Daily Republican., 1885-01-28
WONDERFUL STRUCTURES,


A uAONIFlC8NTB BUILDING IN NT. |
PRrERsBURG OVER ONE HUN
DRED YEARS AGO.
The lsst week in this month was fixed
some time ago as the time for the open.
every thing being III readiness, It was
commenced on Monday, and will ter
inmate on Saturday. One 0fthe princi
pal features OF the carnivAls In that city
Is the ice palace, which ia annually
erected. and the one this year is on ~
larger and more elaborate scale than
ever before attempted. The ground
plan is elliptical, 100 feet in length, aud
100 feet in width, and the main tower 10
100 feet high, while the towers at the
ends Of the ellipse are each thirty -eigh
feet high.
The entrances on the front and rear
are arched aud hanked by round tow
ers A feet high, and the towers which
abut upon the main tower on the front
and rear are70 feet high, while those
which flank IL laterAlly are so feet
high. The entire tructure IL composed
of about sixteen thousand blocks of
clear Ice, each 40 by 20 inches. At
night the building Is brilliantly lighted
by electric lights Of changing hues, the
effect Of which through the translucent
| walls Is inexpressibly beautiful and
grand. The warm weather which set
IN about Christmas time bid fair TO do.
lay IL not prevent altogether the cOm-
| pletion OF the palace, but welcome
change commenced on New Years eve,
and few hours of the cold wave which
then made its appearance, sufficed to
remove all fears Of q failure, and make
every ything all right.
A large force Of men were Immediate
ly put to work by the contractor, whose
first efforts were directed TO leveling
of the ice walls that had stood the
warm wave. When this was accom-
Iplished, the blocks Of Ice which had
been sawed out of the river, Of q uni
form size, were hoisted TO their places,
but instead Of mortar, or cement and
trowel, water and tin cup were
used. The workmen also used a sharp
stout axe with narrow blade instead
of the heavy hammer used by stone
masons. A large ice lion guards the
entrance, and fully ten Thousand per
sons. many of whom were Americans
witnessed the unveiling ont Sunday
night. The carnival 10 now fully
inaugurated, and as may be expected
shis magnifici mt ice palace Is he cen
ire of attraction.
A MAGNIFICENT PALACE
In January, l74O, an Ice palace wa
erected in st. Petersburg for the Elm
press Anne, which Was ~ grand al,
magnificent, that writer Of that da,
said 1t deserved TO be placed among th
!, | stars, to be transported To Saturn, th
temperature of which distant planet h.
Thought fitted 10 give IL permanency
The ice for it's construction was gu
from the river Neva, In large blocks
y which were then squared with rule AM
compass. and carved out with all tn
regular architectural embellishments
When each block was ready, IL wa
raised TO its desired place by cranes An
pulleys, and al instant before letting
down upon the block which WAS to SUI
port IL, "A little water was thrown bt
tween the two, the upper block wa
INN ediately lowered, the water froz
and the two literally became one. an
when finished the entire structure wa
n solid mass This building WAS 70 fee
long, IL feet wide, and 81 feet high. TIL
h palisading was 81 feet In length, and
in width, making the actual length {
Il the from. view. including the pyramid
The facade was lain, being merel
IT j vided into comy yaItments by piiai
ters, In each division of which ther
was window, TIE frame work beiL
rainLed 10 resemble green marble. III
Ianss were formed of slabs of ice, a
80 transparent and smooth As plate glass
at nj 2ht these windows were iigh'e
n up aud covered with grotraque tram
m parsn cies painted ON canvass, making
most beautiful effect
A handsome balusrrade, all OF ie
n ran around the outsid. of the building
and large space tor promenading va
sc left between the palaces and this balu
trade. There were also two entranct
- in the rear, with gates handsomely o
,e namented with orange trees in leaf al
, flower, with birds perched on Il
a branches, all of ice. Six cannOus, reg
larry turned and bored with their whee
u and carriages, stood before the balu
h trade, three on each side, which we
fired several times with charges of
)e quarter OF pound of powder and to
l. bal.
Ao Two moriars, also of ice, stood {
Ia each side of the cntrar rce ; these we
Il of the size of those ehich carry a she
OF of eighty pounds On the same lii
1 stood two dolphins, which were mac
u TO throw a stream of intiamed naphtl
is out of their mouths at night, by meal
of concealed tubes An elephant
natural size was placed on the left 81,
of the building, and on his back was
Persian holding a battle axe in h
<s hand. Two otLer Persians, one of who
held a spear, were placed in front
HIM. The elephant WAS hollow, al
was made to throw water through Ii
trunk to the height of twenty-io fee
This was done by means OF pip
,a leading from an elevated basin, and
W night naphtha on fire was substituted
It. the water. Inside the palace there W
handsome vestibule, with one roo
SO on each side, In one of which, CALI
&C the bedroom, there was dressii
table with looking glass and a bedstea
to iali OF ice.
IL. The beds,ead was supplied with be
III pillows, and on the right of the roo
ryI there was fire place elegantly carve
With which were logs Of ice. T
ra other room was known an the dinil
or drawing ROOM and contained tai
" and sofas, in addition 10 other furnitul
or and two large statues, all formed
ice. Such is the description OF Il
remarkabl- and expensive toy, built
satisfy the caprice of an Empress, N
which stood from the beginning of la
luary until the IN iddle of March, VIII