The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-05-16

laughter IN the right pIaceS--Whlch |
would be awkard for those congressional
declaimeIs who put in the "applause
and -" laughter" themselves CIR aphic.
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 a very cold country and the
winter is very long. The capital is st. !
Petersburg 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 their heavy guns and mOrtars,
and these be discharged without so |
much as cracking the ice.
At the. close of the year 1888, 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 its site.
Blocks of the clearest ice were selected,
carefully measured, and even ornamented
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 fittySsix 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 a balustrade, be-
hind 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 fired In
them. The charged used was a quarter
of a pound of powder and a ball of
oakum. At the first trial of the cannon
an iron ball was used. Inc empress, with
all her court, were present, and the ball
was fred. 1t pierced plank two inches
thick at distance of sixty feet.
| Besides these six cannon in front Of the
palace, there were two mOrLaIs which
carried iron balls weighing eighty pounds
with 2 charge of one quarter of a pound
/ of powder. Then, too, there were tive
! ice dolphins, from whose mouth a flame
/ of burning naptha was thrown at night
( with most beautiful effect. Between the
cannon and dolphins, in front of the
/ palace, there was balustrade OF ice or
namented with square pillars. Along
! the top of the palace there was gallery
! and balustrade which was ornamented
with round balls. In the centre of this
| stood four beautiful ice statues.
! The frames of the doors and windows
we're painted green to initiate marble,
There we two entrances to the palace, on
/ opposite sides, leading into a square YES
/ thule, 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
illuminated by great number of can
dies.
/ Before entering the palace one natu-
rally stopped to admire the pots of flow
ers on the balustrade and the orange
trees, Oh whose branches birds were
perching. Think of the labor and
patience required to make such perfect
limitations on ice
Standing in the vestibule, facing one
entrance and leaving another behind, one
could see door on either hand. Let us
imagine ourselves IN the room on the
lett. 1t is sleeping room apparently
but if you stop to think that every
article in it is made of ice you will
, hardly care to spend night there; and
yet IL is said that two persons actually
slept on the bed there for an entire night.
On one side is a toilet table. Over it
hangs a mirror, on each side of which
are candelabras, with ice candles. Some
times at night these candles were lit by
being dipped in naptha. On the table ii
J a watch pocket and variety OF vases
J boxes and ornaments of curious 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 placed
two nightcaps. By the side of the bed
; on a foOtstoOl, are two pairs OF slippers
Opposite the bed is the fireplace, which
: is beautifully carved and Ornamented
La the CRATE lie sticks of wood
, also made of ice, which are
, sometimes lighted like the candles
by having the napths poured ovel
them.
/ The opposite room is a diningeroom
: In the centre stands a table, on which il
+ q clock OF most wonderful workmanship
The ice used is so transparent that al
( the wheels and works are visible. Or
each side OF this table two beautifully
carved sofas are placed, and in the
= corners of the room there are statues
I On one side we see a sideboard covered
r with a variety OF ornaments. We OpeI
1 the doors aGG aid inside a teaNset, glasses
and plates, which contain a variety o
, fruits and vegetables, all made of ice
painted in imitation OF nature.
Let us now go through the opposite
! door and notice the curious things out
side the palace. At each end of the
balustrade we see a pyramid with an
opening in each side like the dial of
: clock These pyramids are hollow, anC
at night man stands inside of them anC
exhibits illuminated pictures at tn,
grand OF ening.
Perhaps the greatest curiosity Of all j!
Al r., -TyIr oil ; ~ - IL.
: palace. On his back sits Persian hold
! ing battle-axe, and by his side stanC
. two men as large as life. The elephant, too
:. is hollow, and is twenty-four feet long
In addition to this the wonderful ANNA
is so arranged that from time TO time ht
usters the most unnatural cries
? This is done by means of pipes int
9 which air is forced.
D On the let Of the palace stands a small
S house built of round blocks of ice resem
1 bling logs, interlaced one with the other
J. This Is the bath-house, without which N
a Russian establishment is complete. Thi
J baJh-house was actually heated and use,
( on several occasions.
/ When this wonderful ice.palace wa
!. completed it was thrown open 70 tn
S public, and such crowds came to see i
0 that sentinels were stationed in the hous
t to prevent disorder.
= This beautiful palace stood from tn
4 beginning of January until the end o
6 March. Then, as the weather becam
warmer, it began to melt On the soutl
side; but even after it lost its beauty an,
symmetry as a palace il did not becom
entirely useless, for the largest blocks O
! ice were transferred TO the ice-house
: OF the imperial palace, and thus afforde,
graceful refreshment during the summer