The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-09-20
ANCIENT PILE In ASHES.
Destruction of q Palace Once Occupied by
Moorish Kings.

Moorash Kings.
MADRID, Sept l6.-A fire broke out at
10 O'Clock last night in the Palace of the
Aihambra in Granada, and despite the
efforts made to extinguish it, it is still
burning. The fire originated in the
Aibercs court yard and soon spread to
the galleries. Great damage has been
done.
Alhambia is fortified suburb of
Granada, which forms sort of acropolis
to the city, and in which stand the ex-
qulsite remains of the palace of the
ancient Moorish kings of Granada. 1t is
surrounded by strong wall more than
mile in circuit and studded with
towers. The remains Of the Moorish
palace are called by the Spaniards Casa
Real. 1t was begun by Ibn-l- Ahmar in
l24s, and completed by his grandson,
Mohammed III, about 1874 A great
part OF the ancient palace was
removed to make way for the palace
begun by Charles v, but never fin
shed. Since then it has suffered from
neglect and greed of successive govern
ors, from the French, who blew up
eight of the towers and attempted to
destroy its whole, and from an earth
yTake. a partial restoration was made
at the expense Of Queen Isabella in
1862.
queen Isabella meant that the Al
lambra should be restored to It's orig
anal condition, but the work. though
carried on with considerable skill, was
never finished, the sums devoted TO it
being too small. In the hey-day of
Moorish prosperity the palace must
haze been the most delicious Of royal
residences. OdoriferOuS gardens, in
Which the orange and the myrtle
bloomed, alternated with sparkling
fountains and downy cGuches. inviting
to a luxurious reposc. Everything con-
tributed to render the whole the most
splendid abode Of Oriental magniti-
cenee, to which only the fantastic
creations of the arabian Knights" can
DC fifty compared. The court was 40
feet long by ~ broad. In the center
there was large pond followed out of
,he marble pavement, full of goldfish.
There were galleries on the north and
south sidcs-that on the south being
twentyseven feet in height and sup
rorted by marble colonnade. Under
meath it, to the right, WAS in ancient
'Iays the principal entrance, and over it
are three elegant windows with arches
and miniature pillars. From this court
the walls of the T0rre de COntuTtS were
seen rising over the roo to the north,
rejecting its tower and colonnades in
ihe crystal mirror Of the pond.
Among the wonders of the wondrous
-hihambra were the Hall of the Ambas-
sadors, occupying all of the Tower Of
Gomares, which was the grand recep-
tlon room, the throne Of the Sultan be
Ing placed opposite the entrance; the
Hall of Justice; the Mosque; the MIRA
dor de LiRddrdjd, or boGdoir Of the Sui
tana; the IdfiG de Ia Rgld; the locador
ie Ia ReinG, or queens boudoir: in all of
which were to be seen the same deli
cate and beautiful architecture. the
same beautiful and elegant decorations.
There was the celebrated vase of the
Alhambra, asplcudid specimen of Moor
ish ceramic art, dating from 1920, and
belonging to the first period of Moorish
porcelain. 1t was 1 feet and ; inches
high, the ground in White and the en-
ameling in blue, white and gold 4
new hail, called the Hall of the Shields
and Escutcheons, was only recently dis
covered. One Of the striking features
were the pocticai conceits and passages
from the Koran, forming part of the
ornamcntation-"T is no God but
Allah etc