Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-06-27
The Ice Burst on the Neva.
From The London D0jIU Nelps,

The crisis of the Baltic enterprise seems
at hand. Under date of Cd of May we hear of
bitter east winds and thick falling snow; the
4th, of Stockholm steamers running, with crowds
of citizens to zee the feet on the 9Th of fog so
thick that the ships could not stir. In Finland
meantime, the season is mild, and vegetation is
rapidly advancing. The month of MAY is al
ways the season of suspense at st. Petersburg
the time when tits said the restless Car, who
s.eeps only by snatches, looks out, goes forth
almost before any body else is stirring, to observe
the aspect of his watery realm, and see which way
the wind is. The suspense is about the wind
and even now, in the most solemn spring season
of all the fifty seven he has known, the movements
of the wind are gilmore consequence to Nicholas
than even those OF. the allies A long continuance
of strong east winds would do more for him than
all the preparations he can make A rush of west
wind would ruin him more speedily and thorough
| ~ than his united enemies could without its help
The suspense is about this. The fog is the to-
ken that the crisis is at hand The fog precedes
the breaking up of the ic' in the Neva; and it
will be succeeded by those singular twilight nights
of unequalled beauty, which are the only charm
of the desoato region in which St. Petersburg
stands.
While the fog lasts the sentnols on the watch
towers in the city look out in vain, some towards
Lake Iedoga, some up the Ncva, seine towards
the sea. They can hear something, but see moth
eony; and with the commandants at Sweaborg
and at Cronstadt;and perhaps with our "Charley"
walking the deck, and talking to himself What
he is listening fori the arrival of the French
squadron which will enable him to proceed TO
this work when the fog curtain rises. To some
it comes singing over the peaty plains which
stretch to the margin of the gulf whence they look
like mere drift upon the waters. Over that
barren bleak expanso the winds come singing
through the rushes, with an occasional bark of
the wolf or bursts of the din of the water fowl in
the pools which are already melted. 10 others
the wind comes vibrating like mournful music
through the pine forests, which, surrounding the
capital with their black belt, no whore further
off than 20 miles, approach much nearer in some
directions.
There are sounds which come to the ear on
May nights when the wind is from any point of
the compass; for there are swamps and pine for
ests everywhere. 1t is 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 be-
low the ice, the suspense is complete Sooner
or later comes the crack. which tells that the
hour of crisis has come. The cracks of the ice
are naturally tho most impressive, and sound the
loudest in the night. The Car and his sentres
are already on the watch but the citizens
rise and look out in vain through the fog
Some dress and go to the wharyes. though it is
much too soon to conjecture how high the wa
tiers will rise. Next comes the crash of the ice,
driven up in heaps in the river, against the
wharves; and then tho more anxious sound-the
swash of the driven waters. The thing most de-
sired is moderate east wnd-and this is what
usually happens. A violent east wind brings
down the inland ice and food too fast, and every
inch that the waters rise above the iron rings in