Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1909-05-14
4 MIGHTY FORTRESS,
The Famous Rock Of Gibraltar
:. . and Its Armament.
A GUN IN EVERY cREvlcE.
The Place Stored with Food and Mu-
nitions Of War to Stand Siege Of
Seven Years An English View Of the
= Cannon Studded Stronghold. 4.

; a
SS "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 nigh 8 That sums up the
opinions of the most eminent naval
experts as to the impregnability Of the
worlds greatest fortress. ss$5s.z
But disap pointment awaits the sight.
seeing visitor. d The rock, though bar.
rem, Il covered with luxuriant vegeta-
ton-not q fort prominent. not a gun
! to be seen even with the most pow.
serful glasses, no ,discernible ammunt-
ton magazines, no strongholds, only a
peaceful, prosperous harbor and a
sleepy, struggling town. .* i !; !;
sI It Is night and the maneuvers: are
on. Swift playing searchlights trans
form the bay into q sheet Of simmer
ing silver upon which are seen ma.
Jjestie British warships and elongated
flying shadows, the torpedoes. GUNS
answer fs guns ont q egsrE CONC sysRle
creyice and corner, blending Ia one
deafening uproar, while scores Of shells
plow the water for miles around. 81
Sentries are everywhere; infantry
parties crouch in the shadows; hum
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 81
which cracks stone roofs and bursts
doors and whole windows. Could any
! fleet live through the murderous hail
of gigantic shells? II WI: ;.53s.SS:5
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 a distance Of If
teen miles on IA clear day, instantly
reporting the coming and going OF
each vessel Sentrfes guard / all the
prominent forts, maj gaines and gate
ways; gnnners sleep beside their guns;
engineers are ever ready beside the
powerful searchlights.
Modern dle'' guns, the finest la
Europe: are installed on all the most
prominent points. They are unreacha-
able from the sea, even as they are
ndiscernible, owing to the skin 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 range of fifteen miles
and could drop shells on Ceuta, In AT.
RIGA, opposite, quite comfortably One
gun weighs ITO tons and Is capable of
throwing shell weighing three-qnar-
tiers Of ton. In that marvel Of engi-
! neering under great difficulties, the
] galleries are concealed guns for every
day In the year. 81
These galleries are divided into three
sections, entry to which Is guarded,
while one Is closed even to high on
Gers, containing preserved stores, mu.
/ nftions OF war, rainwater {for Gibral-
tar has no springs and a. complete
eondensing plant--all calculated to out
4 last q siege OF seven years,
The firing is the most mathematical
N perfect imaginable The surround
ing waters are mapped ont into
squares upon which certain guns are
kept ready trained. so that ii Is almost
impossible TO miss. During practice
! targets are towed across the bay, the
object being to hit the water d few
yards IN advance Of them.
0 Although the sentries have now been
reduced few years ago 1853 were
needed daily, the most imp rtant point
being the north front, where English
\ ssntrfes lace Spanish sentries hut
{ the mere pressure Of an electric buts
ton BIZ the officer Of the guard would
cause 81 miniature cart quake On tie
! neutral ground Cassells Saturday
Journal. ss