Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-26
STORY OF HELlGOLAND
AN ISLAND WHICH Is GRADUAL
LIZ DISAPPEARING.
Its Great Value for Strategic Pur
poses to the Government That
Owns It.

It is not probable that there is an area OF
land, considering size and location. in the
world that is as important to the welfare
of its mother country as is the Island OF
Heligoland to the German empire.
The relation of Heligoland to Germany is
III ioue Situated as it is in the North sea
just off the mainland, it virtually commands
the entrance to the Elbe, a river of Ger
many flowing in a rorthwesterly direction
and emptying into the NorthN eea, and its
acquisition from England was of such vital
i'm portance that thousands of miles of Ger
man territory in South Africa were not
considered too great sacrifice to effect its
xohange. The Kaiser Wilhelm channel be-
tween the North sea and the Baltic
was not constructed until after this trans
action had taken place.
The strategical advantages afforded by
the location of this small island had been
appreciated by England when it was under
her rule, and consequently it had been
strongly fortified and was intended to be
used as base of operations in case of
war After 1t became German soil the for
tifcations were increased until now it is a
fortress that is well nigh impregnable.
1t is not for this reason alone, however,
that HelgoIand is of interest at this time
but also from a geological standpoint.
Size Decreasing.
1t has been noted with alarm that the size
of Heligoland has materially decreased and
that if immediate steps are not taken to
prevent further destruction the time may
not be far distant when it will entirely dis
appear. A comparison of measurements
taken from time to time shows that more
than two-thirds of the total area has been
gradually washed into the sea since the
year 500. The cause of this rapid diminution
may be of interest.
Walking along the shore at the waters
edge. one see that the island is COM
posed of thick clay, and from this fact 1t
can be readily understood that the action of
the waves would tend to undermine the
shore to a great extent. The heat of sum-
mer causes cracks to form on the surface
into which water from rain and melted
snow collects and in winter the water
freezes. Freezing causes expansion, and
thus little by little the island is worn away
by an enemy that cannot be overcome by
force of arms nor yet by arbitration. In
fact, this insidious foe has already isolated
a large rock from the rest of the island
which, on account of it's solitary appear
ance has been called in the erman tongue
Monch, which means in our language
Monk.
But. the ravages of war have been
provided against by those skilled in the art,
the 'Fatherland" has found it necessary to
appeal to the ability of engineers who are
capable of preventing further destruction by
the elements. 1t has been decided to build
a wall which will in time entirely surround
the island upon which the waves may beat
with increased fury, but which will resist
their onslaught for at least hundred years.
1t is not considered necessary to provide
for a greater length of time for who can
tell what changes will have taken place be-
fore another century shall have become
history. If, however Heligoland is still a
German possession, there can be no doubt
that there will be other minds able to stay
the power of the enemy that never knows
defeat.