The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-05-02
THE COURT OF RUSSIA-BALL AT THE
WINTER PALACE.

The following account of the ball which
recently took place in the Winter Palace
of the Gar of Russia, at st. Petersburg
will deeply interest the ladies. if not the
general public: On the Place Alexan.
drine, which was carpeted with a mantle of
snow, were stationed numerous equipages
The cold was so intense as to have frozen
to death Partisan horses and coachmen, but
not severe enoug gh for the hardy Russians to
kindle the usual fires under the Chinese
mosques near the winter palace. The trees
near the Admiralty, sparkling with the
boar frost, looked liked immense white
feathers bursting out from the ground, and
the red granite point of the triumphal
pillar was white and iced. and strikingly
resembled sugar cone; the moon, clear
and pure, shed its cold light on this noe.
turnal paleness. and gave blue fantastic
tinge to the crowd Of equipages, whose fro
zen lanterns and polar looking lights shone
here and there like yellow points over the
immense expanse. Beyond, the colossal
Winter Palace presented itself, It's windows
radiant with light, and having the appear.
ance Of an enormous mountain pierced with
holes and illuminated from within by vol.
canic fires. Perfect silence prevailed.
The severity of the climate prevented the
immense crowd which in France would in
fallibly have focked to witness so grea. a
fete;, and even had thousands of specta-
tors been there, the space before the pal
ace is SO vast that they would be scatter.
ed and lost in its immensity A sledge
appeared, traversed diagonally the snowy
mantle over the lengthened shadow of the
Alexandrine Column. and then disappeared
in the dark street separating the Winter
Palace from the Hermitage. whose aerial
bridge gives it somewhat the appearance OF
the Canal de Ia Paille at Venice a few
minutes afterwards an eye-we will imag.
inc it for once not incorporated with body
-darted along a cornice belonging to a
gallery of the palace. The rows of wax
lights planted in the inches cast so brilli.
ant radiance as to effectually prevent its
feeble glimmer being in the slightest de-
gree perceptible. Lights concealed it bet
ter than darkness it became lost in the
blaze of surrounding brllliancy. The gal
lery viewed from that point extended fal
and deep, with its polished columns, it:
waxed floor glittering with the reflection o
gold and light. its pictures occupying the
space between the pillars, the subjects 0
which it was impossible to discern owing Il
the immense length. Splendid uniform
and flowing court dresses were already t.
be seen there By degrees the number
increased, and, like sparkling, variegateC
stream, flowed along the gallery alread,
become to small, Notwithstanding its colos
sal dimensions Every eye was directe,
towards the door at which the sovereign
was to make his appearance. Suddenl
the portals are thrown open, and the En-
peror, Empress and the Grand Dukes trav
erse the gallery, in the midst of the guest:
hastily formed in two rows, his majesty ad
dressing occasionally few words to VAR
Gus persons Of distinction, with noble an
affable air. Then the Imperial group di:
appeared through = door opposite to the on
at which they had entered, followed at
respectful distance by the grand dignitarie
of the State, and the diplomatic corps, an
various generals and courtiers. Scarcel
had the cortege entered the ball room tha
the eye was likewise there, furnished tn
time with good opera glass. The a
was furnace Of light and heat you coul
almost have imagined the place on fir
A girdle of light ran along the cornice:
in the embrasure of the windows candel