| Show GIBRALTAR NU US DEFENSE in the event of attack by hostile force experiments at have shown eliat an armstrong shell can be be thrown L yards about ditc and one third miles bays a writer in temple bar it li therefore absolutely clear that if all alie fleet were temporarily absent either on some special mission or depressed by a storm hostile iron taking up a position within four miles of the eastward of europa point might with impunity send ahot and shell into the outlying parta of the fortress and cause anch destruction of life and property on the other hand the governor of tha fortress would not be idle and the experiences of the late civil war in america have abundantly proved that tho cannon in fortresses if they strike a ship of war with their projectiles even at long range may do considerable mischief while on the other hand many shot and shell may sti ile a fort and only do trifling damage it is practically impossible to throw shot or shell over alic high part of the rock near pain and the cannon ensconced in the unique rock galleries with their royal artillery gun detachments would bo absolutely bate even if the neutral ground between gibraltar and spain were occupied by a hostile foe little damage would be the result during the writers atay at gibraltar it was considered desirable to try the experiment of firing upward from te plain on the Up anih side into the galleries dummies being placed to represent the necessary gun detachments A regiment several hundred strong was accordingly placed n position and supplied with ball curti adges the range however was nid the fire being directed upward it was fully an hour before any of the dumn nsE were hit after the expenditure of much ammunition in actual warfare of course the brit ich rifle must have picked out their foeh by firing downward from the galleries lomb 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 aliis head |
