Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-08-17
VICTORIA Is KEPT ON ICE.

ing the hot spells of summer. The
Queen is past eighty, robust and hale,
aud during all her long life has maui
tested remarkable preference for low
temperatures. 1t is popular belief
that noble personages are always cool,
reserved, and even more or less chilly
under the most heating circumstances.
But the aged Queen of England up.
sets this accepted theory. Her ladies'
in-waitiDg, or such OF them as have sur
vived the various drsughts with which
ner majesty surrounds herself, have
often remarked privately upon her
| ms siesty 3 tendency 10 have the castle
windows open in very cold weather,
but these remarks have always been in
private. In public they have tried to
| look pleasant in their low-cnt gowns
| while their teeth ratified and chartered
| and chills ran up and down the ex-
posed portions of their spinal columns.
But 1t is in summer that Ingenuity is
taxed to make climate suitable for the
Queens temperament. Fond of cold,
sue abhors heat and the royal residence
ne travelling equipages, the train,
and the gardens are all arranged In
conformity t) her wishes.
In the morning, for instance, as soon
as the Queen leaves her sleepiug-room
great shallow pans OF ice are brought in
| and stood Dbout, the ice supply being
replentshed as fast as it melts. After
| the room has been aired the blinds are
| l. haF hraofh IF ha arF,,
outer air may enter. Then an exhaust
| fan is driven over largo bed of ice,
| forcing the cold air into the room, until
the temperature resembles that of
refrigerator. This process is continued
until night.
When the Queen retires it is the duty
| of the ladies' waiting in tnrn to read
TO her while she is being made ready for
| bed, and as summer costumes are en-
regle at this season their discomfort
| in the cold-storage atmosphere may be
| imagined.
Besides this, fountains spray ts OF
ice water before the royal windows.
and DADS and buckets of ice are scat
tered ABOUT the rooms. The American
electric fan mas not yet been adopted,
although commercial traveller has re-
Gently submitted samples to the chom-
| berlsin OF the castle. There appears to
be an objection TO these fans in the
fact that they make slight bumminP
noise, which causes the Queen much
annoyance, and which is fatal otjec-
ton. The designs are now being mod
fled, and it is believed that when the
humming is removed the fans will be
adopted.
Not long since her majesty travelled
from Windsor 10 Portsmouth 10 the
royal train of Pullman carriages, when
practically the same cooling devices as
prevail at Windsor were resorted to.
| Psns OF ice were placed under the seats
and in other available spots about
the cars, and a cold-storage
temperature produced equal to
any ever secured in the cars of the
| dressed-beef combine. The result was,
it appears, eminently satisfactory 10
| the Queen, but not so much so 10 the
o,ner persons compelled to travel with
| her-the linen and otner warm weather
costumes not being appropriate to the
temperature in the cars.
This curious tendency Of the Queen
to seek comfort ia cold is ascribed by
physiologists to her immense vitality
This vitality shows little deterioration,
despite her advaTo d years. The Queen
sits in cold rooms in the evening attire
prescribed by fashion through loug
winter nights, and seems perfect ly COM
Portable. She at 10 time permits arti-
fetal heat in the room she occupies,
either as dwelling or during public
functions.-L Chicago Inter Ocean.