The Glenwood post., 1910-07-09
FORTRESS MARVEL
GIBRALTAR 10 RIGHTLY coNSIo
Erred iMPREoNABLE.
Hard to Imagine How Any Attacking
Fleet Could Live In the Avalanche
Of Shot That Could Dc
Poured on II.

An enemy's fleet could be sent to
the bottom in ten minutes before get
ting within five miles of Gibraltar;
not even torpedo-bo 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
sightseeing visitor. The rock. though
barren, is covered with luxuriant veg
citation: not fort prominent; not
gun to be seen even with the most
powerful glasses; no discernible am
munition 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 a sheet OF simmer
ing silver, upon which are seen ma
jestic British warships and elongated
flying shadows-the torpsdoes. Guns
answer guns out Of every conceivable
crevice and corner. blending in one
deafenng 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 the Maxim guns gives contrast to
the deep-toned baying of these mann
moth pieces of ordnance. the mere
report OF which cracks stone roofs
and bursts doors and whole windows.
Could any fleet live through the mur.
derous 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 a distance of nf-
teen miles on 4 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
prominent points. They are unreach-
able from the sea. even as they are
undiscernible. owing to the skill with
which they are painted and drapsd
to match the surrounding vegetation.
while huge screens drop automatically
before them as each shell 10 firsd.
They have a range of fifteen miles
and could drop shells on Ceuta. in
Africa. opposite. quite comfortably!
One gun weighs 40 tons and 10 capa-
BILE Of throwing = shell Weighing three
quarters of ton! In that marvel Of
engineering under great dimculties.
the galleries, are concealed guns for
every day In the year!
These galleries are divided into
three sections, entry to which 10
guarded, while one is closed even to
high Officers, containing preserved
stores, munitions of war, rain water
for Gibraltar has no springD and .
complete condensing plant-all calcu-
lated to outlast a siege of seven years.
The firing is the most mathemat-
ically perfect imaginable. The sur.
rounding waters are mapped out into
squares, upon which certain guns are
kept ready trained. so that 1t 10 al.
most impossible to miss. During prac-
tice targets are towed across the bay,
the object being to hit the water .
few yards in advance Of them.