The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-05-23
YE ANCIENT CAPITAL

Moscow Adjoining Herself in Regal SpIen-
dor in Honor of the Cars Coronation
Dazzling Result Of a Winters Hare
Work. with Much Yet Remaining to be
Done-Progress Retarded by Heavy
Rains.
Moscow, May 16.-Moscow has prac.
tically been hard at work all the win.
ter, but it cannot now be said to be
ready to welcome the ear with fitting
ceremonies to his ancient capital. For
weeks the city has been IN gala COS.
tune, but much still remains to be
done owing to the fact that heavy
rains nave retarded the completion OF
the work. The weather is cold, and
despite the fact that the sun is shin
ing brightly, everybody is wrapped in
winter clothing.
Yesterday the domes of the Kremlin
and the images in the Iberian cha pei
were regilded, and many other works
Of decoration were completed. Every
thing is Respondent with light and
color, and the whole city presents an
extremely garish a-ppaar&nee.
Thousands 81 PERSONS are hockiug
to the cathedral, comprising all
classes of people. The object of these
crowds is to behold the magnificence
Of the decorations of these places of
worship, especially the cathedral OF
The Assumption. which has been beau
lifted beyond the power of descrip-
ton.
In the kremlir and over the route
which the imperial procession will
take next Thursday in making the
triumphal entry into Moscow a bewil-
lering magnificence is being made Cor
the coronation of TIE car and car
ma.
Perhaps the most wonderful object
is the krcmlin and the buildings with
in. The battlementcd walls within
their entire circumference are out
lined with heavy iron gas pipes, dot
ed with thousands of burners, which
will be used in the general illumina-
Ion on the two nights succeeding the
coronation.
The lofty Ivan tower, at the loot of
which rests the famous great bell, is
outlined with electric lights, carried
III Il delicate skeleton of wood.
The arsenal, the treasury and other
buildings are treated in the same man
ncr, and will. on the nights of the illu-
mination, afford a most dazzling spec
sacle.
The Krcmlin wall, between the
Nicholas and Spasky gates, alongside
the red square, opposite the vast
modern bazaar, is one continuous
grandstand, while inside the Spasky
gate, in the great ball square. ext end
ing from the gate TO the Archangel
cathedral, is 4 large stand capable of
holding thousands of people. This
will be occupied by invited guests on
the day of the state entry. and again
the coronation day itself.
All the government buildings and
hundreds of private houses have been
prepared for the illumination by be.
ing covered with little fairy lamps in
various cOlors, hung on wooden frames,
forming various devices. often in the
shape of the Slavonic letters form ing
the initials of Nicholas and Alexan-
Ira.
The route from the palace to the
Kremlin, through the Spasky gates.
will be via the Trumphalis on Thurs
day next. Along Tver street most of
the temporary embassies of the for
eign powers are located, each wing
the others in b~rilliancy, the
French embassy easily taking the
palm. Not q building along three
straight miles of route is without
decoration. Venetian mats, brave
with colors, have been placed at hort
distances along the pavement on both
sides Of the street, and the whole
street seems a moving mass of color
and beauty.