Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-05-20
THE CzAR,s CORONATION.

AS heretofore stated Moscow is now
fully ready for the coronation of the
Car. Preparations for the grand en-
try into the city are not yet completed,
though they are far advanced, and on
all sides are evidences of the confusion
and hurry of the last touches for great
celebration. The character ofthe prep.
arations are imposing The palace of
the Grand Duke Sergius is especially
magnificent. This is situated up Tvers.
kaa street, along which the Car goes
from the Petrovsky Palace to the
Kremlin on Thursday. Opposite the
governor generals residence is a great
frame screen built to mask unsightly
building used IS guardroom for the
troops on official duty at the palace
Near at hand is watch tower of the
fire department, which was a clumsy
and unsightly object, but it has been
masked from base to top of tower with
evergreens and thousands of lamps for
illumination by night.
Nearly all Of the buildings in Mos
cow are built of wood and brick, cover
ed indiscriminately with white stucco,
the general effect being that ofa wholly
white walled city. The outer coloring
of the stucco has been almost universal
ly renewed and freshened for the occa
sion, thus lending to the city a peculiar.
ly brilliant aspect, which lends Itself
very happily to the festival time.
The Tverskaja street, being the route
of the Cars progress from the Petrov
osky Palace to the Kremlin, has con-
centrated within its length much of the
preparation. This preparation has nee
essarily been very elaborate to insure
'poirt of vantage for the vast number
who ale under official care. The CON
petition for position among those not
officially provided for, has been un-
preceGented. Many houses along the
street have been rented at high rate
for whole year, merely to secure the
lessee window for the procession on
Thursday. For single windows, fabu
lnus plices have been offered, and many
bitter disputes over titles to points for
seeing the spectacle have already found
their way into the courts.
The street shows along its length
many commodious pavilons, SET asida
for the use Of the favored ones, all
solidly built, and with bulbed roofs and
towers characteristic of the Russian ar
chitecture. These pavili are placed al
the intersection of the Tverskaja street
with the broad highways that follow
the course of the various ramparts
which have been built in concentric
rings about the ancient city. The
coloring of all these temporary struct-
ures is most brilliant, in accordance
with the Russian taste, and is confined
to the primitive colors in broad stripes
and splotches on roofs and sidewalks.
Great iron columns have also been
erected along the streets length for
b. illiant electric illumination. Huge
wooden obelisks, draped and vividly
colored by day, and carrying brilliant
lights from top to bottom by night, are
also features of the decorations.
Electricity is used for the first time
in the illumipations for Cars coro-
nation, and elaborate preparations have
been made by the authorities to avail
themselves OF this new agent. Nearly
all the public buildings have their COM
plete outlines traced by light wooden
framework for the support of electric
lights and fairy lamps, which show the
architectural outlines of the city traced
in fire and light.
The walls Of the Kremlin itself and
of the towers of the buildings within it,
are thus outlined against the night sky
by electric lights aud by thousands of
yards of gas pipe, perforated at short
intervals for gas jets.
Along the boulevards, which run
across the Tverskaja street, the decora-
tions and illuminations are also very
elaborate. Everywhere the Russian
flag is flying, especially conspicuous be-
ing the yellow imperial banner inscrib,
ed N. A. @. Many of the pavilions and
grandstands show the woodwork elabo.
rately carved. There are numerous
triumphal arches inscribed "God Save
the Gar" and nightly rehearsals OF
the illuminations of the public build
ings of the Kremlin are taking place.
nfEnrCINaI,