Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-04-08
Volume XVIII Number 19.
NICHOLAS OF RUSSIA.

hiJOCSl iColiuSS, 81 IOnS dS IL 10 SOh
fined to the household, it is apt t
indemnify itself upon strangers TO
the restraints of the home circle.
This is the only way Of account
r ing for the fact that Nicholas, Auto
crat Of all the Russias, who is on
of the kindest of rulers 10 his OWL
, subjects, is a mere tyrant where for
. eign nations are concerned.
The following anecdotes Of tn
Russian Gar, are from a recent pub
Iication by M. Jerrmann. who resi-
ded several years in ST. Petersburg
Before quitting the subject of th'
architecture and public buildings o
the Russian capital, Mr.. Jerrmanr
gives a most interesting account o
the burning of the Winter Palace in
December, 1887. The court were
at the Michael's theatre, where the
French company perform, when
suddenly an aid-de-camp entered the
imperial box and whispered TO
Prince Wolkonsky, one of the minis
tiers then present. The prince gave
him orders, and continued TO look
quietly on at the performance. Hall
an hour later the aid -de-camp re-
turned, and this time the Prince
spoke to the Emperor, who rose, gave
his arm TO his wife, and conducted
her 10 her carriage. The coachman
received orders to drive TO the
Anitchkoff Palace instead of to the
Winter Palace. The Emperor
mounted a horse that was in wait
ing for him, and gallopeG to the Win
ter Palace. There was a terrible
crowd and crushing in the streets;
half ST. Petersburgh was on foot; it
was light as day, and flames were
roaring up into the sky; the Winter
Palace was on fire. When the En-
peror got there the flames were
bursting through all the windows.
The massive walls still stood firm,
as did the gigantic statues that sur
mounted them, and which passed
blackened but uninjured through
that terrible night; but The whole in
terror of the palace, with IFS costly
pictures and decorations, was evil
IDENTIFY doomed.
The Emperor galloped round the
building to look after his sentries.
The precaution was not superfuous;
on the western side two soldiers
were near falling victims to the fire;
in the general confusion, those whose
duty if was, had forgotten 10 relieve
them, and there they stood, notwith-
standing the terrible heat, musket on
shoulder and resigned TO their fate.
The Emperor relieved them himself,
and passed forward into the palace;
with glance he saw that the whole
would soon fall in, and he fastened
into the rooms where the danger
seemed greatest, 10 call out The men
who were saving the furniture. At
his command everybody fled from
the palace, with the exception Of four
workmen who had received orders
to save an enormous mirror, and
who could not leave the place with
out it. The Emperor drew his
sword, and with one blow OF the
hilt shivered the. glass. Scarcely
had the last man passed the thresh-
old, when the room fell in with a
terrible crash. Having satisfied him.
self that no lives were in danger,
Nicholas hurried 10 the Empress at
the Anitchkoff Palace.
The Empress had recovered from
her first alarm. She was tired, and
asked with some uneasiness, where
she was to pass the night. Her
secretary, the privy-councillor Cham
beau, begged permission to conduct
her to the sleeping room that had
been hastily prepared for her,
There she found, to her great as
tonishment, through the delicate
of an attached servant
her sleeping apartment out of the
Winter Palace, with its thousand
little comforts and conveniences;
everything in the same place and
order as if it had remained untouched
since the last time she dressed her.
self. When the fire had reached
that wing of the palace-and ii
spread with tremendous rapidity-
Chambeau fastened TO the boudoir
with dozen servants and muschiks.
"All here belongs TO the Enpressp
he cried; "not a thing must be
brokenI"-and in aprons, baskets,
and pockets were carried away all
those thousand and one nick-nacks
vases, boxes and ornaments
which a boudoir could
not be complete. Without the
slightest injury they were conveyed
through the flames, and for hall a
league through The heaving throng
that filed the streets; and when
Chambeau had arranged everything
as It was in its former place, the To-
cality alone was changed; all things
seemed to stand where they had been
lelt-not q riband was cr,,nblad