Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-26
An Ice Palace or the Past.

The construction of ice palaces goes
back To the time Of the Empress Anne of
Russia. who had one built in st. Peters
burg In 1889. The manner Of building
was very simple; the purest and most
transparent ice was selected; it was cut
from the Neva in large blocks, which
were then squared with rule and compass,
and carved out with regular architectural
embellishments. When each block was
ready it was raised to its destined place
by cranks and pulleys, and an instant be-
fore letting 1t down upon the block which
was to support it little water was thrown
between the two, the upper block was
Immediately lowered. the water froze and
the two became literally one. The whole
building, in fact, appeared to be and real
~ was all Of one piece, producing with
out contradiction an effect infinitely more
beautiful than if it had been butt of the
most costly marble, its transparent and
blush tint giving it rather the appearance
Of . precious stone" The dimension of
the building were in English measure
Lenght fifty-six feet. depth eighteen feet.
height. including the roof. twenty-one feet.
This is the body Of the house; the pail
sading was eighty-seven feet in length and
thirty-six in width. and the actual lenght
of the front view. including the pyramids at
the corners, was ia feet. When the work
was completed the public were allowed an
unrestricted passage through every part of
the building. This ut first caused
q great deal of confusion. which
was, however, obviated by surrounding
the entrance with wooden railway, and
stationing police officers who allowed only
q certain number of persons in at one
time.
The facade was plain. being merely d.
vided into compartments by pilasters. In
each division there was q window, the
framework of which was painted to rep
resent green marble. 1t was remarked
that the ice, at the low temperature which
prevailed. took the paint perfectly well.
The panes were formed of slabs oil ice as
transparent and smooth as plate-glass- At
night these windows were generally light
ed up, and most commonly grotesgue
transparencies, painted on canvass. were
placed In the windows. The effect OF the
Illumination Is said to have been very fine
~ the light appeared not only at the win
dows, but from the transparency of the
material. the whole palace was filled with
delicate pearly light. The centre divis-
ion projected and appeared to be door;
but 1t was in fact large window, and was
illuminated like the Others An orna-
mented balustrade surmounted the facade
Of the building. and behind was the slop-
ing roof with chimneys, In the usual style
Of Russian architecture. A handsome bal
ustrade. all of ice. ran around the outside
Of the building. A large space was left
for promenade between the balustrade
and palace. There were also two en-
frances behind. with gates handsomely
0rnamented with orange trees in leaf and
flower, with birds perched on the branch
o.. all In ice.
Six ice cannons. regularly bored and
turned, with their wheels and carriages,
stood before the balustrade, three on each
side. These were Of the caliber of such
as usually receive three pounds of powder.
but being of so fragile material it was not
considered safe to put in more than a
quarter of pound the ball was of hard
tow. well rammed in. Two or three times
iron balls were fred from these cannon
without bursting them. The experiment
was tried in the presence OF the court, and
the ball pierced a strong plank, two inches
thick, at distance of sixty PAGES. Two
mortsrs stood on each side of the entrance
These were the size of those which carry
shell eighty pounds. When fired the
charge OF powder was the same rs that
for the cannon. On the same line stood
two dolphins. which were made to throw
. stream of inflamed naphtha out of their
mouths at night by means of concealed
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