FIRES IN MADRID

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 415, 27 December 1932, Page 5

FIRES IN MADRID

(Press. jo,ssn.—

GREAT DAMAGE HUGE STOCK OF TOYS FOR . SPANISH CHILDREN DESTROYED SACRED IMAGES LOST

-By Telesrranh — Coovrlelitl.

Rec, Dec. 26, 8.0 p.m. Madrid, Dec. 25. Two fires of niore than ordinary importance oecurred to-day. E1 Siglo, the largest shop in the conntry consisting of seven buildings, was burned to the ground at Barcelona, while the firemen fought in the bitter cold for five hours against the otfshore gale, to save the business section. The total loss is £1,100,000. Seven firemen and a number of spectators were injured. E1 Siglo contained 8,000,000 pesetas worth of Christmas toys, believI ed to be tlie largest stock in Europe. The blaze was said to be caused by a sliort eircuit in a toy electric tiain, although the. owners claim to have received an anarehist threat. The large stock of toys was in eonnection with the distribution of toys to Spanish children on January 6, according to the custom. The other fire was also caused hy an electric short eircuit. It destroyed a highly valuable group of sixteenth century images arranged in Misere Corde Church at Murcia, by the Jesuit, Domingo Beltran. The group consisted of figures of Saints Steplien, Jolin the Baptist and Sebastian.