Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-07
w0RLD-FAMED LUCKNOW.
A city or Historic Memories and Oriental
HpIendors.


WORLD-FAMED LUCKNOW.
A city or Historic Memories and Oriental
spieudors.
A .pecial correspondent OF the Philadel-
nina Press writes from Lucknow. India
Lucknow, A word 10 conjure with
n word once In the mouth OF every
body and bringing up memories IN detail
Of that most remarkable OF all sieges, when.
for Eve long months q starving garrison OF
1000 souls held out against the harassing
FIRE OF a well-armed, we'll provisioned pagan
snemy.
Commencing at $40 O'Clock one morning.
We managed TO "dO" Lucknow, super
fclalIy at least, by noOn-the day favoring
that late exposure. The first place visited
was the Dilkush2 Palace. Only tue pom
derous ruins Of this once grand structure
are now standing. The walls are fully two
feet thick. and large trees are growing in
the interior. The palace was buili Qn
European style) by an old Mussulman "a a
hunting hox and private residence for the
iayorites OF his harern. The grounds are
stiIl very pretty.
We were next driven to the M,rtiniere
or Constantis, huge rambling pile still in
good state Of preservation, embodying
many types OF essentially Occidental archi-
lecture. The top is Ornamented VITA
good deal Of stucco gingerbread work, and
with a profusion OF statues. including i'm
ages Of NEUROLOGICAL deities aud pranclng
lions with lanterns for eyes. In front OF
the building. and between 1t aud the
Goomty river, is large tank with tall
column in it, centre.
This building has quite history. II was
erected by philantbropic Frcochman
named Claude MARITIME. who came to India
a penniess adveniurer and died major
general worth millions OF dollars. The
building was put up as an enormous costs
little over seyenty-fve years ago. MARITIME
died before it was finished. but left funds
for its endowment as 4 school, ordering
that bis remains should be entombed in it
10 secure il from possible cOniiscaiiOn.
Thus, 40 we approached the building, we
could hear the hun Of two hundred voices.
and saw dark but Smooth.skinned Anglo
Indian boys wandering about, perusIng
their lessons.
GRAND TOBBs AND SPLENDID PALACES.
The tomb OF the first king OF Dude was
the next thing on our list.
Passing by frowZy-headed woman who
was heating her breas, on the street, we
walked under IN immense gate bearing the
inscription "Shah NuzZui" and the name
of;he king. Mira Galzceoddeenhyder. The
tomb proved to bet an immense domcd maui
solemn. adorned with thousands Of candle
holders outside for purposes OF iliumina-
ton and with vast quantities OF glassware
and tineel stuff within. Ii was before this
tomb that the "reliei" OF Lucknow met
with it. severest opposition. Here II was,
also, that Brigadier Adrian Hope distin-
guished himself by going alone to seek for
an unguarded wicket-gate. which he found
Just at the supreme moment.
The Kaiser Bagh, one OF the chief monu.
ments OF Lucknow. was the great work OF
the present ex-king of Dude. Who is state
prisoner at Garden Reach, IN the suburbs
OF Calcutta. IL was commenced in 1913,
and finished about two years later. at a cost
of something like q, 500, 900 in our money.
This Pa.acc OF Caesar. a. The name sgni-
ties, must have been the theatre o! numer-
Gus brilliant spectacles before II was de-
spoiled Of its royal furniture and appoint
ments. rs fountains. gardens. and pIvil-
iona still testify Of the splendors OF the
past. when they belonged TO one OF the most
extrayagant OF Eastern courts. Lying all
around the great open square OF the
more or less prcientious, that served to
shelter some part Of the royal household or
lis belongings. There l. one court that
was formerly paved with silver There
are tcmbS. gales, and ObScrYatories; and
over on the bank Of the Goomty river IRE
two more elaborate palaces, one called the
chutter Munzil, 10y reason OF the gilt umbTel-
las with which its domeS are surmounted.
This building Is now used - q museum
and public library hall.
vEE GREAT lNkMBAhA.
But whatever Of architectural fame Luck
now has is embodied in the great Imam
bara. Even this is OF brick, plaStered over,
but one quite iorgets that in the first burst
Of superficial admiration. The entrance 30
the tomb-fOr it is tomb, like many OF In
dia's graudest palaces-is marked by the
usual richly decorated double gatcways.
within which il n large tablet, inscribed
with the British lion and unicorn. aud tue
universal "Diev et Non DrOiI."
The real Imambara stands upon an e'e-
waited terrace at the rear OF spacious
court filed with fountains and flowers. Ii
was built by Nawab Asafud-daulah. at Al
inestimable cost. He Wa anxious TO per-
petuate his memory, and required tbs
architects To submit their plans 10 a com
petition, each one VOuching that hiS
building should be n copy of no cX-
l.ting structure. and that it should sur
pass everything OF the kind ever built
in architectural beauty. Ktiiat-ullsh,
the successful competitor. buiIded well. Snd
| humbly bow before this graceful. monu.
merit Of the art Of antiquity. The dimen-
sions Of the grand hsi are l67 feet by 80
feet, and ut each end are oetlgon3l apart
ments SO feet in diameter. The interior is
filed with the same eXquisitcly useless in
sigma that | noticed in the Shsh NuZIuf.
Around about .he lmambIra are various
magnificent foundations and incomplete
structures, left by this same Nawab
There Is an incipient muiid intended to
surpass the famous Jumma Musiid OF Delhi,
but at his death il failed to materialize fur
ther. There are also four stories OF gi-
gantic watch-tower, which he started that
he might look down from its top UPON
"the great Babylon that he had built"
also falling into decay.