The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-12-04
A RUSSIAN PALACE.
4 QUADRANGLE OF COURTS, HALLS,
ROOMS AND GALLERIES.
The Room Where Gar Nicholas Died -
The True Story of His Dsath-How
an Empress Was Left to Die
Alone.

Americans ars treatsi with the worry
greatest consideration AMI kindness while
travelling through Russia Churches,
palaces, museums and picture galleries are
thrown opsn IL we simply ask. But not so
with the English. They can't get In for
love nor money. It In a real graft 6cation
to be able through this TO @sst upon" some
OF the undsturbed members OF that nation
with which the continent abounis or to
the right rise, the dome of St Isaacs, that
Is a temple worthy Of the worship Of the
Most High God. II Il not so large az St
Peters at Rome, but thsrs all comparison
ceases. From found dation-stone to the cross
on its go'd-covsrsi doms there Is not one
bit Of sham about it. The grand colonnades
of its porticoss surpsss any l have ever
seen, save perhaps the temple OF the sun at
Baalbec
THE WINTER PALACE.
The mere anticipation OF all there Is to
see in this city Il so great that you for
time insist upon lcaflng and not looking at
one thing. It's all thers AMI can't get away
from You. IT'S in your power, so to speak,
and you will look when you get ready; but
the shadow Of Russia Is upon you and soon
compels attention. which grows deep,r and
deeper as time goss by. The winter palace
Il.
figures beyoni the work of an uneducateI
Fin) shaie the portals OF the far-famed
hermitage. A lifetime could be passed in the
latter and somsthing n,w foun1 every day.
The palaces and churches OF Russia make
the rest OF Europ, seem very poor; still.
do not think the winter palace in very good
taste. 1t isa vast quadrangle OF court'
halls throne rooms and gallerie', all
iumblsd together. with no especial plan
tsave in it, interior. AMI 90 immsnse that
they should build narrow-guage railroad
for Sight-saers. H. givas constant shelter tn
s'ms T.0oo people. vet YOU may pass
through the whole Of it Az | not see one.
1t was not its splendor which interested
me the most. We had wandered for hours.
until utterly wearied with the grandeur and
glitter Of its splendid rooms we were ush-
cred into a small apartment, so poor and
simple in its appointm ants that thought 1t,
with its camp bel and wooden table, a
guard-room On the table lay a few maps:
across the bed an army cloak and simple
acocked hat;' no curtain at the window. no
chair. save a cam, stool On the table lay
folded pocket handkerchief. and bending
dowE saw, now faded and nearly gone, the
name Nicholas" In an instant all weari-
ness had vanished and interest most intense
where the gr,at emp,ror's heart hal broken.
and where though he ruled all Russia, he
disd utterly alone.
DEATH OF NICHOLAS.
Thew tall the story Of his death In s..
P,tnrsburg az the world does not know II.
R~ok an -hsartsi over the reverses in the
Crimsa. AMI unwilling t, live IL he must
lose aught of his ~rar 'au". h summoned to
him an ohscurs ph~<'cia, anl comman lei
him to give the car of Russia potion that
would "eni life quickly and painlessly.'
The man. astoundsd and affrightsi, refused
utterly, but was toll that after such a re-
quest from such source he must obey or
lose his own life. That settled it. He was
paid heavily an sent out Of the kingdom.
The next mornin. tho great Czar Nicholas
lay upon his cam,-bsi. wrapped In his
cloak, dead: and following soon after the
physician was founi murdersi In bis bed in
HeidelberZ They snv the bowling Of the
wolves from across thu Nsva c,uld be di'-
tinctly heard the night Nicholas died. How
the comic AMI trage lie tread close upon
each other In this life.
We were taken fr,m Nicholas room TO
that Of the late empress, and while passing
through the golden drawing-room one OF
the young ladies' of the party was taken
rid d, and incrsssel his horror by sitting
down on the floor there were no chairs and
bowling with laughter. We were obligei
TO wait until her brother took her home. and
were allowed to do so in the room where the
empress diel. She had been In Italy for
several winters battling with that enemy
OF her family, consumption, weary with her
banishment She begged to 20 home, and
the car was told that IL there was room
especially prepared and kept at the same
temperature constantly she might live for
soma years, even In Russia The room was
prepared, and she cam, home only to suffer
most horribly. an begged constantly to
die Finally, his ma jssty asked her phyi-
clan how long she would live IL the windows
were opsnsd AMI the cold let in. "Twenty
minutes" was ths reply. @Then open the
windows" AMI, as they did so, all left the
rom. and she, empires. Of so many millions.
was left to cross ths dark waters utterly
alone. Not even her daug hter stayed to
holl her hand. These are some Of the
shadows Of the winter palace