The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-09-05
0NLY5PERCENT
OF BUILDINGS
SPARED
1900 Refugees Trek
To France From
Flaming City
BY H. r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright, 1885 by International
News Service)

News Service)
WITH THE WHITE ARMY
OCCUPYING IRUN, Spain, Sept.
S Q.N.S0-A woman carried her
dead husband across the inter
national bridge to Hendaye just
before noon today.
She was the last refugee to es-
cape from the fiery ruin Of Irun.
Eighteen thousand other in
habitants Of the city had fled to
France or up the hills to Fuen-
tarabbia and Fort Guadalupe or
back to the reds last stand in
San Sebastian as the white army
bombed, machine gunned and
shelled it's way through the wreck
age of what was once a city.
The Whites have now ap-
tured every square inch Of 1run
and thus cut off the Red forces
from their only land connection
with France.
City in Ruins
But they got nothing but a
skeleton when they got Irun.
went forward today with the
White advance guards which
cleaned out the last nest Of Reds
from the railroad station and
after spending four hours in the
city saw but five inhabitants.
One was a 76-year-old man
doddering among the wreckage.
There were two women and their
children.
Every other human being had
left and the Whites took an
abandoned city one-third in
bright flames, one-third shoulder
ing and one-third coal-black walls.
Resort Hotel Destroyed
counted As city blocks either
completely Quilted or afire. We
moved through the city to the
continuous rattle Of rifle fire, the
crash of cannons and the tapping
of machine guns, and over all the
roar of flames and the smashing
noise of the falling walls Of col
lapsing buildings.
There might be maximum OF
5 per cent Of the city'S buildings
left. Most of these are in the line
of the reds retreat.
Every well-known hotel was de-
stroyed, including the Palace,
which had harbored thousands OF
American tourists at this one-t1me
popular resort.
But the destruction was so COM
plete there wasn't anything left
to plumber. The white officers
shook their heads as we marched
in.
Rail Station Blasted
II this is a forecast Of what
is going to happen to Madrid
when the capital falls it will
mean one of the major disasters
Of modern times.
We marched from one side Of
the city to the other to witness
capture of the railroad station.
Out of our ranks moved an
armored car and behind 1t SO
soldiers.
A small group of anarchists
had taken their last refuge in
the station and we're selling their
lives dearly. The whites moved
within baseball throwing distance
of the shelter and the armored
car tossed high explosives and
hand grenades loaded with INT
onto the station platform and
into the waiting room.
After a quarter Of an hour Of
that they charged with bayonetS
and that was the end of the
reds.
Die Behind Barricade
At the other side Of the town,
the reds put up their most des-
perate fight. It was noon today
that the last Communist fell be-
hind a frail barricade thrown up
at the last minute and composed
Of an office desk and several
clothing cupboardS.
The whites armored car drove
contemptuously through this bar
ricade and shot down the last two
reds at the very entrance to the
bridge.
Their bodies still lay there as a
heavy rain came up in the early
afternoon and soaked the city, but
failed to extinguish the fire. Now
and then the fire reached an am
munition dump, with the internal
din heightened by thousands OF
cartridges all going off at the same
time.
Perhaps 5000 mixed troops
participated in taking the city,
chiefly regulars of the army in
khaki, CarliSts in red berets or
Fascists in blue o7eralls.
Now the whites continue she'll
ing Fuenterraba and Fort Qua.
dalupe, which cannot hold out
much longer.
San Sebastian is cut off after
today from it's support from
France and is expected to fall
within a week. This has been
the most notable victory for the
whites since Badajoz.
There is no official estimate,
but the dead certainly were many
thousands during the whole siege
Of Irun.
VOTE AMERICAN
Champs Challenged
Cardinal PeeWees. 1885 champs.