Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-05-05

The Piace Stored With Food and Mu-
nitions of War to Stand a Siege Of
Seven Years-An English View OF the
Cannon Studded Stronghold.
An enemy's feet could be sent to
the bottom in ten minutes before get
ting within FIVE mneOof Gibraltar.
Not even 4 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 10 the impregnabflity Of the
worlds greatest fortress.
But disappointment awaits the sight
seeing visitor. The rock, though bar
rem. is covered with luxuriant vegeta-
tion-not fort prominent, not 4 gun
20 be seen even with the most DOW
erful glasses. no discernible ammuni-
ton magazines. no strongholds, only
peaceful. prosperous harbor and
sleepy. stra ggling town.
II Is night. and the maneuvers are
on. Swift playing searchlights trans
form the bay into 4 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
/ dreds 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 mammoth
/ pieces OF ordnance, the mere report OF
which cracks stone roofs and bursts
doors and whole windows. Could any
fleet live througA 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
T the seas around 70 4 distance OF If
/ teen miles on I clear day. instantly
reporting the coming and going OF
I 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 70 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 Il range OF fifteen miles
and could drop shells on Ceuta. in Al
rica, 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 10 which is guarded
while one IS closed even TO high Off
GERS. containing preserved stores. mu-
nittons OF war. rainwater (for Gibral-
tar has no springs and 4 complete
condensing plant-all calculated 10 out.
last a siege OF seven years.
The firing is the most mathematician
ly perfect ina ginable. The surround.
Ing waters are mapped cut into
squares, upon which certain guns are
kept ready trained. so that it Is almost
impossible 10 miss. During practice
targets are towed across the bay. the
object being TO hit the water Il few
yards in advance OF them.
Although the sentrieS have now been
reduced, few years ago 15S Were
needed daily, the most important point
being the Forth front, where Englisl
sentries face Spanish sentrieS. Blu
the mere pressure OF an electric bur
ton by the officer OF the guard would
cause n miniature earthquake on tn,
neutral ground. - CasSelrS Saturday
| Journal