| Show GIBRALTAR PU US DEFENSE possibilities in the kvint ot attack by a hostile force experiments at shoeburyness have shown that an armstrong shell can be be thrown yards about five and one third miles says a writer in temple liar it is therefore absolutely clear eliat if all the fleet were temporarily absent cither on some special mission or depressed by a hostile iron taking up a position within four miles of the eastward of europa point might with impunity send shot and shell into the outlying parts of the fortress and cause much destruction of life and property on the other hand the governor of the fortress would not be idle and the experiences of the late civil war in america have abundantly proved the cannon in fortresses if aliey strike a ship of war their projectiles even at long range may do considerable mischief while on the kotlier fiand many shot and shell may strike a fort and only do trifling damage it is practically impossible to throw shot or shell over the high part of the rock near spain and the cannon ensconced in the unique rock galleries their royal artillery gun detachments would bo absolutely safe even if the neutral ground between gibraltar and spain were occupied by a hostile foe comparatively little damage would be the result during the writers stay at gibraltar it was considered desirable to try the experiment of firing upward from the plain on the spanish side into tho galleries dummies being placed to represent the essary gun detachments A regiment several hundred strong was accordingly placed in position and supplied with ball cartridges the range however was unknown and the fire being directed upward it was fully an hour before any of the dummies were hit after the expenditure of much ammunition in actual warfare of course the british rifle sharpshooters must have picked out their foes by firing downward from the galleries bombproof bomb proof barracks and hospitals are potent factors against the horrors of bombardment and there is little doubt that there is ample room at gibraltar for some amendment on this head |
