Washington sentinel., 1899-06-03
TTEs I'd SENTINEL
The Wonders OF PeterhOf,
CaSSelYS MdgGzfHs.


What Windsor Castle is to Lon
don, Peterhof is to St. Petersburg,
Potsdam to Berlin. and Schonbrunn
to Vienna. The gardens Of Peter
hot are aim ost as signal a triumph
OF man over Nature as St. Peters
burg ITSELF Peter the Great found
a low ridge looking down upon
dreary marshes, on the like OF
which he had built his city, and,
having crowned the former with a
palace, he turned the latter into
pleasure grounds. Yet it is but
for the summer months that they
can be called gardens at all, for
King Winter is no resp ecter Of
persons; when he lays his icy hand
on the imperial property the
statues are boxed up, the fountains
run dry, and a thick, crisp carpet
Of snow hides terrace, walk and
lawn.
The celebrated Catherine II. left
her mark in many a summer house
and pavilion in the vast grounds.
In one Of them the Empress Eliz-
abeth used to cook her own dinner,
while in another are the marks OF
two bullets fred at an elk by the
Empress Anne. Presumably the
elk escaped the fair sportswoman,
who must have been a dangerous
gun to include in shooting party.
In the gardens closed to the public
is another cottage, from the top OF
which Nicholas |. watched the
Anglo-French squadron manGuv-
ring before Kronstadt in 81. Here,
too, occurred a terrible affair, to
which official Russia alludes with
bated breath. One afternoon the
good Emperor Alexander ii. was
discovered by Mortified gardener
sitting on a sharp angle OF the roof
using most unimperial language
to two little urchins who roared
with laughter below 1t appeared
that the Gar and his sons had been
romping together, and the Gar
had mounted to the root on a lad
der, which his boys promptly re-
moved. Here was a situation for
the Emperor of all the Russias!
To his appeals, shouts of laughter
were the only answer. Gas your
Gar Iorder You," at last he thun-
dered. "You're not the Gar now,
you know" came back the answer;
you're only papa!'
II during the day these gardens,
that lie IN very oasis in the mo-
notonous plain of marsh and pine
forest, seem somewhat dreary to
visitors from kinder climes, their
ornaments tawdry and ostenta-
tious. the palacs they encircle a
weak parody of Versailles, yet, by
night, Peterhof illuminated is a
Peterhof magically changed as by
a touch from a iairy's wand. 1t
becomes a land Of marvel. a
glimpse OF the Babylon of Semira-
mis-, a scene from Bagdad in "the
golden prime Of good Haroun
Alraschid." Two years ago / was
fortunate enough to see a night
[ete given there in honor Of the
SeEEBmgsEn 6 EEBg zBsmDeF9e gb599 was vas a 65s g1est
am not likely to forget. The
steamboat which had boarded at
St. Petersburg passed rapidly over
the grey waters of the broad NeVa
estuary. Slowly the twilight
gathered round US, blotting out
the distant shores that stretched
away in lines so low and indistinct
that it was difficult to distinguish
where the dark sea and dark land
conjoined. Behind US the gllGed
cupolaS Of the churches of the
capital glittered and shone in the
last Of the dying sunset. Mile after
mile slipped by, until on a sudden
TO the northward out sprang line
OF islands that lay upon the waters
like basking whales. But Kron-
stadt the impregnable was not our
destination and leaving its number
less batteries on our right we shot
across the shadows to where a pier
stretched out dimly from thewoods.
AS we approached it, sparks of
light began to shine amongst the
trees, every moment saw hundred
more added to the glowing mass,
until from eud to end oil the sea
front Of the great gardens thou
sands Of lamps danced and
twinkled. The illumination had
begun.
How, wondered, had the woods
thus suddenly blazed forth into
light7 was soon to learn. On
landing found the grounds
crowded with soldiers, kindling
the lamps with extraordinary rap
idity. In hundreds they moved
about, working with the regularity
and order Of the parade ground.
Soon the long avenues were
fringed with lamps, row on row;
glowing festoons swung from
bough to bough, while colored
fires, fastened by daring climbers,
showed even in the topmost
branches. Onward moved, paus-
ing for a moment to admire the
little lake oi Marly, now simmer
ing under the lights that lined its
shores, until l came to where the
central canal passed from the pal
ace to the sea. There l halted in
amazement. On either side OF the
Ion0 sfraiohF reach Fhe founfaine