Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-05-05
A MIGHTY FORTRESS.
The Famous Rock of Gibraltar
and Its Armament.
A GUN IN EVERY cREvICE.

The Place stored with Fo0o ana Mu-
nitions of War to Stand a Siege of
Seven Years-An English View of the
Cannon Studded Stronghold.
"An enemy's fleet could be sent to
the bottom in ten minutes before get
ting within five miles of Gibraltar.
Not even a torpedo boat could succeed
in entering the bay unobserved on the
blacklist night" That sums up the
opinions of the most eminent naval
experts as to the impregnability of the
worlds greatest fortress.
But disappointment awaits the sight
seeing visitor. The rock, though bar
rem, is covered with luXuriant vegeta-
tion-not a fort prominent, not a gun
to be seen even with the most pow
erful glasses, no diScernible ammuni-
ton magazines, no strongholds, only
peaceful, prosperous harbor and
sleepy, struggling town.
1t is night, and the maneuverS are
on. Swift playing searchlights trans
form the bay into sheet of simmer
ing silver upon which are seen ma
jestic British 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; hun
c,fo nd
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 mammoth
pieces Of ordnance, the mere report Of
which cracks stone roofs and bursts
doors and whole windows. Could any
fleet live through the murderous hail
Of gigantic shells?
Gibraltar never sleeps. By day and
night two perfectly equipped signal
stations, proudly Haunting Britain's
flag Of ownership, increasingly sweep
the seas around to distance Of f1f-
teen miles on a clear day, instantly
reporting the coming and going of
each vessel Sentries guard all the
prominent forts, magazines and gate
ways; gunners sleep beside 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 unreacha
able from the sea, even as they are
undiscernible. owing to the skill with
which they are painted and draped to
match the surrounding vegetation.
while huge screens drop automatic
ally before them as each shell is fired.
They have a range Of fifteen miles
and could drop shells on Ceuta. in At
RIGA, opposite, quite comfortably. One
gun weighs 10 tons and is capable Of
throwing a shell weighing three-quar-
tiers of a ton. In that marvel Of engi-
neering under great difficulties, the
galleries, are concealed guns for every
day in the year.
These galleries are divided into three
sections, entry to which is guarded,
while one is closed even to high Off
GERS, containing preserved stores, mu-
nitionS Of war, rainWater (fOr Gibral-
tar has no springs) and complete
condensing plant-aH calculated to out
last a siege of seven years.
The firing is the most mathematician
ly perfect imaginable. The surround
ing waters are mapped out into
squares, upon which certain guns are
kept ready trained, so that it is almost
impossible to MISS During practice
targets are towed across the bay, the
object being to hit the water a few
yards in advance Of them.
Although the sentries have now been
reduced, a few years ago 158 were
needed daily, the most important point
being the north front, where English
sentries face Spanish sentries. But
the mere pressure of an electric but
ton by the officer Of the guard would
cause a miniature earthquake on the
neutral ground. - Cassell's Saturday