The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-09-29

O0AAOAC 4ASAAb IA NCCR 4VSA .OSAAesASp ~ sponded at intervals day and night to emergency alarms to meet loyal ist attacks, ate mule meat when the horse meat gave out-yet danced to radio music as they listened to the miners of the besieging force drill tunnels from which the miners planned to blast the Alcazar to bits.
 It was Lieut.. Toma Katina who told me the story. He took refuge in the Alcazar even before the siege began July 21, four days after the outbreak of the civil war.
 The rebel garrison was able to hold out only because of 250 horses and mules they had and which they used for soup and meat. With the residue of fat they made candles.
 Lying back weakly in his hospital bed, Katina said:
 Tt was those horses and mules, comprising the entire supply of the civil guard squadron of the Toledo area, that made it possible for us to resist. Without them, we never could have lived. First we ate the horses. When they gave out we started on the mules. From the fat left over we made candles, as the enemy cut of our electric and gas light"
 There was plenty of water at first, Katina said, from the deep wells of the Alcazar grounds.
 But the water supply started diminishing rapidly as the result of lack of rains, SO during most of the siege we were limited to 8 htre Ca little more than quart) a day: The men, however, gladly gave up some of their ration for the women. and particularly for g mother and two babies.
 "AlI the women were heroines. They refused to enjoy extra rations of food. They were magnificent in face of constant danger and almost nightly attacks" |
 To understand the situation of the garrison it is necessary to remen1- Der that the Alcazar is not merely a single building but a group of buildings, with a couple of narrow streets and number of paths and byways, on high cliff overlooking the Tagus. The AlcaZar proper, the central building, was reduced to ruins in the siege, and from these ruins the rebels fought of attacks while the living quarters were far down in the dark rock cellars of the old palace. .e
 Besides the horses and mules" l" said Katina, i've also managed to capture 200 sacks of grain which were in a storehouse outside the AL cazar but which we dominated. From this we made black bread. It was as hard as stone, almost, be- cause we lacked the ingredients to make real bread. We never ate for enjoyment. though-just to resist the reds.
 "We kept our spirits up with the radio we had. It wasn't any good for sending but we could pick up the Madrid (the loyalist government stations.
 "When there were any concerts or jazzy music, some of the younger set danced. It was this spirit which kept us going.
 Many times we heard of heavy losses alleged to have been suffer- ed by the rebels, as broadcast from the Madrid radios. We never knew whether they were true or not and we didn't care, for we were pledged to hold out until not a single one of us was left alive"
 The nights. Katina said as his mind drifted back over the weeks of the siege. were the most weird part of all.
 "We took turns standing guard, he said, 'and cheering up the wo- men and children. They didn't real ly need much cheering. They busted themselves sewing and patching our clothes. We men did most of the cooking and dish washing.
 'aThere were many sleepless nights, for the sentries frequently woke us to repulse enemy attacks. ,
 Katina explained that he himself sought refuge in the Alcazar two days after the uprising and two days before the siege started, be- cause his life was endangered by loyalists who suspected his rebel sympathies.
 He said as an afterthought that one of the most narrowing moments for the women was when the loyal ist miners started drilling holes through the thick walls to dynamite the Alcazar.
 eve could hear the buzz of drill- ing" he said. "It sounded like dentist drilling teeth ours.
 He confirmed that no women were killed, as the men kept them in sub terranean strongholds which with stood all aerial bombardments and heavy artillery shelling. and even the dynaniting.
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