly occupied with the scientific |
industries of naval warfare
Portsmouth is modern in comparison with
Southampton the Cinque Ports and two an
cient towns. The Roman stronghold Por-
chester. the northern reach Of the harbor.
and from this Portus Magnus Roman roads
were constructed to Winchester, Chichester and
Southampton. The receding left 1t inland.
like all the Cinque Ports except Dover. 1t
shrank into insignifcance when there was a
great shipping port at the entrance Of the har-
Dor during the reign of King John, and it is
now an obscure hamlet with a ruined castle be-
gun by the Romans. rebuilt by the Saxons. and
enlarged by the Normans. The Importance Of
Portsmouth dates from the beginning OF the six
teenth century, when dockyards for the Kings
navy were constructed there. The traditions OF
four centuries of naval history cluster about the
town. Lisle defended it with an inferior fleet
against a powerful French squadron; one Of
Bake's great fights with the Dutch was fought
near by; the Royal George. with Kempenfeldt
writing in his cabin. went down in the Spltheao-
Nelson left Portsmouth on his last cruise in the
Victory and his body was carried back into
port after Trafalgar; and all the great naval
reviews OF the Victorian reign were in these
waters and the solemn pageant Of the Queens
last passage between the iron walls OF the
mourning feet was witnessed there. Fortified
as early as the fifteenth century, and converted
Into a naval stronghold by Henry VIII and Eliz-
abeth, Portsmouth has been successfully be-
siesed only once and then it taken by
Cromwelrs followers. For q generation engi-
neers have been strengthening its Notifications.
until even without the Channel Squadron. now at
anchor in Spithead it is the least vulnerable
port on the British coast complete is the sys-
TEN of land defences for its dockyards and
ersenas.
ror+s-,outh with its preten,ious Town Hall |