Evening star., 1937-03-07
.L0YAL|ST SHELLS
ROUT INSURGENTS
Part of Rebel Garrison at
Hospital Crushed as
Walls Collapse.
BY the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
MADRID, March 6.-Another big
section of Clinic Hospital. where in
surgents are fortified in University
City. collapsed today under the pound
ing of government artillery.
Little by little, the insurgents ap-
pear to be losing their foothold in the
huge building, where for many months
they have held a commanding posi-
ton over the suburban area at the
very doors of Madrid.
The foot portion of the building for
q length of 40 yards and depth of
to yards crashed to the ground
during today's fighting, crushing
part of the garrison which is estimated
to number 600 men.
A portion of the central section of
the building collapsed three days ago,
also trapping some of the garrison
and exposing part of basement re-
doubt.
Bambing Planes Active.
Fighting in and near the capital
today mostly was limited to aerial
warfare. government headquarters re-
ported. There was much bombing by
both sides on the southern Jarama
River front, and three insurgent tri-
motors passed over the city at noon
bound in that direction. They did not
drop bombs here.
The hospital, uncompleted at the
time of the invasion by besieging
troops was to have housed 1000 beds.
1t is seven stories high, constructed of
steel and concrete.
The framework resisted art ,lery
pounding for many weeks, but the
walls long since were shot to pieces.
Insurgents at one time had 1900 men
In the building with machine guns
mounted on upper floors to sweep the
surrounding area.
A month ago the government militia
laid three mines under the building
and set off two of them, causing the
collapse of one extremity of the struc-
ture.
Third Mine Exploded.
Infantry troops sweeping forward
In the wake of the explosion fortified
themselves in the ruins. where they
have maintained positions since. The
third mine exploded accidentally
Wednesday night, bringing down the
center part of the building.
Insurgents attempted to drive the
Madrid defenders from the ruined end
of the building with machine gun fire
from upper floors, but Well-placed
artillery shots destroyed their means
of access 70 the upper stories and
forced them to retire to the base
ments.
Madrid troops now command the
building on three sides, leaving the
insurgents only narrow lane of COM
munication with their nearest redoubts
in the medical and agricultural school
buildings of the university.
The insurgents apparently had de-
cided to reduce the size of their gar
rison as the area under their control
In the hospital area diminishes. They
now often relieve the garrison under
cover of night, the operation usually
accompanied by heavy fire from gov
eminent troops.
40 Dead in Raid.
Unofficial reports placed at 40 the
dead in a semicircular raid around
Madrid by insurgent planes last night,
with 120 wounded.
Twenty were reported killed in
Aranjuez. some 80 miles south of
Madrid, and six at Tarancon, SOUTH
east of the city The raiders struck
also at Villanueva Del Pardillo, west
of Madrid and Alcala de Henares, to
the east.
Military authorities ordered imme-
diate distribution of all available gas
masks among the troops in and near
Madrid at points where insurgent con-
centrations were thought to preface
new violent offensive.
Madrid itself was threatened by last
nights air raids, but the insurgent
planes sped off when searchlights
picked them out in the star-bright sky.
Two other insurgent planes, oper-
ating off Spain's East Coast, dropped
bombs near the steamer lie Gazpi,
just off Rosas, Tarragona Province.
The crew jumped into the water and
swan ashore, but the craft was not
hit She drifted ashore.
List Planes Lost.
The government, meanwhile, as
serted its own planes had made 81
air raids in February, losing only
nine planes. The insurgents, the an
nouncement said, lost 80 planes in
IS raids.
A usually reliable source at
Gibraltar reported Italian volunteers
had arrived recently at Cadiz, Spain,
but did not say on what date. Italy
agreed, with other nations, to ban
volunteers after February 20.
Dispatches from Santander, Spain,
said government authorities announced
hat 900 insurgents were killed and
wounded in clash near Robledo De
Chavela, northwest of Madrid.
yU0NrCN f,uJJ OPEN CLAIM