The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-18
By c. F. MARKELL

away as rapidly as did the forts of Antwerp.
 First and foremost in the mind Is nat urally the Rock of Gibraltar. that mighty guardian of the Pillars of Hercules, and the monitor of the Mediterranean. Tow ering some 12oO feet in the air and cov- ering an area of nearly two square miles It's guns are completely hid by the wind- ing galleries which are cut into the rock. Visitors are no longer admitted to the Notifications but I had the pleasure of inspecting them before the existing pro- hibition became effective
 The place does appear to be impreg- nable and to prevent it's being reduced by the cutting off of the water supply huge areas of corrugated glass have been placed upon the side of the rock This glass becomes heated during the day by the rays of the sun, but as soon as 1t comes in contact with the cool atmos- phere of the evening and night a heavy precipitation is obtained and the dew pr water runs down the corrugatlons in great quantities into huge cisterns. from which 1t is pumped up to the living quar- ters of the garrison.
 It is true that Gibraltar was taken from the Moors by the Spaniards as far back as 14s2. but it is not until it's fortirca- tion by Charles V was effected that we may study its reputation for impregna- bility It was taken by the English and Dutch forces under Rooke in 17O4 but since then 1t has effectively resisted all sieges both by the French and Spaniards in unison and separately. The Spaniards .fsiled in its attack in 1727 and for four years. 177s-s3. the united spafliards and French battered away at it's walls with out avail. This last attack was mem orable in more ways than one. During the siege the floating batteries devised by Chevalier d'Arcon were first employed and for the heroic defense of the place George Augustus Elliot was raised by the British King to the peefage under the title of Lord Heathfeld, first baron of Gibraltar.
 We are all familiar with the chaming hymn of Martin Luther. which opens with the line, "Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott," and when the great reformer thus ren- dered this version of the Forty-sixth Psalm he had in mind another great fort Iess of Europe. which Is perched upon an almost inaccessible rock just oppo- site Coblenz and where the placid Mo- selle mingles its waters with the historic Rhine. This Is Ehrenbreitstein fort that towers some 400 feet above the river and which is often spoken of as the Gib- raltar of Germany. The strategic posi- ton of the rock was recognized by the Electors of Treves as far back as the twelfth century. who fortified 1t and 1t played an important part in the Thirty Years war. The present Notifications were constructed in 1S16-26 by General Won Aster, a great German military en- gineer.
 And yet, inaccessible as it appears, E!hfehbreitsten has frequently been taken. The French captured it in 1881. the imperialists six years later and 1t again surrendered to the French in 17s9. Thus like It's namesake, Gibraltar. the fortress has been living under an unde- served reputation
 lTnqusstionably the jewel of Edin- burgn is it's castle and fortress. which. barring the absence of neighborins waiter. closely resembles in contour and outline both Gibraltar and Ehrenbreit- cteih. Those of my readers who are fa-