Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-05-28
WONDERFUL FORT
AT OLD GIBRALTHR.
COULD BE CRUSHED IN TEN
MINUTES,

| d IL DlSAEfOlNlS N1SlIOhS-tLEEl
COULD BE CRUSHED IN TEN
MINUTES.
Disappointment awaits the sightsee-
| ing visitor to the worlds greatest for
tress. The great towering rock is COW
cred with luxuriant vegetation; not a
fort prominent; not gun to be seen
even with the most powerful glasses:
no discernible ammunition magazines,
no strongholds; only a peaceful, pros
porous harbor, and a sleepy, struggling
town. Yet the opinions of the most
eminent naval experts as to the impre-
gnability of Gibraltar is summed up as
follows:
"An enemy's fleet could be sent to
the bottom in ten minutes before get
ting within five miles of Gibraltar; not
even torpedobOat could succeed in en-
tenng the bay unobserved on the black
est night"
An English paper gives most inter-
esting description of the big forts WON
derful defense in time of war. 1t is
night; and the maneuvers are on.
SIMPLIFYING searchlights transform
the bay into a sheet of shimmering sill
yer upon which are seen majestic Brit
ish warships, and elongated flying
shadows-the torpedoes. Guns answer
guns out of every conceivable crevice
and corner, blending in one deafening
uproar, while scores of shells plow the
water for miles around. Sentries are
everywhere; infantry parties crouch in
the shadows; hundreds of gunners stand
ready behind hundreds of guns in these
mysterious labyrinths hewn out Of the
solid rock-''the galleries." the vicious
barking of Maxim guns gives contrast
to the deep-toned baying of these mam-
moth pieces of ordnance, the mere re-
port of which cracks stone roofs and
bursts doors and window in. Could
any fleet live through the murderous
hail of gignatic shells?
Gibraltar never sleeps By day and
night two perfectly-equipped signal sta
tions, proudly Haunting Britain's flag
of ownership, increasingly sweep the
seas around to a distance of miles on a
clear day, instantly reporting the COM
ing and going of each vessel. Sentries
guard all the prominent forts, maya
zines and gateways; gunners sleep be-
sides their guns; engineers are ever
ready beside the powerful searchlights.
Modern "needle" guns, the finest in
Europe, are installed on all the most
prominent points. They are unreach-
able from the sea, even as they are un-
owing to the skill with
which they are pointed and draped to
match the surrounding vegetation,
while huge screens drops automatical-
ly before them as each shell is fired.
They have a range of fifteen miles, and
could drop shells in Ceuta, in Africa,
quite comfortably. One gun
weighs ITO tons, and is capable of
throwing shell weighing three-quar-
ters of a ton. In that marvel of en-
gineering under great difficulties, the
galleries, are concealed guns every day
in the years.
These galleries are divided into three
sections, entry to which is guarded,
while one is closed even to high officers,
containing preserved stores, munitions
of war, rainwater fer Gibraltar has NO
springs,) and complete condensing
plant-all calculated to outlast siege
of seven years. The firing is the most
mathematically perfect imaginable
The surrounding waters are mapped
out into squares, upon, which certain
guns are keptiready trained, so that it
is almost impossible to miss. During
practice targets are towed across the
bay, the object being to hit the water
yards in advance of them. Although
the sentries have now been reduced, a
few years ago 15S were needed daily.
But the mere pressure of an electric
button by the officer OF the guard would
cause miniature earthquake on the
neutral ground.