People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1893 — SPANISH FORTRESSES. [ARTICLE]

SPANISH FORTRESSES.

Interesting Collection Sent for Exhibition at the Fair. The steamship Ciudad Condal, of the Compania Transatlantics Espania, from South American ports, landed a group of exhibits a few days ago consigned by the Spanish government to the Columbian world’s fair. There are, besides valuable paintings, one representing Columbus before Isabella, several remarkable contributions in the shape of models, the first of their kind ever shipped out of the country. One of the most striking of these is a perfect reproduction of the world famed bridge over the Guadalquivir, at Cordova. There are sixteen arches and two turrets, the foundations of the originals of which were laid at the beginning of the Christian era. Special interest attaches to this work, owing to the fact that Cordova is said to be the oldest paved city in Europe. The model is at present split up into sections and packed in six large cases. Of interest to experts as well as the general public will be the complete model of the fortress of Monjuisch, at Barcelona, which was long considered impregnable. The most minute de* tails have been faithfully produced, even to the guns, and, as in the case of all other military exhibits, the model is reduced to scale. From Barcelona also comes a model of the statue of Columbus, which represents the great navigator standing upon a globe, hiq right hand pointing; to the west, while his left grasps a chart. There are also models of the north and south fortresses at Corunna, the originals of which date back to the time of the Moorish invasions. Other interesting fortresses represented in the collection are those of San Fernando and Puerta Tiera at Cadiz. The Moorish castle at Alicante, dating back to the twelfth century, will also be represented at the world’s fair. The models are the work of the royal engineers of Spain. The public exhibition of these plans of national defenses is noteworthy from the fact that the Spanish government watches with a jealous eye any attempt on the part of a foreigner closely to examine the Mediterranean fortifications.