Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-10-17
RICHMOND wHTG.
TSe Ball in KsW York in Honor Of Lord RenfreW'
A BRILLIANT AFFAIR-AN ACCIDENT AND A
PANIC-"WHoM THE PRINCE DANCED WITH

L
PANIC-"wHoM THE PRINCE DANCED WITH.
The New York papers are crowded with accounts Q
the magnificent ball given at the Academy OF Music,
Friday night in honor of the Prince OF Wales The crow
present immense-at least FIVE hundred more tha
the capacity of the Academy for such an occasion Fror
the Times of Saturday gather the following accoun
Of the brilliant, but badly managed, affair.":
The Grand Ball in honor OF the Prince OF Wales
was preceded last night, by very splendid, crowded
gorgeous and ginering levee, which may well take ran
With the most magnificent Jams OF history. In the day
Of cur grandmothes who used TO have their hair dress
ed two days in advance Of of these festivities, an
t bolt upright in powder for foryeght hours il was re
garded as the height Of fashion and the supreme OF Bills
10 fila house full With embroidered beaux and belle
that they stood upon anothers ken toesn the pas
sages aud starways OF our days il may hereatte
be said that the finest thing which fOur hundred selec
committee men" Of New York could do to entertain th'
Prince of Wales was to invite 10 the Academy of Music
exactly five hundred people moro than the house woult
hold, amuse them by opening pall In the hoor, anC
crush their toettes into one uudsiuguishable mass
| sIlendor. -.
The crowd began to assemble at an carly hour; by
O'Clock carriages blocked up Fourteenth street. between
Irving Place and Union Square aud shortly afterwards
Of coaches reached BroadWay and for sew
crg squares along Union Place. The arrangements out
side however admirable; when within about fifty
yards OF the Opera House the carriages formed queue
aud a large enough space preserved for them 10
drive up without difficulty. Inside the crowd was not
dense before nine o'clock bus aer that hour became
prodgou- quite surprising any number at any previous
ball All the wealth, fashion, talent, power and beauty
Of the metropolis we're amply represented and in ad-
dton large number OF persons of political soca! and
professional distinction from elsewhere present
The ball was everyt thing but ball. The arrangements
Of the external and Internal police though occasionally
Irritating to impeuous beauties inpatient of supper,
were most exemplary. The wealth OF flowers layished
upon corridors galleries b0xrOuts and doorways was
tropical for variety Of hue and Arabian for odors of
beatude. All that music could do TO enchant Aro-
matte atmosphere with melody the most superb bands
proeurable in America abuudanuy did. The Prince OF
Wales who apparently has Queen Elzlbelhs passion for
dancing made his eNirCs punriualy O'clock armed
and equipped the committee had kiadly directed in
'iull evening dress" with all the nObemen and gentle
men OF his suite The stately Mrs Morgan, in cloud
OF Grape alive with diamonds her post prepared
20 open the ball became the queen regnAnt of the
! Bmplre State with the Young heir OF England. And
yet midnight the ball had begun. ''Some one had
blunder q" precisely blundered ON the re,
cepdOn day OF Thursday and last night, then, this
ones blunder cheated the Prnee of half his plea
and dashed the festival for all with tinge of min
| gled mirih aud vexation.
All that had heard Of the elaborate and costly pre-.
paraons made by the committee, since they began their
work in August last seemed fully borne by the first
aspect Of the Academy when entered it, Just before
the arrival Of the Prince, the parquettc, loOred
from lobby stage daped beset with exotcs the rich
and most fragrant rather parterre than par.
quee-a parterre OF living flowers rusthng Auttering,
cleaning with bright eyes and brighter jewels. The
UoIes and galleries climbed tier above tier into grand
tiara Of the animated beauty, created and glowing
with lines OF the most brilliant light Never has the
Opera House presented spectacle sumptuous at once
and so exquisite the Of the Princes en-
trance upon the stage, 10 the persuasive strain of God
Save the Queen. But here began the miscarrages Of
the night The "dais' which the Prince was 10 have
presented himself dais at all and he was const-
| k.1a Al.
on the floor who surg,d and swayed and fro in kind
Of Webred impatience in their eagernesS him,
II he bad been Leander IN the play Indeed but for the
national air Of England few out OF the upper boxeseoud
have suspected bis presence within the sacred space
/ rather foolishly rallied otf for his accommodation
kind Of frantic promenade eddyng both ways, then
began deGle rather entwiue itself before the
hero of the evening, PREPARATION for the opening
Strauss quadrile Of the Haute Voice. psrplex-
/ ing promenade never perhaps performed By en-
husiastic and well dressed mninde. hut before IL had
developed its attractions il suddenly interrupted by
siupendous crash. A momentary thrill through
the crowd aud panic might have perhaps ensued with
the most appalling consequences, had not few gentle
men in the vicinity Of the Prince, conspicuous among
whom was TX Governor Fish, rushed forward to reas-
sure the house. Ia fact nothing had happened but the
falling in Of large part Of the floor in the reserved
quarter and directly m 'front.' OF the Prince As t was
people simply started and stammered their surprise
Before they could recover from the shock they
uted With a second. This made the matter serious
The Prince aud his party retreaet to the supper rooms
the bands began TO play all manner OF wallzes, pokas
and quadrles in mad succession, the people began to
log as best they might out from the perOns parquette
into the corridors aud to find their way into the supper
| room Carpenters the scene, aud sort Of
modified anvil chorus, not in the original opera, set
up the heart OF the ball In this way two hours were
consumed the fine edge Of the esvity pretty well taken
/ eiI and the Prince robbed Of at least six dauces
HoEever, the ts VAS an event. and is not TO be for
gotten In the details OF decoration aud equipment there
was scarcely anything Eh which the most las,idous
taste could quarrel The supperroom, IN particular, was
wonderful success The crest OF the Prince of Wales
bazed out in pumes of di4uondike light the aoat-
lag fods oFa vast tent of pink aud Whe dApery lined
along side with buffet tables siDgulary neat and bril-
/ liant in service.
When the repairs completed little opening
made in front Of the das about large enough 10 swing
cat by the tail aud Mrs Governor Morgan, whose su-
pefb toilet the universal theme OF conversaton and
Lord RenireW took their place for the lrst quadrle
Among those who shared the distinction OF dancing in
this set were Lord Lyons With Miss Wood, MIS- Gould
Hoyt daughter OF Gen S.olt Col Scott his sonu-lAw,
Miss Bergman with John Van Buren,, Jas W. Gerard,
who did the handsome thing this occasion by Mrs.
uowand Capt Gore and two three other ladies and
gentlemen whose names have transpired This over
the crowd began seusibly to diminish Lord Renfrew
danced several times and at o'clock seemed To be get
ing into the merits Of the occasion But public curios
ty was by this time pretty much satisfied aud the ,gs
ed more disappointed and all mortified for the accident
had moral in it, considering the circumstances under
which it occurred, which touched the pride Of every
American.
The following ladies also had the honor Of dancing
with Lord RenireW Miss Fish, Miss Mason Miss II Ras
| SELL Mrs. Edw Cooper, Miss Augusta JAY MIS- Belmont
Mrs. NJ B. Field Miss Van Buren, Mrs Kernochan anC
Miss Butler. While the Prince was dancing, almost ev
crybody else 10 the mOoncss unanimously
peeIing at His Royal llghness They erosded around
the royal that il difficult TO take the steps
cesSfully This continued until the departure of tho
Prince about 6se o'clock. When the Prince left the
company ei and the Academy abandoned 10 fading
perfumes and departing glorics.
Never before in this city, were assembled so many
beautiful wOmen wesIiug such gorgeous dresses aud die
playing such proluson Of costly jewery. Art and in
genuity seemed to have been exhausted IN striving tC
produce something which should dazzle and adorn the
natural charms Of the person. OF material there
bocades tue moire antique, and the richest description
of silks and satns For ornament lace in all It's variety
aud elegance was conspicuous and Of eolors white trim
med with SoTinO, Magenta hauve, also dresses com
posed Of material Of these colOrs The head dresses
were magnificent aud included every variety Of swelry
and wreaths in every conceivable form. The effect o.
this gorgeous eostuming magnificent and hundreds
ascended to the upper tiers to witness the coup de G
thence presented
Foremost and first In all the great wd was to be
looming up the majestic form Of General Scott the
queror Of Mexico. His fair and graceful married daugh
tiers were grouped around him, at time the dali
intended for the Baron-and the General among then
became the cynosure Of all eyes. E1-President Elmor
a1d Mrs. Fillmore we're also present.
The ladies, on entering the lobby TO disrobe them
selves and exchange their garments for checks
soon found themselves in crush Many Of them emerg
ed from this lobby she start n ruins their dresses be
ing sadly aceraed The loss in torn aces Of the cost
iesi descriptions must have been very great We d.