El Fraile Island is approximately 7,500 yards
south of Caballo Island.
At the right-most corner of the island is a 4.7 inch breach loading
Spanish gun, facing the boca grande channel of Manila Bay.
Corregidor is at far right.
Between 1909 and 1919, El Fraile was cut down and covered by a
concrete shell made to resemble a Battleship. It was in all
respects, designed like a ship, 350 ft long and 144 ft wide. The top
deck was 40 ft above the mean low water mark. The exterior walls
were between 25 and 36 ft thick.
Scrappers, who have gone
to the extent of demolishing the very columns which hold up the
Fort's concrete deck, may yet be responsible for its collapse.
Sinking, however, is out of the question.
For further
images: refer The Case Report |