The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-25

Ana over the clouds II so
Up he went Ike streak Of lightning.
Lit on the mooa like a thunderbolt.
NouSht could he ind bns man with lantern
Riding about on peS-green colt.
Oh Heieh-ho' Why did come herr oh ,
A aing and swing, and fAp Of my wing
And bsck 70 the earth III SO.
or he sho; Ike blazing rocket,
Down he came like falling star.
WhA, should he meet but gay little goshAwk
FLYING up from the earth 50 FAR,
Oh Heigh-ho. Poor little grAsshoppsr. Oh ,
A snap and squeak in the bonny birds beak.
And there Was Sn end Of him. oh
Thc FtaythiuE OF kmprean.
More than hundred years ago the
great country east Of Germany, known as
Russia, was ruled by the Empress Anne.
Ii is very cold country and the winter
Is very long. The capital is ST. Peters
burg. and through 1t the river Neva
runs. This river freezes in winter, and
the ice Is frequently so solid that il will
bear an army of several thousand men
With all their heavy guns and msrtars,
and these be discharged without So
much as cracking the ice.
At the close Of the year l739, 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 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 tfty-six feet long, seventeen
and one-half feet wide. and twenty-one
feet high. Can you imagine anything
more beautiful than such a building
made of transparent ice and sparkling in
the sun?
II was surrounded by balustrade,
behind which were placed six ice cannon
on carriages. These cannon were
exactly ike real metal ones, and were
50 hard and solid that powder could be
fired IN them. The charge used was
a quarter of pound of powder and n
ball Of oakum. At the first trial Of the
cannon IN iron ball was used. The EN-
press with all her court was present,
and the ball was fired. It pierced a
plank two inches thick at a 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
a pound of powder. Then, too, there
were two ice dolphins, from whose
mouths a 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
balustrade Of ice ornamented with
square pillars. Along the top OF the
palace there was a 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
we're painted green to initiate marble.
There were two entrances to the palace,
on opposite sides, leading into a square
yeshbule 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 a 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
we're perching. Think Of the labor and
patience required to make such perfect
limitations Of nature in ice
Standing in the vestibule, facing one
entrance and having another behind,
one could sec a door on either hand.
Let Us imagine ourselves In the room on
the left. 1t is a sleeping room appar-
emily, but II you stop to think that every
article in it is made Of ice you viii
hardly care TO spend a night there and
vet it is said that two persons actually
slept on the bed there for an entire
night On one side is n tOilet-table.
Over it hangs a mirror, on each side OF
which are candelabrs with ice candles.
at night these candles were
lit by being dipped in nsptha. On the
table is a watch-pocket, and a variety Of
vases, boxes, and ornaments OF curious
and beautiful design. At the other side OF
the room we see the bed hung with cur
tains, furnished with sheets and cover
lid and two pillows, on which are placed
two night-caps- By the side Of the bed
on foot-stool are two pairs of slippers.
Opposite the bed is the fireplace which
is beautifully carved and ornamented.
In the CRATE lie sticks Of wood also
made Of ice, which are sometimes lighted
like the candles by having naptha
poured over them.
The opposite room is dining-room
In the center stands table on which is
a clock OF most wonderful workmanship.
The ice used Is SO transparent that sll
tue wheels and works'are visible. On
each side OF this table two beautifully
,arved sofas are placed, and in the cor
ners of the room there are statues. On
one sides we see q sideboard covered
with variety OF ornaments. We open
The doors and find inside a tea-set,
glasses and plates which contain
variety Of fruits and vegetables, all
made of ice but painted in imitation of
nature.
Let us now go through the opposite
door and notice the other curious things
outside the palace. At each end of the
we see pyramid with an
opening in each side like the dial of
,lock. These pyramids are hollow, and
AZ pi0h4 a ynar stands iurida nf thayn and
exhibits illuminated pictures at the
grand openings.
Perhaps the greatest curiosity Of all is
he life-like elephant at the right of the
palace. On his back sits Persian hold
ng battle-axe, and by his side stand
Two men as large as life. The elephant,
100, is hollow, and is so constructed that
n the daytime a stream OF water is
brown from his trunk to a height of
iwenty-four feet, and at night flame OF
burning naptha. In addition to this, the
wonderful animal is so arranged that
rom time to time he utters the most
unnatural cries. This is done by means
1f pipes into which air Is forced.
On the left of the palace islands q
small house, built of round blocks OF ice
assembling. logs, interlaced one with
mother. This is the bath-house, with
3nt which no Russian establishment Is
This bath-house was actually
heated and used on several occasions.
When this wonderful ice-palace was
sompleted it was thrown open TO the