Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1909-07-22
A 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 a Siege of
Seven Yezrs-An English View of the
Cannon Studded Stronghold.

ritions of War to Stand Siege of
Seven Yezrs-An English View of the
Cannon Studded Stronghold.
AN eneny's feet 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
blackest night" That sums up the
oninions of the most eminent naval
experts as to the impregnability of the
worlds greatest fortress.
But disappointment awaits the sight
SO, ing visitor The rock. though bar
rem. is covered with luXuriant vegeta-
tion-not fort prominent not gun
TO he seen even with the most pow
erful glasses no discernible ammuni-
ton magazines. no strongholds. only
pencefuI prosperous harbor and n
sleepy. struggling town.
II 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
iestic British warships and elongated
fyinC shadows the torpedOes. Guns
answer gums out Of every conceivable
crevice and corner, blending in one
deafening uproar, while scores of shells
plow the water for miles around.
SeutrieS are everywhere; infantry
parties crouch in the shadows; hun
drcds of gunncrs stand ready behind
hundreds OF guns in these mysterious
IabyrinthS hcwn 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
feet 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 ecas around to distance of ff-
teen miles on n clear day, instantly
reporting he coming and going of
each vessel Sentries guard all the
prominent forts magazines and gate
ways; gUnncrs sleep beside their guns;
cn~incc"s &go ever ready beside the
powerful ,rlrchlights,
Modern needle" guns the finest in
Euroud. #rc installed ON all the most
prominent points. They are unreacha-
able from the sea. even as they are
undisccMible. owing to the skill with
,-hich 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 AZ
| RIGA. opposite. quite comfortably One
| gun weighs 40 tons and is capable Of
! throwing a shell weighing three-quar-
| terS Of 4 ton. In that marvel OF engi-
neering under great difficulties, the
galleries are concealed guns for every
day I'm 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 a complete
cond2nsing plant-all calculated to out
| last Il siege of seven years
The firing is the most mathematical
| ~ 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 tuwed across the bay. the
! object being TO hit the water a few
yards In advance of them.
Although the sentries have now been
reduced, few years ago 1Js were
needed daily, the most important point
being the north front, where English
sentrles 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 - CaSselrs Saturday
Journal