The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-04-21

November the first drift ice from Lake Ladoga is borne along the swiftly run
 ming stream the citizens begin to follow with great interest the approach of winter. as shown by the ice in the
 Neva. The river soon becomes blocked with floating ice, which often disap-
 pears toward the sea several times be-
 fore the frozen surface can withstand
 the rushing tide. Meanwhile the huge
 wooden bridges built of ponteons of boats have been unfastened and al-
 lowed to drift with the tide to the side of the quay, where they remain until the ice has come to stay and few of snow have cast leveiling white pail
 over the rough, jagged serface of the
 blocks of ice, for then the Nerva has
 disappeared from view for about four months. Then channels are cut in the
 ice and the huge wooden bridges are pulled back into place by long lines of soldiers, who haul at ropes. The next
 scene witnessed on the river is that of
 men and sledges busy at the work of
 cutting out blocks of ice and taking
 them to the ice cellars of the houses,
 for every house of ''logis' must have
 its coldroom for use in the summer
 Then blanks are laid down to form
 footways at certain points, and there
 by the people can take short cuts to
 Vassili Ostroff and the islands; tracks are also made for sledges, and smooth
 tracks are prepared so that along them
 men or boys can run the fur-coated
 Russians across the ice in chairs fixed
 on runners Probably opposite the open space adorned by the splendid eques- tlain statue of Peter the Great fanli-
 ly of Samoyedes will pitch their prii1li- tive tents on the ice close to the granite quay; they have journeyed from the
 Far North to Lake Ladoga, and thence
 along the frozen; Neva, with their rein deer sledges, and for a few copecks
 the inquisitive can visit them in their huts and be driven in a sledge round
 their settlement" Moored along the
 English quay there may be three huge barges, forming square with the quay
 wall: the Space thus inelosed will be prepared for skating; still, skating is not altogether agreeable when the cold is very intense, for the skates wil not
 grip the Ice, and too often the wind blowing down frornLake Ladoga is too cutting to allow the skater to leave off his fur "shuba' or usual heavy winter coat. A dozen years ago an enterprise ing Englishman built a switchback railway across the ice to Vassili Ost- rolf, and the venture was most success full. v -s .'-sr.
 Then, when the coming of spring is in
 the air and the ice bears signs of
 breaking up. public interest is turned
 once more to the frozen highway; the
 long granite quay, always a favorite
 promenade on Sunday and other days
 of leasure, is visited by crowds of pee- pie, who throng it's banks to watch the
 debacle. The ice has been cut away, and to save the bridges from being
 carried away by the ice coming down
 the river, they are allowed again tu drift into line with the quay, whence
 they are hauled back into their proper places by the soldiers. Meanwhile, the
 boatmen and others who make their livelihood on the river are waiting
 eagerly for permission to ply their call ing. When the drift ice has come to an
 end the commanaant of the famous fortress-church of Sts. Peter and Paul, which is nearly opposite the Winter
 Palace, boards aggalley atcthe water
 gate of the fortress, and Is roWed across the Neva to the Winter Pa9ace
 at midday. where he hands to the Czar q goblet filed with, Neva water as q token that the river is free from ice; salutes are fired from the walls of the fortress, and, as if by magic. the river is covered with 3 crowd of small boats,
 which have been painted i'll readiness for the important day. For very many
 years it was the custom for the Cza,' to return to the commandant the goblet filled with gold coins; but it was observed that with the years the size
 of the goblet increased, and thus one of -