Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-05-23
#iseellaneuus 8saaing.
FoRTIFYINe THE WEST INDIES.
European Powers Spending Millions
There.

FORTIFYING THE WEST INDIES.
European Powers Spending Millions
There.
AS the cutting Of the Isthmian canal
by the United States became more
and more probable in the last few
years, the European nations holding
territory in the Caribbean sea began
strengthening the Notifications Of their
chief strongholds there at the cost Of
millions Of dollars. Now that the
United States have decided to complete
the Panama ditch they are straining
every nerve to complete their schemes
Of fortiflcation and to improve their
strategic positions on what will be the
second trade route Of the world, II not
the first.
England has led the way in this
matter, France has followed suit at
Martinique and Gaudeloupe, and even
little Holland has been spending a
good deal Of money on the defences Of
Curacao and Surinam.
A glance at the map Of the West
Indies will show the position Of Eng
land in relation to the Panama canal.
Jamaica has always been her centre
of offence and defence in the West
Indies. From Jamaica she sent her
fleets to fight the French and the
Spaniards in the days of Rodney and
Nelson. Jamaica must necessarily be
the central point of any West Indian
naval manoeuvres in which England
Is concerned.
| It happens by stroke Of luck for
England that Jamaica is the strategic
key Of the Panama canal. All ships
going or coming through that water
way must pass within short distance
of Port Royal.
The tourist who enters the smiling
harbor of Port Royal is impressed by
the perfect peacefulness Of the scene.
His ship glides swiftly through water
as smooth as glass toward ranges OF
verdant mountains sloping down to
the waters edge.
Nowhere Is there the slightest sign
of war or warfare preparations, yet
few places are 80 strongly defended.
The tourist does not know that the
pressure Of q button ashore would
blow up his ship, for the entrance to
the harbor is a network Of submarine
mines. Nor does he know that those
smiling, green-clad hills contain a
dozen masked forts, armed with guns,
some of which are capable Of throwing
a shell ten miles or more.
| Port Royal has been regarded for
many years as practically impregnable
by British naval and military author
tiles, who call it the Gibraltar of the
tGaribbean. Many mimic attacks have
been made upon it by land and sea,
tbut it has always repelled the invaders.
Once the entire British North Amer.
lean squadron, including a score OF
battleships, cruisers and destroyers,
made a sudden night attack. The
ships were detected before they could
get near the harbors mouth. Twenty
searchlights from the forts were con-
centrated on them, and the hills
belched a hurricane Of fire. In ten
minutes, according to the umpires,
every ship was sunk or crippled.
Yet the British war Office and ad-
miralty are not satisfied with Port
Royal. Every month they are sending
out fresh men and fresh guns to
strengthen the Notifications.
Two new forts are now being con-
structed at fresh points, four others
are planned, and all are to be armed
with the latest type Of 12-inch disap-
pearing gun.
These new forts are costing millions
of dollars, and millions more will have
to be spent before the present scheme
of fortifcation Is completed. Like all
other Port Royal forts they are be-
| ing constructed so that they Will be
invisible from the sea, and offer abb
solutely no mark to an attacking fleet.
They are built right down in the earth
and the enemy will have to batter
down the hillside before he destroys
the forts and dismounts the batteries.
The military authorities Of Jamaica
guard these forts rigidly and nobody
is allowed to inspect them. Tourists
who have tried to photograph them, or
to bribe the sentries to let them inside,
have often got into serious trouble,
and only escaped going to jail by the
Intervention Of their consul.
1t Is commonly believed In the Brit
ish army that valuable ordnance Sc
crets are guarded in these forts, as all
officers assigned to duty in them have
to undertake to reveal nothing they
see, even to their brother officers out
side.
The West Indies are of enormous
extent. A man who only knows them
on the map can hardly appreciate the
vast area of sea they cover.
The long chain Of Windward and
Leeward islands, nearly all OF which
belong to England, are a full thou
sand miles from Jamaica. In time OF
war they would be in perilous posi-
tion, If they relied on Port Royal as
the only fortified coaling station for
the fleet defending them.
Ships coaling at Port Royal would
have to work their way $50 miles to
windward before they could get to a
point near these islands at which
naval battle would be likely to take
place, or before they could reach Mar
tinique or Guadeloupe, supposing they
had to blockade those places In the
event of a war with France. BY the
time they got there large portion OF
their coal would be expended and their
efficiency consequently impaired.
For this reason. II was deemed ne