Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-09
THE MONTREAL CARNIVAL.

The CITY Overrun with Enthusiastic
Sight-Seers-The Ice Palace Thrown
Open and the TObOgganinG Grounds
Illuminated.
The winter carnival, says a New York
Times Montreal special Of February 4,
has fairly opened under the most auspI-
cious circumstances and with very bright
/ prospects as regards the all-impOrtant
/ question of the weather. The city is al
ready full of strangers, who have been
arriving by every train since Saturday
as it has never been before. The hotels
/ are taxed to their utmost and the
quarters provided by the Carnival LOdg-
/ ing Committee are fast being taken up. BY
1 far the greater number of visitors consist OF
! Americans, chiefly from New York and
/ Boston, though distant States are also
well represented, and many people have
come from New Orleans to witness a car
/ nival differing in every way from their
/ own. The streets are thrOnged with
eleiohs of every shape and description.
/ from the dashing four-in-hand to the hab-
/ itants red traineau. While the merry
/ Jingle Of their bells rings gayly through
/ the clear frosty air, the pavements are
| filled with curious, jOstllng pedestrians
/ eager to see all that is to be seen. Flags
/ are flying from most of the public build
! ings and many private residences, and
/ the whole town wears gala appearance.
/ The carnival was begun this after
/ noon by throwing open to visitors
all the tobOggan slides and the OPEN
/ ing of the outdoor skating Kinks, where
! hockey tournament was begun IN which
! the Montreal teams opened the COMPETE
] ton. But the great attraction of the at
| ternoon was the arrival Of the Governor
! General and suite by special train from
! Ottawa. Their EXcellencies were most
enthusiastically received, the feature Of
| the reception being a living arch of snow
| shoers, a decidedly unique compliment.
| The arch was covered with eYergreens,
tastefully decorated with flags and by an
! ingenious arrangement of snOw-shOers,
! snow shoes and tOboggans most artistic
/ effect was produced. Manned by hum
! dreds of snOw-shOers i'll their picturesque
| and comfortable costumes, 1t formed a
| grand outdoor tableau Yivant. The arch
| was crowned with a living group repre-
| senting a gigantic bee hive, the crest Of
| the petty branch Of the Governors ances-
! trail tree, with the Lansdowne motto:
.sVirtute non Verbs" Beneath is the
/ word "WelcOme."
| The ice palace, which was thrown open
! to-day, has been inspected by hundreds Of
! strangers, and they We're loud in their
| praises of the beautiful structure, which
| is the centre and crown Of the carnival.
/ It reflects the highest honor on the archi-
| tects, Messrs. Hutchinson and Steele, Of
| this city. 1t is castellated in character,
| and is longer, narrower and higher than
| the one Of last year. 1t is Of composite
! architecture, and in it are from 10000 to
/ 1j.0O) blocks of ice. The main tower is
| 80 feet in height, being at its base and for
| half its height 20 feet square. The next
/ stage. which is about 16 feet square, is set
/ on anglewise and rises to a height of Is
/ feet. on each side there are pinnacles. The
next stage is CT OctagOn shape, is 20 feet
/ high. and is surmounted with 5attlements.
! The extreme length of the building
| is 100 feet, the width being Ga feet in the
/ centre and IS feet at either end. The
| eastern end terminates in an arc or semi
/ circle The western extremity is square.
| There are four thanking towers, the ends
of each being 10 feet square. The porches
at the front and back are II feet by Is
| feet. There is ample provision for admis-
sion and egress, there being four entrances
and three passage ways. The walls at
| the base of the central tower arc feet >
| inches thick and the curtain walls joining
the main building with the TANKS are p
| feet high, the part of the main building
next to the centre tower rising to a height
of % feet. The turrets thanking the main
or central building are SO feet from the
ground. The tower on the corner opposite
| Windsor street is of an altitude of 40 feet,
! the towers on the north and south angles
reaching upward 20 feet.