The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-06
THE BIG BALL.
A Cool Account Of the In
auguration Fete.
Freezing Remarks on the Building, the Ball
and the supper-Icy Allusions to Distin-
guished Guests-Cold Comfort in the
Terpischorean Skating Rink-A Great
sneeze and Its Political Effect.

WASHINGTON, March 8, 1873.
All the loose boards in Washington were nailed
together In judiciary square, next door to the jail
and fashioned into q ball room. AS a ball room IN
the temperate zone IL was q success as ball
room, with the thermometer marking no end OF de-
grees below zero, it was skating rink. 1t began,
as all balls are given to do, ten +. NJ and by one
A. M. an efficient police was carrying out corpses
in q stifrened condition A pine board one inch In
thickness is not warming; no amount OF imagi-
nation viii draw heat out OF pine board when pull
verized ice mountains are blown in great guns on
both sides Of :. The enterprising management did
its best to heat up by assuring one and all that it
was moderating; but 1t did not moderate, an con-
tyaiye as the Frenchman remarked when asked If
he liked German bayonets. The weather got
worse. At ten O'Clock p NJ. the tail Of the brass
Jackson's horse In Lafayette square had to be
padded to preserve 1t and at eleven doorknobs
dropped OF. What was the use then OF striving to
be gay and festveP The poor women In short
necks and low sleeves thaw that ont, please)-did
their best in the "Boston," but you can't make
dip with the tallow frozen. 1 am panied to write
you this, for
THE EFFORT AT AN INAUGURATION BALL
in Judiciary square, next to the JAIL deserves sue
cess. To the eve the effect was magnificent; 1t
was superb; it was wonderful; 1t beat Byron and
the Bridge Of Signs. I remember balls at the
Tueries and balls at the Hotel de Vile in their
better days, and say now, thawed out and duly
sober, that those festive occasions sung small be-
fore the vast glitter, the fields OF light one saw
when, looking from the Presidents platform, one
gazed along the interior of that vast edifce
The arched roof rounded up hundred feet
above, was far enough away to have the effect OF
the finest Gothic carving, although very rough
work, while million Of gas jets, In all sorts of
fancied shapes, gave the impression OF fairy
scene Add to this three or four Thousand people,
the ladies in ball dresses and the men in uniform
of either the conventional swallow tail or cadets
dress, volunteer patterns and gold, and one can
appreciate what 1t might have been had Divine
Providence smiled on our patriotic efforts and
given US warmer weather. AS it was, financially,
the bali was not a success At ten, as have said,
the guests began to put in an appearance.
THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE PERFECT
Hats and coats were not only checked, but each
conner had box to himself or herself, where these
articles could be found without confusion. True,
the colored people in attendance froze to death in
great numbers, but the management with great
wisdom foreseeing such fatality, had relays Of
fresh hot darkies brought from some warm local.
tiles (the jail, perhaps), so that at no moment
were the festivities interrupted by the casualties.
The same may be said Of the arrangements
for supper. The table, running the length OF
the building on one side, was approachable at all
hours; but what was the use OF all this when one
had to break the ice to get at the stewed oysters
and the chicken salad so hard that fifty sets Of
new Congressional teeth were broken in the at.
tempt to eat the same9 This article OF teeth in
Congress Is hid under the Of stationery, spit
toons fuel hair brushes and all sorts Of articles al
lowed by law; but it is, then, oil the same. The
first thing an average Congressman does after
election on arriving in Washington Is to have his
hair DYED and new SET Of teeth inserted, and
there he stands in his calfskin, human, handsome
and liable to the lobby 1t Is little awkward,
then, under these circumstances to encounter
frozen salads or to have valuable teeth set chatter
ing by the intense cold.
WHAT THE BRITISH MINISTER THOUGHT.
Sir Edward Thornton the British Minister. as
sisted by his entire legation, expressed opinion
for the first time since his arrival in Washington
He said, with considerable emphasis that it was
"blarsted cold, you know, and the draughts were
and very disagreeabie." The ball
was made up mostly of strangers to Washington.
We had representatives from all parts Of the Re-
public, whose example, under Heavens guidance.
as the President tells US, all the nations OF the
earth are now following. One language, says His
Excellencyi If ours is accepted, just now that We
have got into these Investigations, there will be
considerable profanity in 1t. But that's notabout
our ball. The bellies gathered into the ma
tiOnal capital from every section Of our free
land were dressed superby; at least SO am as
sured by Mrs. Grundy, who had descriptions given
her in advance. All saw was general assOrt-
ment of wraps that were not superb. Al eleven
o'clock the Administration arrived. accompanied
by a suite Of militia generals and kindly disposed
and number OF the diplomatic
corps. Entering by the main entrance this funeral
procession, by rapid walking, managed to keep
the blood in circulation. 1t was observed that
Secretaries Fish and Robson pulled like steam
tugs. AS we had never before noticed any lack Of
wind in these public functonaIes the surprise
was general. The band played
"HAIL TO THE CHIEF"
On reaching the stand, or platform, Governor
Cooke informed His EXcellency that the guests
wished to shake his hand, whereupon Ulysses re-
marked that not only his hand but his body had
been shaking for some time. AS this is the nearest
approach to joke ever made by the President, let
II be recorded. The discussion was excited upon
the door as to whether this was casualty or not
the majority expressing the belief that it was.
Messrs. Deano and Creswell, OF the Cabi-
net were observed to be exceedingly gloomy;
whether the cold atmosphere of the ball
room suggested the cold outside OF official
life, with which they are threatened, II
Is impossible to say Mr.. Creswell observing
the Geographic arrangements made to regulate the
bands and various committees, begged permission
to run the same for little while. or course this
favor was granted him, but he created such oanfu-
zion that 1t came near abruptly ending the festivi
ties. He had all the bands going at once, and
while one was playing the "Desd March in SAUL
another was playing ahe devil with yankee
Doodle" This does not speak mach for govern
ment telegraphy.
Az INTERESTING AND EXCITING ACCIDENT
At twelve the President sneezed Encouraged
by this illustrious example all the hunsbIe subjects
)f the ball room began sneezing, and this became
70 general that the mnsic was drowned and gen.
,ral leave-taking followed. 1t is said today that
he Administration has violent cold in tha nose
Ind that this delays the announcement of the new