The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-08
Mr.. SANDERSON ON spain
An Entertaining Talk in the Green
Ridge Library. =.
GRANADA AND THE ALEXANDRIA
The Dccrcpit Old City and the MaGnifi'
cent Palace Of the Moorish King
dom Were Well Described.
StcrsOpticOn Views shown.

A very instructive and highly enter
tanning talk by George Sanderson on
Southern Spain, Granada ana the AT
hambra last night in the Green Ridge
library was heard by a large audience.
The talk was for the benefit of the IL
brary. No admission was charged, but
voluntary offerings were accepted at the
door.
Mr. Sanderson was assisted In his ef-
fort by \. V. Bower, who used ms
splendid and costly stereopticon IN dis
playing about fifty Views pertinent to
the lecture and which were from Pho
tographs purchased by Mr.. Sanderson
during his recent trip abroad. Gran
ada, on the MEDITERRANEAN coast, the
ancient capital of the Moors' Spanish
kingdom, and the Alhambra, the Moor
ish palace (par-at al hamra, "the red
castle") were the chief features or the
lecture.
The city was described as decrepit
and dilapdated. without commercial
interest and the center of an agricul-
tural community. 1t Is mecca Tor
tourists. The guide of MIR. Sanderson
and party was son of the guide OF
Washington Irving, at one time United
States minister to Spain and whose
apartments i'm the crumbling but mag
niticent palace were entered by the
Scranton party.
One of the first views shown was of
Granada and the hill of the Alhambra
as seen from the train approaching the
city. 1t gave the spectators ideas
which enabled them to more compre-
hensively understand what followed.
Then was shown and described view
of the Alhambra, as seen from the ola
convent of Santa Maria. and other ex-
and gate OF
Justice. the courts and other places or
the historical palace Indicated its once
great splendor and magnificence.
A Moorish Reservoir.
."T,c Place of Cist rms. or tfe W.
terror court yard. was so named om ~
count of the cisterns being heWn out vi
~ nourt,s solid rock and used by the
Moors for water storage In the event VI
siage of war. One of the most peau'i-
Sml interior courts of the Alhampra II
the Court of Alberca. or paihis.
cnntains a large pond 125 feet long anu
is paved with marbie. 1,,
,rhe court evidencirS the once great.
est magniflcence is "The Court OF Lions
and II is comparatively well preserved.
Its alabaster columns. tasseiateo paw
ments, filligree fretwork ana vans
coting of irridescent tiles, whose secret
metnOu Oh 11lSlluld'tu'' "'s]IP'
with the Moors all today breathe evil
dence OF the richness, sensuaiity anu
love of splendor which possessed the
owners Another apartment is The
Hall of the Two Sisters" so named after
two of the celebrated beauties OF the
Moorish court and who were believed
to have been the two most beautiful
women in the world.
In a fair state of preservation Is the
hs II of justice where the Moorish kings
enacted Justice and decreed laws
Crumblng to dust and decay Is the
once richly decorated Hall of the Am
bassadors," the great chamber OF the
Moorish kingdom There is still stand
ing "The Royal Tower of Nela," the
watch tower from which the royal
Moorish ensign was never lowered until
King Boafdil, last Moorish ruler. passed
from the palace through The Tower of
the Iron Gate" after giving possession
to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
The exit was Immediately walled up, it
Is supposed as a matter of sentiment
although this may have been done for
architectural or other reasons.
Dungeons for Royalty.
Places of peculiar interest which over
400 years ago We're put to important
uses are the dungeons, called "The Cap
tive Star" and "The Princess Star"
which contained the rooms of Princess
LindoraXa.
The views shown by the stereopticon
enabled the audience to intelliCently
follow the speaker. The tomb of Fer.
dinand and Isabella was among the lost
Of the pictures.