Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-13

| FLING SCENES.
From the New York sun
ST. PAUL, Feb. 6.-The festivities which have
| been in progress here since the opening OF the
| ice palace on Monday last week have continued
| without interruption ever since will eliminate
next Friday night, when the Fire King will
attack and carry the glittering stronghold Of
the Ice King. In addition to the three or four
| thousand miscellaneous troops under the com.
mand of the Fire King. his forces on that oc-
casion will be augmented by 1000 Grand
Army men, the whole body being armed with
ing torches, and hand grenades that will burst
ana burn In all the colors of the rain
bow. The besisged within the grim walls
OF the nne old Norman fortress of solid ice,
which the ice king holds will meet the attack
with similar weapons, and will illuminate the
scene OF the struggle by countless rockets fired
hole OF the huge crystal palace. The contest
Will Ira rage for several hours swaying to and fro
as each side alternately gains and loses ground.
Ihere will be dashing sorties and desperate
assaults, roaring artillery and earth-shaking
carry all before them. They will swarm into
the defeated monarch's chilly citadel, fill its
every nook and Granny with warmth and glow
ing light. and dance with the crusty old tyrant's
oest-iooking girls until broad daylight In the
morning. The fire king made a desperate at
tack on the palace last Thursday night. and
showered flames and blue and red and green
balls of fire upon the stronghold until the
heavens were all aglow. But it was no use.
forces FOR the final attack of this week.
This grand winter festival here has been sue
projectors. Things looked pretty gloomy only
few weeks ago The very winter that every
| body wanted to be snug and tight, because 1t
was the first time we had tried to have an ice
palace lark, to which q snug and tight winter
is a necessity, took it into its head to be phe-
nomenally warm and OPEN For weeks beyond
the time when we are generally frozen sOlidly
in here we had next to no ice and barely re-
spectacle fall of snow. The ice palace man.
in nod
sums, which would not only be lost, but the
first of what was hoped would be long series
and dampen zeal for any future efforts.
But the cold came at last and came to stay.
dhe thermometer dropped down to the good
the CHEEKY, familiar greeting, Your nose Is
freezing, neighbour" was once more heard upon
the streets; the snow creaked merrily under
rapidly trottfng footsteps and st. Paul was her
winter self again. Then the ice palace people
fell to work with a will. Great crystal blocks
were dragged by scores of sleds to Central park,
where dozens of hewers cut and rounded them
into shape. Then they were hoisted aoft by
great graphing hooks to the masons on the
walls above, VINO fitted them to their places and
cemented them with buckets of water, which
the keen frost caught before il could run away,
and holding it fast in the cracks between the
blocks. made it q part of the solid masonry
Out OF many hundred blocks the palace thus,
as 1t grew, became one symmetrical mass OF
clear, transparent ice.
On Monday night last it was formally opened
and handed over to the mayor with imposing
line through the streets. There were gorgeous
floats bearing dazzling groups of such red
checked, merry-e eyed girls as are only seen in
this Keen sparkling winter air. Miles OF far
ing torches. spread their bright glow over
countless tobogganing, snow shoe and curling
clubs in every conceivable form of picturesque
uniform. Dangling Chinese lanterns hung
from trees, balconies, and awnings and houses
were ablaze with Illuminated windows while
there were roaring cannon, speech making,
dancing, and everything else In the way Of
noise and light and merrimeut.
FROM that day to this the fun has steadily
grown faster and more furious. The city is
crowded to OVERLOOKING with visitors from the
north. south, east and west. Hotel rooms are
packed iull. anu overflow out into the corridors,
dlnlng-roonS, and everywhere a cot can be
placed. IL beats the most eXtravagant calcula-
lions of the most sanyuine The winter ice
festival Is from this time forth settled pro-
gram for ST. Paul. There will be one every year
unless the ice crop tails.
st. Paul Is indebted to Mr.. George THOMPSON
OF the Dispatch, Tor tine suggestion which led to
all this. Ii was something that might have Oc-
CURED e.la to any body, but it was MIR. Thompson
an Ice palace, and lots of Jun over it every win
ter. Why should not st. Paul? The idea at
once TOOK mold OF the public imagination. A
company was almost immediately formed and
the ground was cleared action Thai was
only about three months ago A commil,ee
went TO Montreal and studied the subject there
learning from the courteous Canadians all that
the Canadians had l.arned from experience
Montreal architects were engaged and soon
came on here with their plans. The site Sc
lecGcd was Central Park, very properly so called
because IL Is just ABOUT as near to the center OF
the city as III could be. 1t Is one Oh the last
parks made, but Is, nevertheless, already very
pretty. 1t Is not large-little more than a
breathing place. In its exact center and run
ming 1foi east TO west across it stands the pal
ace Everybody, even the people from Mon
trel admit that 1t is the nnest ice palace ever
Du1lL, though II is the first one erected in the
United States. 1t is lao feet III length BY 100
in wild tn. with grand, massive, central tower
attaining AN altitude OF 100 feet. This tower is
provided with battleInenLs and embrasures
and the architecture throughout is of the pure
medieval type. The main tower is defended
by an outwork about 81 feet in height with
battiementS and towers at the angles The
outer walls are 20 inches thick aud the cen tral
tower 40 inches and something over 2OtnN,
blocks OF Ice were required in its construction
The interior is lighted by night by about fifLy
large electric lights. There are four grand en-
frances To the palace, through which spectators
pass TO the labyrinth OF apartments yiewfno
the magical effect OF the Solid crystal walls
and refreshing themselves at the various
booths from which eatables and beverages are
dispensed.
II is las years since the idea of building these
beautiful crystal palaces was conceived. and it
was very naturally in Russia that the idea was
frst put in practice. The Empress Anna of
Russia, in 1141 thought it would be a pretty
hoiloh 10 buiId fanciiul palace of the beauti-
fui crystal blocks of ice from the river Neya and
she carried the thought out. II was little more
In dolls play house that she built, however,
as compared TO the stately structure we now
nave here IL was 81 feet in length, 10 in
depth, and II in height, the palisading being
81 Ieet in length by SO feet in Depth In I754
when Empress Elizabeth held a winter feast. an
ice palace oil much greater proportions was
built on the Neya. The idea was Introduced
INTO America by the enterprising citizens of
Montreal In 1883, and a palace was erected On
park adjoining the Windsor hotel In 1884
ahotner palace, more ornate than the first was
Quilt, anu ON the last week in January 1885 a
grand iestivai Was held there with a still more
elaborate Ice edifice as the central attraction
NO" mat ST. Paul has gone into the business
tnis snort list, II may be relied upon, will re.
ceive regular annual addition
1t is an amusing thing 10 see how the stran-
gers 10 our climate take the bitter cold weather
ne air Is SO dry and still they do not feel the
low temperature To anything like the decree
that might De expected, and walk along cheer.
luliy Win their noses and ears frozen and won.
derlng that they feel so comfortable Ar firs,
they imagine people are chatting them when
tney Tell them TO rub snow on their moses or
ears, as the case may be, and, instead of thanks
return an indignant look. But when they are
informed several times, and in q serious way
that precludes all possibility OF chaff that thev
are being iroZen they become panic stricken
anu larry waiiow In the snow until thew look
IKE SO many counterfeits OF Santa Claus The
weather, however, has greatly mOdified and
from up in Dakota we learn TO-DAY That the
thermometer Is ranging as high as 400 and 500
above This weather we expect will be with us
this week, and will add greatly 10 the enjoy.
ment OF the sports attending the CLOSING of Tho
Ten days opening festivities
Nearly everybody except persons from a dis.
lance, Is In costume, and the effect unon the
streets Is very striking. The various tobogsan
ing, curling, and snow-shOe clubs outyie each
oLner IN their efforts to produce picturesque
effects with their htly-colored fur-trimmed
blanket uniform. and the faces of the girls peek
ma