Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1915 — The Rock of Gibralter. [ARTICLE]

The Rock of Gibralter.

The rock of Gibraltar, taking into consideration the far-carrying guns that are now being cast, will be even of greater importance because of its commanding position at the mouth of the Mediterranean, where that sea is little more than 20 miles wide about as wide as from Calais to Dover. Gibraltar was captured by the British, July 24, 1704, and from that day has not been out of British hands. At first little Was thought of the importance of this stronghold. For the succeeding nine years the Spaniards made repeated attempts to recapture it. On one occasion they nearly succeeded. A French and Spanish force having been collected on the isthmus that joins the rock to the mainland, a goat herder offered to show them a path up the shoping sides of the rock, which he had reason to belive was unknown to the British. This offer was accepted. Five hundred troops ascended quietly one night and took shelter in a hollow called by the Spaniards “the little chair.” At daybreak next morning they ascended higher, took the signal station, killed the guard and anxiously looked for expected re-en-forcements. The re-enforcements failed to arrive. The armed garrison sailed out and drove the invaders down the rock. The “little chair” was filled up and the place made stronger than ever. All subsequent attempts to capture the rock have failed. One of them was a seige by Spain and France, beginning in 1779, and not terminating until September, 1783. —Chicago Journal.