Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-10
GERMANS GIBRALTAR, HELIGO-

Empire is Heligoland. which protects the
mouths of four rivers, including tho Elbe
and the Weser 1t is the great naval
base, and Germanys chief reliance for
the protection of her coasts In time of
war. which may be assailed by the En-
glish fleets. To the Kaiser must go the
credit for the possession of IT, in the
face of criticism In high quarters, even
In Germany. 1t was obtained about a
quarter OF a century ago from England,
the transaction consisting Of an exchange
of Englands possession Of Heligoland
which then was a little island of no i'm
portance except to fishing interests. for
Germany's possessions In Zanzibar.
the Kaiser. In speech to his sailor
escort in August, 1910, said: This is
land is destined to be to US a bulwark
on the sea, protection for the German
fisherman. a base for my warsh hips and
| q stronghold and defense for German
waters against any enemy who may take
it into his head to show himself upon
them In England at that time. the
kalsors words were received with
great deal Of increduity Even a iibe
said to hav" been used by Bismarck on
! a former occasion. was repeated. which
was &c ranY has given away q pair
/ of trousers and secured a button in OK
change But quietly. and with as much
secrecy as possible for Germany to
maintain, the construction of a naval
base, fortified and provided with all
Kinds of highly effective munitions of
war. has been proceeding for years
Visits Of foreigners to Heligoland have
! been discouraged. and 1t il the opinion
/ OF many naval officers that the little is
land is ono Of the most formidable fort
r"sses in the world, and that it Is prob
ably as unassailabe as Gibraltar.
There is A saying that goes:
Green Is the land
White is the strand
Red is the band
And those are the colors
or 'Ielgoland
! And many remember, also. a popular
| liqueur whirh combined the three COL
ors named above. The lqueurs were
placed in order i'm the glass in the way
| that pousse cafe is made. The drink
was called n "Heligolander.
A protecting ea-wall has been built
half around the island, and from the
highland at the end toward the sea have
|
guns. They are on disappearing plat
forms, and the guns command all an
proaches from the sea Through the is-
land from the west to north has been
driven tunnel, through which ammu-
milton and other war material can he
taken to points where II Is needed
! AS the rocky material is none too
| strong, and as assures have appeared
/ in Its long resistance to the waves. their
ravages for the future have been pre-
vented by filling the riffs and crovices
with concrete. To further support the
place, long huttresses of grani,e. % feet
in height and 1G feet in thickness. have
been constructed. Moreover, the plate,u
has been studded with armor-plated
easements, and there are sunken batter
les from which the huge guns can sweep
the sea easily for radius Of ten miles
On the high plateau huge searchlights
reveal every distant vessel at night.
There, too is a powerful wireless sta
ton.
! Only few years ago the garrison
was ABOUT 100 strong, but last year IL
was Increased TO 100. It Is likely that
this number has been increased since
hostilities opened, for there are stately
barracks and official buildings on the
island which have taken the place OF
the humble huts Of the fishermen's fam
HES.
Not content with the fortifcation of
fieligoand, and in order to make II n
harbor for offense az well as for defense.
German engineers have built up another
island, half as big as Helgoland itself.
to the south OF that island. and connected
with 1t. Material for the new island was
brought from Germany. The new station
| is able to shelter torpedo boats, destroy
ers ana submarines as we'll as cruisers
but more recent DEVELOPMENT OF the
island to the south Of Heligoland IL It's
use for airshlps They are Of all kinds
ana abundant means exist for the con-
struction of them. and also for their
housing Great magazines of war ma
terial have also been constructed on the
little island.