New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-08-01
a Thrilling Picture.
[rRoM Hsr. PETERSBURG j; Irs rEorLE,, Er,

FROM ST. PETERSBURG PEoPLE,r ETC
He who has never wandered ON q summer
night through the strests and squares Of ST. |
Petersburg who has never contemplated that |
magnificent panorama in the gentle moonlight, |
when the nocturnal stiffness is broken only by |
the murmurs of the soft flowing Nega he to
whom the colossal statues, upon their immense
pedestals, have never appeared, through the
twilight of northern night, like gigantic phan-
toms Just risen from their grayes--let him not
say that he has seen st. Petersburg.
Select such night, and go forth to gaze upon
the monuments Of by-gone greatness Spectre
| like they pass before you, their steadfast eyes
history, to whose pages, impressed with ada
mantine and blood-red types, they point with
iron fngers-alike to the inscription of un-
dying fame, and to the record Of infamy and
crime
1t was on such night that returned alone
f1om the country, and paused upon the half of
the Troitzky Bridge, The center portion Of the
| bridge had been removed to let vessels pass
through. This is always done at night in order
not to impede by day the traffic over the bridge.
| / got out of the carriage, had myself ferried
| across, and continued my way on foot towards
the interior Of the city. Passing along the quay,
| and by the Winter Palace, rambled slowly to
| the Summer Garden, and soon stood on the fur
ther side of the canal, in front of that remark
able building, whose gratings, bitches, bridges,
and palisades, betray the former fortress like
habitation of the Emperor Paul
| The palace is now occupied by the school of
engineers. Opposite the facade, in the outer
court, stands the equestrian statue Of Peter the
fGreat. II is of bronze the attitude Of the
| figure is quiet and easy, the horse is in an ad-
| vancing attitude. The pedestal is of marble,
| adorned with very handsome bas-reliefs. and
bears the simple inscription: ''To the Grand
| sire, the Grandson" Paul l. had it erected in
| the year 1900. *
In Northern Russia the summer nights, from
the middle of May until the end Of July, are
| almost as light as day. The quality Of this
aspect of buildings and statues, whose beauty it
| seems to heighten by q sort of enchanted radi-
| ance. sat down upon a bench whence had
/ front view of the statue. Glancing to the left,
my attention was attracted by the walled-up
window of the Emperor Paul's sleeping room,
into which apartment, since his death, no hu-
man foot has entered nor ray Of light penetrated
Often, when passing by, had / looked up at that
i window, but never with such absorbing interest
as that moment; sat gazing alternately at the
s grandsires" statue, and at the place Of the
" grandson's" death, until at last my thoughts
grew confused shadows lowered about me, and
4 fell asleep. I had not slumbered long, when
Il was reused by o noise, as of footsteps and hol-
Il low murmurs ] opened my eyes, but could see
nothing, for all was shrouded in profound dark
ness Suddenly the pale moon emerged from be-
J hind the clouds, and distinguished in my i'm
3 mediate vicinity q group of five men, in old
fashioned uniforms, who, with pale eountenan-
ces, and uncertain gestures, whispered secretly
together. Almost as soon as / discern them
one Of them perceived mes and silently taking
my arm, he led me away with him.
We walked softly across the court to the great
staircase 1t was lighted up. To our right
: hand, at the entrance of the first corridor
It stood o grenadier on sentry. He presented
ls arms, and let us pass Now we turned into Q
side passage, at the extremity of which W.
= found ourselves in o great hall At its innel
"a door stood Cossack on guard. Before he coul,
call out one Of my companions sprang upol
90 him and drove dagger into his left breast
'. Without a sound he sank upon the floor. Th
Al Others strobe across his body to the door;
Is, was fastened, but o violent kick burst it oper
and we entered lighted chamber, where was
man who, as itseemed, had just awakened fro
o deep sleep, and who was stretching forth Ii
40 hand to the bell-rope that hung beside his he'
One of my companions, who was attired in
ne rich uniform, sprang forward, and with b
bloody dagger cut the rope above the GU
ns stretched hand. 5s5.,,
- A momentary pause ensued, then one OF IN
~ intruders approached the man in the bed an
Liz held out TO him, after low and respeetlt
ere obeisance, with the one hand an open document
lo with the other, pen wherewith TO sign \
Thereupon the man sprang from his bed, attire
Q only in his shirt, and with single bound VI
= in the middle of the room, when he assumed
lofty an attitude, whilst his countenan
day and bearing were 80 imposing and dignifed, tn
II the others for moment timidly gave bac
re-. Now commenced a vehement discussion, of whit
/, ignorant of the Russian language, unfort
l. nately understood nothing. eomprehende