Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-04-12
The Play thing OF an Empress.

The PIaything OF an Empress.
More than a hundred years ago the
great country east of Germany, known as
Russia, was ruled by the Empress Anne.
1t is very cold. country and the winter
is very long. The capital is st. Peters
burg. and through it the river Neva
runs. This river freezes in winter, and
the ice is frequently so solid that it will
bear an army of several thousand men
with all their heavy guns and mOrtars,
and these be discharged without so
much as cracking the ice.
At the close of the year 1889, during
an extremely cold winter, the empress
ordered one of her architects to build an
ice palace. The great square in front of
the royal palace was chosen for it's site.
Blocks of the clearest ice were selected,
carefully measured, and even ornament
ed with architectural designs. They
were raised with cranes and carefully
placed in position, and were cemented
together by the pouring of water over
them. The water soon froze and made
the blocks one solid wall of ice. The
palace was fifty-six feet long, seventeen
and one-half feet wide, and twenty-one
feet high. Can you imagine anything
more beautiful than such building
made of transparent ice and sparkling in
the sun?
1t was surrounded by balustrade,
behind which were placed six ice cannon
on carriages. These cannon were
exactly like real metal ones, and were
so hard and solid that powder could be
fred in them. The charge used was
a quarter of pound of powder and a
ball of oakum. At the first trial of the
cannon an iron ball was used. The en-
press with all her court was present,
and the ball was fired. 1t pierced O
plank two inches thick at distance of
sixty feet.
Besides these six cannon in front of
the palace. there were two mortars which
carried iron balls weighing eighty
pounds with a charge of one-quarter of
pound of powder. Then, too, there
were two ice dolphins, from whose
mouths fame of burning naptha was
thrown at night with most beautiful
effect. Between the cannon and dol
phins, in front of the palace, there was
a balustrade of ice ornamented with
square pillars. Along the top of the
palace there was gallery and balus-
trade which was ornamented with round
balls. In the center of this stood four
beautiful ice statues.
The frames of the doors and windows
were painted green to initiate marble.
There were two entrances to the palace,
on opposite sides, leading into square
vestibule which had four windows All
the windows were made of perfectly
transparent ice, and at night they were
hung with linen shades on which gro
tesque figures were painted, and illum-
mated by great number of candles.
Before entering the palace one ma
turally stopped to admire the pots Of
flowers on the balustrade, and The
orange trees on whose branches birds
were perching. Think of the labor ant
patience required to make such perfect
limitations of nature in ice |
Standing in the vestibule, facing on,
entrance and having another behind
one could see a door on either hand
Let us imagine ourselves in the room OF
the left. 1t is sleeping room appar
emily, but if you stop to think that ever,
article in it is made of ice you will
hardly care to spend a night there an,
yet it is said that two persons actual,
slept on the bed there for an entire
} night On one side is toilet-table
: Over it hangs mirror, on each side O
which are candelabra with ice candles
Sometimes at night these candles wer
lit by being dipped in naptha. On tn
table is watch pocket, and variety o
, vases, boxes, and ornaments of curiou
. and beautiful design. At the other side O
the room we see the bed hung with cur
tains, furnished with sheets and cover
. lid and two pillows, on which are place
two night-caps. By the side of the be
on a foot-stool are two pairs of slippers
! Opposite the bed is the fireplace whicl
= is beautifully carved and ornamented
Q In the CRATE lie sticks of wood ais
I made of ice, which are sometimes hghte
! like the candles by having napth
. poured over them.
r The opposite room is dining-room
9 In the center stands table on which
y a clock of most wonderful workmanship
The ice used is SO transparent that o.
o the wheels and works are visible. 0
} each side of this table two beautiful
carved sofas are placed, and in the col
It ners of the room there are statues. o
Q one sides we see o sideboard covere
- with variety of ornaments. We ope
the doors and find inside a tea-seI
glasses and plates which contain
variety of fruits and vegetables, q
made of ice but painted in imitation (
i nature.
IS Let us now go through the opposit
n door and notice the other curious thing
h outside the palace. At each end of ii
|. balustrade we see o pyramid with o
n opening in each side like the dial of
d clock. These pyramids are hollow, ar
n at night man stands inside of them ar
Is exhibits illuminated pictures at IL
IS grand openings.
1t Perhaps the greatest curiosity of all
% the life-like elephant at the right Of ii
10 palace. On his back sits Persian hol
E. ing battle-axe, and by his side star
n two men as largeas life. The elephan
rs too, is hollow, and is 80 constructed tn
N in the daytime stream of water
l. thrown from his trunk to q height
to twenty-four feet, and at night flame
Y burning naptha. In addition to this, Il
lg wonderful animal is so arranged tn