New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-17
THE TOMB or NICHOLAS.

corresf ondeuee Of The Boston Transcript.
ST. PE-ERsBUEG, 18th April, 1855.
The most interesting church in s. Petersburg is
that dedicated to 81 Peter and st. Paul. otherwise called
tie Fortress Church.. il stands within the eta A8l
of the CITY. Its slender spire precisely resembling
n Of Of tie Admiralty rises lar above all others TO the
hicht of $40 feet and liz gdcd surface shines daz-
zlinelv in tie sun. II is sail that l2.ooO ducats have
already been expended 20 the gliding of this spire.
But within the Fortress Church rest the remains OF all
the Cars since Peter the Great. No European mon-
archs rest so nostcniatousy and Others buried
within the walls Of fortress. To each Emperor there
il erected merely ascrc0phagus, with frequently his n
tal letters engraved upon IT, Each of these -arcophayi
is covered with pail of cloth Of gold embro Tered
with the doube-headed eagle. Upon the Grand-Duke
Con.tsntucs tomb lie the keys OF some Polish fort
r, sses while Aloxanders bears n small military medal
with his portrait Eoch tomb Is surrounded by neat
iron railing and the part of the nave devoted to tie
tomhs is again separated from the body o. the church
As visited tie church during Lent. the cloth OF gold
was concealed in every by a faded black
ing Beginning with Peter the Great, passed b. all
tie Cars IN chronological order. Here lay the great
Caiharine, and sleeping quietly by her side her hus
band Peter III, to whom she in her lifetime refused
this place. Around one of the sarcophogi saw
dense crowd, and approaching 1t found II tni- OF Mich
oas. The cloth was new and no dust had sctted upon
the ermine border. His initial letter embroidered
in amaranth and a candle burns NIGHT and day upon
the tomb The little relic that was placed upon hs
breast while he lay in state in the palace, lies upon the
middle OF the sarcophacus. l. IL surrounded by
n
srot seemed touched with real sorrow, and all
spoke n whistles around the grave of the
great man. ~ ! stood there watching the
crowd the gates were suddenly thrown open
and an GA General IN full uniform entered and ap-
rryachcd the topb. Taking Of his helmet he held II
before n face. and ku'oliug, seemed for a few
mcuts to be engaged IA earnest prayer. The helmet
shook IL his hands with emotion. Finally rising,
he kissod lie rec that had lain upon his masters
breast and hen crossing the aisle kissed Aexanders
tomb in the same way He had served under both
Emporors and i. his daily tribute to their memories
was most touching. He is the commander of the for
tress of St Petersburg and Of the last acts the
public life of Nicholas 10 thank hun for his public
services The Gar sent him the Imperial portrait
ricLed with diamonds.
Upon the walls and around the pillars of the Fortress
Church hang trophies taken from the Turks, Pcrsians
and French. In this way have the Russians decorated
all their churches and hardly a nation but IL repre-
sentcd in ~. Petersburg Moscow. The English,
believe are the only exception, but who can tell how
long tLev may continue sol Above three hundred
Persian suns and Turkish here bow before
the crofs Of Tie Christians.
From the church We went 20 the house OF Peter the
Great Just without the walls OF The fortress and upon
tie same island. This the nucleus of the present
city aud could Peter rise from his grave TO the work
of HE successors, his ambition would be more than
satisfied. The cottage i divided into three apart
meuts. The inner one was his sleeping room; the one
adjoining lis chapel, in which still preserved the
pictures he worshipped. The third room his
cepton-room, and Il Is filed with rich offerings which
are contained in Showcases ranged round the room
IL consequently looks more like a jewellers shop than
ANYTHING else On side OF the house is shown the
Loaf made By Peters own hands, also the sails pre-
pared by himself. The whole cottage was rapidly
going Ia decay but Alexander caused II 10 be covered
by casing OF bnck So that II Is now no longer ex-
posed to tie weather. Amsterdam evidently Pc
iers model of Il commercial city, and his fst in
mencing his capital to nicr-ect It's proposed
site by canals. His successors, however not being
Ouch in their tastes, caused many OF these canals to
be filed up and gardens to be planted in their stead
Tie Basilius Island therefore, hes many delightful gar
dcns instead of closeyranged MASSES OF brick walls
Ro~TDNTAN