Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-05-14

The Winter Palace, where the imperial |
family are '.at home" when in S.. Peters |!
burgh is vast pile Of buildings, forming |
great quadrllateral Immediately across
q wide street is the Admiralty Palace, q |
bare, white building, with pointed seeple |
1t might pass, but for its immense size, for |
u New England meeting house that had |
strayed away to the banks Of the Neva. The
front Of the Winter Palace is rather bro
fusely decorated and broken with bsy-win-
dows that look like modern eruptions upon
a timeworn front. The Museum is close
at hand, and in the square in front stands
fine statue Of Victory" raised in honor
Of Suvaroh- But perhaps as striking
statue as any in the world Is one near the
st. Isaac's Cathedral Of Peter the Great
He is on horseback, the horse rearing high
on its hina legs, and only the hind feet and
the tip If .she tail touch ths pedestal of
rough rock. The statue is more than life
size, and Its wonderful poise Is given by
the tail, which weighs 10, 600 pounds,
Probably the portions OF the Winter
Palace most interesting to those who are
allowed the privilege of visiting 1t all, are
the rooms Of Peter the Great and the jewel
| room. In the former. everything that the
| Russians have been able to gather Of their
greatest ruler has been preserved. There
are bis working tools, his old clothes, frag-
| ments Of his work in Holland and at home
| and the furniture he had in his Dutch cab
| in. There are little hints and ideas given
| by the fragments Of the man personality
| that give one clearer views of his indoml-
| table will and resolute courage than can be
| gained from any books. The jewel room
is a rare sight-nOthing else in Europe
| equals it. he jewels in the Tower in
London are SO arranged as to give the most
unsatisfactory kind of opportunities for ex-
animation, even to those who are admitted
to private view w'-and as for the multi
| tude who stumble over each others heels in
a vain attempt to keep up with the high
| and mighty beef eater who acts as guide on
public days-I.eaven help them; they can
learn no more shout the Tower jewels than
about IL last years BIRDS nest. The jewel
room in the Winter Palace is large, light,
| airy room. The magnificent crown, with
q pigeons blood ruby larger than all-egyg in
the crest, is under glass case, convenient
| lv placed about breast-high. Close by is
the sceptre, having the great Russian dia-
| mond in Its head, gem weighing 1874
karats. Around the room are precious
stones in such abundance and of such size,
| that one ceases to regard diamond of less
than 80 or 40 karats as worth looking at.
The collection of pearls, too, is SAID to be
| the finest in the world, and as one looks at
rows upon rows of them, varying from the
size of peas to the size of plums, it seems
hard to realize that they are the costly
things they are.
The Emperor's private railroad train is
one of the other marvels of the capital: not
that it can always be seen there, but that is
where it belongs. 1t consists of II separate
coaches, made in general appearance like
the ordinary Continental coach. AS rule
the train makes up with eight or nine Of
them, containing the personal coaches
dining room, kitchen, ETC., Of the imperial
family. Five OF these are SO opened at the
en- Is and Joined with flexible joints as to
make one continuous coach, and this por-
ton contains the sleeping apartments, dress
Ing rooms, dining-rooms, etc., while the
remainder is devoted to the members of the
suite, the servants, light baggage and the
kitchen The heavy baggage is sent for
ward in other coaches, but as they are all
q decorated alike on the outside, the con-
! spirators who exploded the mine near Mos
! COW had no means of knowing that they
were only blowing up the Cars coats and
trousers instead of bus sacred person. The
! coaches are Of a dark green color outside
ornamelited with only q moderate amour,
! of gold except at each, corner, where th'
!, double he 4led eagle of the Russian arms il
consplcuoL ) displayed. The saloons o.
:, the continuous coach are upholstered in va
+ rioYs elegant materials, each apartment be
!, ING in distinct style as in house. Th
coaches were formerly the property Of tn
. Empress Eugene, ofFrance, but when sh
- went out of the imperial business they wer
4 bought at auction tor the Gar.