Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-11
he iCe.PaIaCe.

THE winter of the year 1740 was very
severe one in Russia; poverty and mis-
cry abounded in the land, and, in order
to give occupation to some of the many
thousands of people who were thrown
out of work by the inclemency of the
season, the Empress Anne planned and
caused to be constructed a work of archi-
lecture which, though of little durabih-
ty, had the merit of entire originality.
This was the celebrated ice-palace which
was built in st. Petersburg according to
the designs of Alexis Danilowitsch.
1t was made out of the purest and
most transparent ice cut out in great
masses from the frozen Neva, and
brought up tC the building-site by means
of cranes and pulleys. The single
blocks were worked out in the
most accurate manner and adorned
with various architectural decorations;
when two completed ones were to
be placed upon each other water
was first poured between them, which,
freezing, at once united them in a
single mass. Thus the whole building
seemed to be cut out of one frozen whole
and the blush tint of the pure ice made
it resemble one of those enchanted edi-
fees carved out of single diamond of
which we read as children in fairy tales
The house, properly so called, was
forty-siX feet long, eighteen broad and
tIUp Th 20 HiIri6 cd
by pillars into compartments, in each of
which was window, the framework
being painted green; the panes, also of
ice, were as transparent and smooth as
ground glass; at night they were gener-
ally lighted up from the inside and then
the whole house was Illuminated by the
softest pearly light. The center division
looked like an entrance and was richly
decorated, the real inlets being at the
back and consisting of two moderately
sized openings, about which were
grouped flowers and trees; on the latter
were perched quaint-looking birds, all
made of ice and gayly painted so as to
resemble nature. The roof which sur
mounted the whole was fiat and sur
rounded by an ornamental balcony,
decorated by statues standing upon low
pedestals. Round the house was fixed
an elaborate railing, also of ice, which
inclosed a broad space for walking. In
front of this Enclosure stood six guns,
three on each side. They were of the
size of four-pounders, but being of ice
they were only loaded with half pound,
and the balls, which consisted of
pressed tow, would pierce through
board two inches thick from distance
of sixty steps without bursting the
gun. On each side lay a dolphin, which
threw up lofty jets of naphtha at night
and SO formed two beautiful fountains of
fire. At both ends of the row of guns in
front of the Enclosure stood two pyra-
midal buildings, on each of which was
painted a sun-dial. They were lighted
up at night with great paper lanterns.
On the left side of the house was life
sized elephant; upon his back was man
with a battle-ax, and in front two guides
in Persian costume. The elephant was
hollow, and spurted from beneath his
tusks, twenty-four feet into the air, by
day a shower of water, and by night a
feathered spray of glowing naphtha At
the right side was an enormous bath,
made, in true Russian fashion, of round
blocks Of ice.
The interior of the house was divided
into three compartments, viz, a spacious
ante-rOOm and two side apartment: ones
OF these was arranged as a bedroom,
and contained, in addition to a table
borne by two tigures-upon which were
placed every species of sweet-smelling
casket and bottle-a pair of candle
sticks, aud candles which were dipped
in naphtha, and shone at night without
melting; a looking glass and little
clock hung on the wall. The bedstead
was richly furnished with pillows.
blankets and beautiful embroidered
coverlid; these were the only things in
the whole palace that were not made OF
ice. On one side was pretty fireplace
and CRATE filled with ice-coals, which
were also dipped in naphtha, and shone
brightly at night.
The second room might be called the
dining-r room. The most charming adOrn-
ment there was lovely clock, through
the transparent case of which the whole
mechanical array Of wheels could be