The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
The Unique Structure Projected
by Its Enterprising
Citizens.
CARNIVAL OF ICE AND SNOW.
King Boreas to Weld the Wand of
Pleasure-Sleighing and Sliding
in Perfection.

Truckee's enterprising citizens are bring
| ing their pretty mountain town into pub
| lie notice in novel manner, and one that
| Is expected to prove as attractive in. its
| way as the summer floral festivals of its
| southern sister towns. Instead of fair
Flora welding the wand of pleasure, it
will be intrusted to the hands of grim
| Boreas. Beautiful snow will take the
place of flowers as ammunition in the
mock battle that will be fought, flying
slelghs and carpet of downy white will
replace the professional floats and smooth
driveways, a grand and beautiful crystal
palace of Jack Frost's handiwork will
house pleasures disci pies, instead of the
gayly decorated pavilion, and the longest
toboggan slide ever built will afford excit-
ing sport instead of aquatic events.
c. F. McGlashan of Truckee was in the
City yesterday, and spoke of the Frost
Palace that his fellow citizens are now
busy constructing with the greatest en-
thusiasm. Every effort, he said, was now
being bent to complete the magnificent
structure, and the appurtenances that are
to aid in making reign OF pleasure by
the first of the year. The formal opening
is to be made notable event.
The Frost Palace is now nearly finished
and only awaits the lighter finishing
touches. 1t is constructed on a specially
prepared foundation of solid ice eighteen
inches thick. Embedded in this are the
posts that bear the roofs.
These posts are joined by wire netting,
and the whole is then sprayed with water,
which, in the low temperature that now
prevails. quickly freezes. Coat after coat
is applied, till the required strength and
thickness is obtained. Thus is obtained
strong edifice, yet one that is apparently
delicate and fragile.
This method of construction is entirely
different from that i'll use in the ice palaces
of the East and Canada. There huge
blocks of ice are used. By the .Truckee
process marvellous crystalline appearance
is achieved, and the gloom and darkness of
other ice palaces is entirely absent.
The roof OF the building is to be finished
off with numerous ninarets and towers,
constructed in the same manner as the
main editice, thus giving q light and airy
effect that will be in peculiar harmony
with the whole idea.
Sixty hoses are constantly employed in
spraying, and the water is carried to the
highest points in the structure without
trouble, as it comes from the springs in
the nearby mountains, frequently from a
elevation 1000 feet above that of the town,
which is some 1000 feet above the sea-level.
The structure will be elliptical in shape
the longest diameter measuring about $50
feet and the shortest $50 feet. It's highest
elevation will be 250 feet from the founda-
ton sheet of ice.
1t will be illuminated by twenty arc
lights, and the stalactites in the expert
ments already made throw off glitter
and sparkle like diamonds, while the bril-
liant refiaction from the crystallized walls
made up dazzling tout ensemble tn at
was most enjoyable and impressive. The
frost palace is located on the plaza, in the
heart OF the city.
Seighriding is also to be a feature of
Truckee's ice carnival, and for the full en-
joyment of this most exhilarating of pas
times seven miles of perfectly level road
will be kept in proper shape, the driveway
extending entirely around Lake Bonner
Then, for those who want something more
exciting, an imm ense toboggan slide is
being erected. 1t will be constructed on
trestlework and have a sliding surface of
ice, with a fall Of about fifteen degrees,
and will be the longest one ever built.
King Boreas is to be the reigning spirit,
and he will be made to suit the idea of
the projectors of the carnival. Wire net
ting will be shaped to form the figure of
an ideal storm king, and this will be given
a coating of crystal properly arrayed and
seated on q throne in the chief nlace of
honor. An appropriate retinue will also,
of course, be provided.
1t is expected that excursion parties will
visit the winter carnival city from all
parts of the State, and particularly from
the southern sections. The California
Press Association. through its executive
committee, is now making arrangements
to visit the carnival some time between
the 9th and 9th of next month. They will
meet at Sacramento and go in Pullman
cars, and will remain at Truckee twenty
four hours, living in the cars.