Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-09-03

ng the celebrated Orapgerie and the

ing the celebrated Orargeris and the
Pare aux Cerfs.
In order to give our readers a better
idea of this vast palace We subIoin Q
short sketch of il for which We are in
debted for the main facts to Encyclo-
pedis Britannica
The avenues of St Cloud, Paris
and Scean converge in the Place a.
Armes. To the west of this large
square magnificent, gilded iron gat
and stone balustrade shut OFF the
great court of the Palace. At the high
est point of the court is an equestrian
statue IN bronze of Louis XIV. To the
right and left of this, stretch the long
wings of the palace, while behind il
stand the central buildings one behind
the other as far as the Marble Court.
The rooms of Louis XIV. were here.
To the north, his Chapel Court and to
the south Princes Court; ON the latter
the inscription: "A toutes les gloires
de Ia France" which inscription Louis
Philippe justified by forming a collec-
tion of 5000 works of art valued at 81
OOn,OOO francs, commemorating the
great events and persons of French
history.
In the north wing is the theatre
where Marie Antoinetts Was married In
May 10th, ITO to Louis XIV, at that
time Dnuphin-
This WAS the first time that the thea
tire WAS used. In the south wing, on
the ground floor, are the Imperial Gal
cries occupied by the President of
Congress when the two Legislative bod
les met at Versailles. Also, the room
where the Chamber of Deputies met
from 1876 TO 1879, and where Congress
laz ~ q.
of 1875 and to elect the President of
the Republic.
The gardens were planned by LIE
Sotre. The ground falls away from a
terrace adorned with ornamental basins,
statues and bronze groups Westward
from the palace, extends a long avenue
planted with trees and having along its
centre the grass of the "Tapis Vert"
green carpet, which is continued by
the Grand Canal 200 feet wide and one
mile long, and which is stIll used for
nautical displays.
On the south, two splendid stair
cases of l03 steps and 66 feet wide lead
past the Orangerie to the Swiss lake
which Is 1872 feet long and 46l feet
wide.
Beyond this is the wood of Satory.
On the north side an avenue, with
twenty Two groups OF lErte CllluEcl
each; each group holding a marble
basin from which a jet of water rises,
and slopes gently down to the basin of
Neptune remarkable for its fine sculp
lures.
The Orangerie, which was one of the
marked features of Louis Mills time,
was rebuilt IN l6S5 by Mausard and is
the finest piece of architecture IN Yer
sallles; the central gallery is sos feet
long and ~ feet wide and each side
gallery is 375 feet long.
Here can be seen 200 orange trees
one of which is said to be over 465
years old. Three hundred other va
rieties of trees are also to be found
here.
In the time of Louis XIV. the Grand
Canal was covered with gondolss, and the
evening entertainments we're usually
closed with beautiful display of fire.
works.
Now, the chief attractions at Yer
ssilles are the fountains and the water
works, both made by Louis XIV. In
imitation of those he had seen at Fo-
quet's Chateau of Naux.
Aside from the palace, there are now
no buildings of interest at Versailles,
but 1t may not be known to all our
readers that this place should have for
every American one strong point of
interest, AS 1t was here that the treaty
of peace, by which England recognized
the Independence of the United States
was signed, III 1888.