New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-02
THE ICE-BURST on THE NEVA.
From The Daily News.

Tie crisis of the Baltic enterprise seems near az hh
Under date of the Sd of May hear OF bitter east winds
and H. ick falling snow: of the ith of Stockholm steamers
running with crowds of citizens TO see the reet on inc
tb of fog thick that the ships could not str In FIN
land meantime the season MID ana yeseta'iSn - p
of suspense ST. PeenburgIthe time when It Is sad
Gar who sleeps S onyhS ey ae sng To-
observe the aspect of his watery realm ana see when
way the wind is The suspense Is about the wind anu
even now in this most solemn spring season OF dn 'he
6y-seyen be has known the movements OF the WIND are
of more consequence TO Nicholas than even those OF inc
allies. long continuance OF strong east wnus "oud 40
more for him than all the preparations ne can make Arush
of west wind would ruin him more speedily and horougy
than all bis united enemies could without its help The
suspense about this. The fog the token that the
crisis ia at hand. The fog precedes the breaking up OF
the ice in the Neva and it will be succeeded by 'hoe
singular twilight nights of unequaled beauty, winch
are the only charm Of the deselate region in which d.
Petersburg stands While the fog lasts the sentnes on
the watch-,owers in the city look out in vain some to-
wards Lake Lsdoga, some up the Neva some toward me
sea They can hear something, but nothing No It'll
with the Car listening in his balcony and with the COM
nandants at Sweaborg and at Cronsadti ana perhaps
with our Charsy walking the d;eS is ana the
French squadron which will enable nm 70 proceed 10 WIS
work when the fog-curtan rises What the Russians are
listening for is, t the WIND 10 SOM h coei :, s
gulf whence they look like drift upon the waters
Over that barren bleak expanse the WIND comes signing
tIrough the PUSHES with occasional bark OF the wo
or burts Of the din of the watero in the pools which
nre already melted TO Others the wind comes vibrating
q
rounding the capital with their black belt nowhere further
of than 90 miles approach much nearer in some directions
There are sounds which come to the ear on May nights
when the wind is from point of the compass Tor there
are swaups and pine forests everywhere Ii the voice OF
the waters that the watchers listen for with hearts that
stand still. As long as the hollow moaning goes on the
moaning of the imprisoned winds below the ice the sus-
penre il complete Sooner later the crack which
es that the hour crisis has The cracks OF the ice
naturally the most impressive and sound the lGudes, N
watch bu, the citizens rise and look out IN vain
through the fog. Some dress and to the wharyes,
though it is much too TO conjecture how high the
waters will rise Next the crash Of the lee, driven
up heaps in the river against the wharves and then
tie more anxious sound-the swash OF the driven wa
ters The thing most desired is moderate east wind
ard this il what usually happens violent east wind
brings down the inland aud food too last ana every
inch that the waters rise above the iron rings in the granite
embankment is much danger But the fearful thing Is
strong wind, turning back the food on its way to
the Gull Then il less the swash Of waters pouring down
than the of the sea coming up; and when the tides
meet, the consequence IS what the world saw in e2i.
The vessels that not caszed by the meeting OF the
floods were carried the wharves, and stranded on
the sends which were arabic fields the day before. Inc
nine rivers and canals which St. Petersburg
seated all oveshcwed and the food poured into
the upper chambers OF the best houses the capital AT
CroLsad large vessel drted into the main street OF
the Town and left there Every successive year adds to
the peril such chance for every year does ST. Peters
burg settle lower in the swamp Amid the siognant ST.
ence maintained there about all disagreeabe facts this
very dissgreeabe fact well understood The maet 10
heard driving piles ncessstly-tbst l. sound that
be uuf.ed. The blocks OF granite settle urequay;
that is inegularity which the martinez Car himself
cannot prohibit punish The walls Of palaces crack
and novels sink down endways into the bog and Nil the
world may them melt down he shored up. The
destruction will be horrible day and every nhab
liant knows it, and only hopes that the place may last
his time. But If west wind should carry up
not tie lea only but thcre who now riding that
seG-wbht then This il what the Car s listen
ing for the other sqund-the boom OF caunon-
which might for rival in terror the roar OF the
From Cronstsdf, 10 ex or the spire OF the Admiralty
and the glering cupoles Of ST. Petersburg msyb
clear day. Cronstadt is 10 ST. Petersburg than
Grsyesend IL 10 London. From ST. Petersburg the boom
of such have cent there may be heard from
Cronsadf if have the wind for herald of ep
proaeh BY that time the fog will be gone and the
parent twilight Of rat latitude will have in. The ad-
miras will then have time for listening like the
nels for them and obyiate their chief difficulty very
few hours Of such tide would suffice for their attempt
upon Crons;adt. The gunboas OF the enemy ambushed
among the islands and watching with intense curiosity
and the great floating Notifications that have
sent sganst their stationary one, must not, in such
case ont, unless they would be down; and the
seniries the bast;ons at Cronsadt would see with
dismay how rapidly the ordinary wstermGrks dsap-
ptsrng Such wind would be the best of allies But
without IT, disposed 10 believe that Coastradt H.
is limited from the scene Of action, mot i'm.
"Ir,gnsble. We hear much of the shadows there; bu,
il is certain that the largest Russian ships Of war are
built at ST. Poerrburg far as the hus concerned
ard then brought into the Cronstadt habors DO flushed
iror ly fie old fa.hio Of