St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-13
WON BY THE BLUE.
The Crystal Castle Captured by the
Victorious Grand Army.

been captured. DefYing the forces of the
elements. serenely and sublimely Indifferent
to the fierce assault of the King of Fire and
stubbornly eOntesting the majestic power
of the sun, the crystal castle has lowered
its flag to the resistleSs might of the soldier.
1t was fitting finale to the series of sub
lime scenes of which the palace has been
the center, that when its fall came at last
its defeat was received at the hands of that
inyinclble band of heroes which went forth
conquering and to conquer, and for twenty
long years has rested beneath the laurel;
and it was with a keen sense of the eternal
fitness of things that the carnival directors,
in arranging the program, conferred this
distinguished honor upon those most
worthy.
sToRNING THE CASTLE
has twice been the leading event of great
day, and each time was a grand and gor-
geouS spectacle, viewed with shouts of rap
ture and exclamatiOns of surprise and
pleasure by vast throngs, whose numbers
| could only be estimated. Everything con-
duced to the success of last nights great
scenes. 1t was lovely winter evening,
not too cold for outdoor exercises. The
crescent moon rode through clear sky, the
| stars looking out from a dark velvety back
ground, against which the startling pyrO-
| technic display shOne out with live splen-
dor. Nothing could have been more per-
| feet. The faint breeze scarcely sufficed to
/ shake the folds OF the castle gOnfalOn until
after the heavy cannOnading had disturbed
the atmosphere. The palace of crystal.
enclosing its defending forces, wore its
| lOveliest aspect and involuntary eXclama-
tiOns of delight escaped from the
multitude as it caught its first
| glimpse of the fairy scene Upon
| approaching the battle-ground the massive
gateway first attracted the gaze. Its tur-
| rets glowed with vivid brilliancy i'm four
colors. bright crimson, emerald green, dele
cate rose color and faint lilac while the
structure as whole caught up and reflect
ed the various hues, which colOred the sur
rounding structures. The glare of day
could scarcely have more brilliantly illumi-
mated the approach, and if more light were
wanted it was furnished by the ceaseless de-
struction of fireworks from the surrounding
residences. With comm dable zeal all the
| property owners in the immediate neigh
bOThOOd had Illuminated in varied and
beautiful style, so that every avenue of APP
proach was scene of fairy beauty. But
ECLIPsING EVERYTHING,
and shining out with radiance that battles
description, the ice palace stood, more
as if resenting the imDutation that it had
suffered from isothernal causes. the castle
lifted up its crystal walls in renewed beauty.
There no longer was that delicate picture
of crystal framed in silyer-it was gone, but
in its stead the towers and turrets and
bastions were soft and creamy. One might
have fancied delicate covering of creamy,
transparent velvet bad envelOped the giant
structure, through which the icy crystals
still glittered with their imprisoned tongues
of flame. each Haunted in dazzling discord
by a mischievOuS gnome. One turret
cleaned with rose-eolOred heart of flame;
another was q beautiful sea-green; a third
was delicate lavender or lilac, while the
fourth glowed a pure, binding white
These lights were repeated throughout the
castle with varying intensity, showing here
fierce and there faint, but always
beautiful. Happy the artist who could
transfer to canvas that living
picture! No human art could compass such
a feat, and no fabulous tale of oriental
splendOr could equal il. Aladdin's palace,
fresh from the matchless hands of the genii,
never shOne with such glittering splendor.
Descriptive language fails in conveying any
adequate idea of the picture, and the castle
could only have been matched by structure
carved from one gem, uniting in itself the
beauty of the diamond, the ruby, the EN-
erald and the opal. The eye saw and th5
mind realized, but the tongue was dumb.
A lOng-drawn breath expressed more than q
dictionary of adjectives.
SCENES AND CROWDS.
Just before the arrival of the contending
armies and the beginning of hOstilities, the
scene was one well worthy of preservation.
From an elevation in the rear of the palace q
panorama lay spread out, second only to the
castle itself in point Of beauty and
fascination. The central figure was the
castle itself, solitary, cleaning, glowing, a
monument of splendOr in the midst of a
I dense human circle 800 yards in diameter.
she space so cleared being the battle ground
proper. The human enclosure was solid
mass of spectators, twenty deep. and en-
oracing. at the least calculation. 80, 600 per-
sons. Its outside serried edge extended
over the entire park, and was restless,
! moving mass, wandering and struggling.
Every building on the ground was freighted
| with humanity, for from an elevation above
could perfect view be obtained. Outside
4 the enclosure was another dense mass tax
ing advantage of a cheap view from dis
tance. This throng extended entirely
, around the park. and its number may be
| imagined, not described or calculated.
| Upon the high bluff to the north, overlook
ing the entire scene, were thousands more,
rough estimate placing the number at
1000
In every direction the city lay spread out
! In utter darkness, by the contrast, even the
/ moon losing its lustre in the presence of
| that wonderful brillancy. A wall of dense
| height seemed to shut in the scene, sOOn
| 20 be the theatre of such thrilling events.
There was long interval, but no murmur,
! for in that presence time and the outside
world went on unnOted.
THE ASSEMBLING ARMIES.
Presently faint sound of martial music
is heard, and in the distance comes the van
guard of the defenders. the cohorts OF the
Ice King. Proudly and briskiy they come
on. the heroes of two battles and confident
of victory in the third. Endless the line
seems, winding its length along. but soon
the capacious chambers of the castle have
swallowed it up The wind shakes out the
folds of the banner of the bear. as ever.
turret and embrasure is manned anc
preparations concluded for vigorous de
fence. Again music is heard ein the
distance, and presently the lights are re
fected from the blue coats of the assembling
forces. The Grand Army of the Republic
comes. Heroes in 100 battles, victOrs o
100 fields. they move undauntedly on, tn
2 brazen instruments filing the air wit
g .sTramp. Tramp, Tramp, the Boys ar
: Marching" 1t is regal sight as the vet
4 erans march on, the spirit Of other day
: stealing over them and memories of Ion
+ past crowding back upon them. On the
come. with steady, denant tread, the light
: cleaning on their arms and touching with
a soft caress the stars and stripes that streaI
q above them. Each grizzled, war-worn an