The Washington times., 1905-07-16
Gear Nicholas COwers
At Dismal Peterh0f
Ruler of All Russias Seeks Seclusion and
Safety in His Castle on the Gulf ofFinland
Is Surrounded by Sentries

PETERHOF. June 25.-Nicholas the
Second is here at Peterhof, on the gulf
OF Finland. For the ornamental pur-
poses for which in other countries en-
perors exist, he might just as well be
in the desert of Cobb.
An angular, ugly tower. painted mud
dy-yellow topped by an eagle-crownsd
fl2 gstaff. is all that can be seen of his
abode. All that can be seen of his
court is an unromantic individual in
shirt sleeves brushing his hair before
a looking glass in the tower window
II needs keen eyes and a field glass TO
see even these. The hundred eyes of
Argus could see no more
The rest is monastic seclusion. i'm
penetrable mystery-and ttreless gossip
Persons who hire boats and row into
the brown waters of Cronstadt bay
catch, L am told, brief glimpse of the
palace facade. But 1T present, any
one approaching the little harbor where
beats are kept is promptly repulsed by
a naval sentry.
Forest Hides Gear.
A forest of birches, poplars, and pines
curtains the hiding place of the i'm
periled Gar. Almost encrcltng Alex
andreika Park. and ending only on the
muddy reed-carpeted shore, is a brick
fence painted white and picked out
with a curious combination of orange
and salmon pink.
There are enough sentrieS to slay all
the bomb-throwers in Russia, and as If
sentries were not enough. the avenue
outside is patrolled with swarthy Cir
a
ing nated swords.
The shore at Peterhof is muddy,
stone-strewn. fat, and overgrown with
reeds To battle you must go several
hundred yards from the shore Straight
in front of the palace, running half d
mile into the sea, is q flimsy wooden
pier; and on this pier-one at the end
and one half way along-are two blue
rooted bathing boxes used by the
Car immediate family From the
shore the whole process can be seen
and Peterhof takes advantage of the
occasion by crowding to the waters s
edge. and excIaiming excitedly when
the little grand duchesses trot along
the pier to the nearest bathing-box
Last summer the Autocrat of all
the R,ssias bathed every day but he
has not yet been in the sea this year
PeteShof possesses no beach; but two
months ago an ingenious cCurtier sug-
gested that one might be artificfalIy
created. The coast of Finland is famous
for it's fine yellow sand. So far from
Terioki. across the gulf, came twenty
giant bar2es. manned by fair-haired
Firms singing their national chanties,
chf>ged with the epic task of turning
what is practically the shore of lake
into the shore of a sea. But the mud
bank rebelled against being a beach
and the first storm washed the sand
away.
A ridiculous story got about that the
Films engaged in this vain labor had
plotted TO make q tunnel under AleXan-
drcika and blow ii, with its muddy-yel-
low tower and eagle-topped flagstaff into
the sky. So the Firms were treated as
potential conspirators. being not only
photographed and numbered. but watch
ed by palace policemen all day. and for
hidden to leave the shore until their
barges We're discharged.
A ruler whose navy has just been swept
into the ewigkeit m>st find Peterhof
somewhat trying Not only does the
town owe it's name and existence TO the
Father of the Russian feet. but navel
Mermaids, Neptunes, tridents and prows
of ships obscure all other decor tive
ideas in the palaces and gardens. The
Grand Palace contains numbeiless eff
giles of the Great Peter, one showing
him standing majestic and menactnE
on n shipwrecked vessel.
IN the Alexandreika Park, near path
which the Czar must tread on his
morning walk stands magnificent
model of an imaginery naval battle,
known as the Naval Triumph. 1t was
made by an ingenious one-leggcd sailor
shortly before Rogestvenskys Armada
left Libau But OF the great Baltic feet
which spent its winters in sight of
Peterhof palace nothing Is visible save
single torpedo boat, though the Cars S
yacht. STANDARD, is moored opposite the
Grand Palace. The malicious assert in
order TO be ready for the fight OF autoc-