New-York tribune., 1900-10-28

grottoes, and in one I saw right out in the
middle of the water a chilly looking marble
nymph, as if in the act Of bathing, who gave me
rather a shock.
Presently trotted up to long, rather low
set of palaces on a terrace. The driver pulled
up at gate by the side of of them. and,
hearing the strains OF music inside rallied IN
pleasaunCe l rightly concluded that this was
the Imperial Park, and that l was supposed to
get out and enjoy myself. l now found myself
in the midst OF a happy congregation of well
dressed people eNluently OUT, IKE myself Ior d
Sunday afternoons jaunt, and with them l en-
joyed the grassy glades. the shady trees, the
purling fountains, and the music. There We're
two military bands which stood beneath the
windows of the palace They played alter
nateIy, and they played Well.
CHILDISH. But DELIGHTFUL
Peter the Great must have loved one color
above ali others and that very rich soft
orange, inclining toward amber He found, no
doubt that its luscious cfulgency agreed well
with d country which. though verdant enough in
June. must be rather triSte in January. for which
reason. also il is welded to the rich gliding thar
miTahly above Wintry landscape OF pure white
under his directions. is cUloTed orange still.
The fountains at Iet,.hof had been mentioned
fine. but the ones in the park were not i'm
pressiye. Hence ii was with reyuIsiou of feel
ing from disappointment to IntcnSeSt admira-
ton that the real display was met beneath the
terrace in the front IF the palace. after leaving
the park such eXquiSiyely propoUtioncd and
seen, nor had ! amy memory with which 10 COM
pare it either-not even the display AT Versailles;
and that was all the better.
TrickeIy 40 one would imputc To the methods
by which Russian architects produce tho mag
nitcent results that crown their efforts in their
displays, the word - TOO paltiy and means too
low a thing - father on them. Yet they al
ways, when they make the effort. succeed ia ae-
compliShing a surprise; in Petersburg. on the
side of great and sl}id Wasnitca0cc: at P-,yi-
hof, that of frankly childish ingenuity
Everything Within this wonderful park is fresh,
1...
to the fountains.
steep bank beneath the terrace dips TO Il
series of marble plateaus. each one of majestic
length and broken up at intervals by marble
steps. From The deepest hollow springs thr
samson a colossal bronze figure tearing open
the laws Of a hon from which volume of
water spoute eighty feet high. This is the touT
De force Of the aSSembla2e. hut It's magnitccnte
is hugely enhanced by the myriadS of fountains
all round about ii. They foam piumclike III YER
tical and horizontal streams, cascade down the
marble stairs. niugle their liquid pearls in
showers. and then spray in SossaH-r wells at
the winds Will, while sun fuTth'i away from
the Samson. through a beauteOus wood runs the
harbOr canal. crossed here and there by marble
caJselysvs and set on either side with feStoon-
ing sparkling columns Of water AT the end of
the liquid avenue lap the waves of the Gulf OF
Finland. and Cronstadt is visible i'm the distance
As / looked through the Wreathed mistS Of the
fountains across the little peep of sea al the
end gded "A pleasure steamer from Petersburg"
gala dressed all over with myriads of color,J
flags. 1t was the prettI"St holiday scene any
one could wish to sec and To find one more Hn-
common it would be necessary 10 search very
far afed
Yet This was merely the threshold Of wonders
The drosBy driver. summoned from mis- fellows
proceeded as if by rule, TO The woods beneath
the fountains driving along the narrow W,ii
kept. pathhke roads past all sorts Of divertiug
little pleasure hooks Successive cars must
have amused themselves with experiments i'm
water one fountain forms u b4ud pyrani!
composed Of a mass of jets; another rises with
stately grace in the centre Gf a classical ring of
columns; third is just Il silly lttl" pond foun-
~ XArIf mo
chanical hunting scene: fOreSteTs with their
dogs ducks, and what not, warranted TO play