The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-11-18
Today May See Climax

day might be the climactic one.
Infantry, tanks, machine guns,
artillery, airplanes combined IN the
assaults that the nationalist threw
against the loyalist lines.
The fate Of the city, II not Of
the war, was In the balance.
But as the loyalist troops. under
unceasing fire for more than "a
hours, held their lines, the terri
bic nationalist bombardment Of the
city itself was uppermost In mind.
The sun set yesterday, after a
day which Madrilenos thought was
q hard one, with nationalist artil-
lery shells falling into the heart Of
the city. Water spurted high from
broken water pipes. Great holes
appeared In the streets and the
chokingly thick dust gathered In
clouds, Fires broke out sporadical-
" In various areas. street car
tracks, torn from the streets, twisted
cra2ily.
Darkness, Only Defense
Then, after dark, the nationalist
planes came over. Night was the
city's only real defense from them.
The streets were In black darkness
and not o light showed from houses.
But this time, the defense OF
darkness was taken away.
All over the central parts OF the
city, great areas were suddenly
lighted up by calcium bombs, used
for the first time.
On rooftops and In streets o deaf
ening explosion was followed by O
flame OF almost unbelievable bright
ness. Like q devils firepot, the
calcium flames roared and ate into
roofs, walls, streets.
Firemen turned hoses Vainly on O
few fires. Militiamen, fighting an
enemy more terrible than the Moors
and Foreign Legionnaires trying to
take the city, fought the flames IN
the middle OF the streets with sacks
Of sand, with their coats, even with
their bare hands. -
Bits OF bricks and mortar flew
through the streets, into the already
shattered windows OF homes and
Office buildings, into the Prado Mu-
scum, SPANS treasure house OF art,
Dukes Palace Ahrc
A great burst OF fire came from
the palace OF the Duke OF Alba, the
most magnificent III Europe.
Two blocks away, two great groups
OF residences eaugh flre. The Car
men Plaza market caught, and
fiar,eR lanOed 80 feet.
Women and children ran scream
Ing through the streets.
Just then the nationalist planes
came back, and the Ares their new
bombs had started gave them new
targets.
In o few minutes the entire Graz,
Via In the vicinity OF the Ameri-
can owned telephone company
building, highest IN the city, was
lighted up. They coll the Gran Via
Madrid's Broadway, and last night II
was lighted as Broadway never was.
Clouds OF smoke began TO fill the
sky and provide background fol
the flames.
Fires Lighted City
Those calcium bombs that did
not start fres, Pickering out, but
there was fire In plenty others TO
light the city.
The motor car assigned TO the
United Press I found In ruins out.
side the Gran Via hotel, which It.
self was burned out.
Calcium was stu burning In the
middle OF the streets, It's flames a
Whitley green. Militiamen were try
Ing to put out or to divert into
cutters the creeping little rivulets
OF fire that ran from them.
An occasional hole In the streets
testified that the nationalist had
dropped big high explosive bombs III
we'll as small calcium ones.
People already wounded were
evacuated from the Provincial hos
pitni because 1t was feared one fire
would reach ".
The Union radio station blared
outs It's program during, and after
the explosion OF shell on the
building. At the Press palace, news
paper correspondents paused In theii
work 10 feel the shock from shell
which hit the building.
At 3 q. m. o tour OF the city
showed the fires beginning TO d..
minish.
Horror Of Night
II was believed that despite the
horror Of o night that none will
ever forget, there were compare.
lively few deaths because most Of
the bombs were calcium ones. But
comparatively" 1t rs itself q tragic
word In this civil war which ir
four months has caused more vio-
lent deaths than occurred IN thu
four years OF the American Civi
War.
II was feared that today wouit
be worse.
II Is almost impossible for plan,
TO fight plane In a bombing rais
such as those OF the nationalist
and the government continued IT
new plan Of sending Its own bomb
ers out TO bomb nationalist oil
ports, TO estroy planes. A com
munique today said that yesterda,
one, was bombed twice and II wa
the Avila airdrome, the principa
believed between II and 10 nation
aIist planes were damaged