The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-28
THE VANDERBILT BALL.
A Brilliant Scene Of Bright and Rich
Costumes

| ditnre and brillianoy OF dress Ii farsoutdid any
ball ever before given In this city. Twelve
hundred invitations had been issued, and few
OF the invited thought 1t wm h while to mis-
an event which has NJ Ls,an paralleleC
here u was scene fro air land, Mothel
Goose, the picture gale 1, inc courts ant
camps OF Europe, Asia opera bouffe, Au
dihon ! Birds OF Ams h, heather myth
and Christian legends and even from Mr.
| Diedrich knickarbucker's Invaluable notes or
the fashions in New York long time ago, AL
the revel of color invosy yed ia such catalogue
| moved, cleaning In newness, in a garden ol
! iiowets, erbright lghts, TO soft music
| from hidden Instruments II is only at fancy
| dress eali that men mako themselves really
| picturesque, and qualified voters, grave and
| gay, vice III the artistic quality and In the cost
| aawell, OF their costumes, with tho lovely
| women who adorned the evening The work
| ot otaecorating and preparing Mrs, Vanderbilts
magnificent house for the ball went on oil day,
| wagon load after wagon load OF palms and
| plants, drawn from conservatories all over the
| city, was delivered at the Filty-sec0nd street
| entrance. Inside the house Mr.. Kunder and
several assistants VIE bnsy arranging the
decorations The faal preparations at the
| houses OF the guests Erew Fifth and Madison
avenues and the adj0 Ag fashionable streets
into whlrl In the saaing stranger IN the
| city would have nasics wa something extra
ordinary was on foot 4-rt tes were flying
about with unusual 20 Il sAaFe was much
liners, costumera aud other trades people were
admitted or lot out Toward 10 O'clock muf.
nee forms slid down front atoops and jumped
into waiting carriages Curious bTssaglanra
caught glisnpse Of bright color, or Tie flash oi
| diamons, or heard the olank OF swords striking
the stone steps
wide awning extended from the front
doors ot the carved granite house at the north-
west corner Of Fifth avenue and Eifty-second
street The awning was carpeted,. and lighted
pY rows Of Chinese lanterns. As the carriapes
rolled up, t0otmen IN the Vanderbilt bottle-
green livery opened the doors, and, when the
guests had disambarked directed the coacl-
man where 70 stand with his carriage Tie
great HAL IN tho centre OF the house was n
Place q light In tho day time this hail Is 50
dafk that the beauty OF the exquisitely carved
stone wainscotting and grooved ceiling are NOT
brought out. The hall il about 65 feet long.
10 leet II height and 40 feet ia width Under
loot Is floor Of polished and luminous Echail-
ion stonei and above ceiling richly panelied
10 oak Over i high Wainscottipg of Caen-
stone. richly carved, are antiana italian tanes.
tries, beautifully worked by hand Ont Of this
halt 10 the right rises the Grand stairway II
occupies space Of 80 feet square. the whole
structure Of the stairway being of The finest
saahsiohe, carved with wonderful delicacy
and vigor. IL climbs by ample easy stages a
height OF 80 feet, ending Ia 4 pend denfive
done. Another stairway, also 10 Caenstone.
leading from the second 20 the third story NJ
seen through q rampant arch with q iine effect.
10 inc gymnasium on the third floor d beauti-
~. ~ apartment ~ feet Ia length BY 35 IN width.
tue members OF the six organized ouadFiiles of
the evening gradually assembled before ii b,
M Lots were drawn on Saturday last by the
ladies IL charge Of tho qaadrilles to decide the
nfdef IN which they shogid be danced il being
previously agreed upon thar the ball should be
opened BY the Hobby Horse quadrille'' a
fantastic set nnder the leadership of Mrs. IS. s.
Rowland and Mr.. james v. Parker, to which
by common consent, the privilege was assigned
oI ming the scene for five minutes
ana lao more. The FIRST place among
the more picturesque quadvilles vas drawn
by the I Mother Goose quadrille,n under the
leadership OF Mr Lawrence Perkins AT a
little aftsr II p. M, to the strains OF Gilmore 8
banQ, the six qundriiles, comprising in all
nearly ~ ladies' and gentlemen, were formed
~ y otass ~ ~ .tis gymnasium and began 70 move
u AKlltterlng procession pageant dorm the
grand stairway and through the hall, winding
through thc crowd Of princes, monks cava-
Hers. highlanders, queens, kings, dairy maids,
5.l 51.nliinghters, knighis, brigands and nobes
~. nns ptesssslon passed down the grand stair
way through the hall into front room in the
style pi francis l.. 70 feet IN width by 10 IN
length Wainseottsd richly and heavily IN
carved fEeneh walnut and hung IN dark rcd
niusa: Nast carved cabinets and an Immense
aeep rsplaee give an air q antique grandeur
81 tue room, from which the procession nassea
into 2 salon Of the STYLE OF Louis Xy., IA feat
10 W9cta ~ u Ia laagth. wAinseotted in oak
and enriched with carved work nnd gliding
lie WAose wainseotting ol this beautiful
apartment w as brought frcs1 eaateau II
France. On the walls hung three French
geeelia tapestries century old, but III the
DFaiiianea and freshness of fheir coIoTs seem
ingiY the wprk af yesterday. and over the
eninney piece hangs q fine portrait Of Mrs
Vanderbilt by Madraxo The ceiling, painted
pY Paul BsuTg represents the marriage CT
Sapid and Pssehe. Thence the procession
swept on inio the grand dining hall, converted
gan.
This dining room, which Ii Of the length
and width Of tho gymnasium, was gunerblv III.
Illuminated. 1t Is y feet tn height. The flosr
and the ceiling are both III oak, richly panelea
10 similar designs. The lover wainEcotinp,
seyen feet IN hegtt, is OF oak, richly carved
ABOVE which Is q temporary wainscotting OF .
peculiar gilded tapestry, nine feet in height
aud above that CAenslone which reaches the
eleregteTy windows of stained glass that ran all
aFouud the apsriments At one end of the
room Is tire-plaee more than 20 feet In width
the lower part o. which Is Of Carlisle stoue and
the upper of carved oak, and at the opposite
end Of the Tonnl - q music gallery, Is feet
from the floor. This gallery Is usually lighted
BY five steel chandeliers At gas, bnt last night
calcium lights filed the Feofn with siivefy
spieudor, which fell with extraordinary effect
on Oudiueg's great stained glass window di-
lug The meefirg Of Henry VIII ard Francis
on the beid oi cloth of gold. In all these
rooms and in the hall and staircase wilder
ness ~ palm trees and banks Of growing low
ers hid many features Of the dscoratious.s
Tha guests had been busy for weeks planning
the marvellous dresses that now slled the
floors. Many were ordered from Worth, and
il is said shat foreign picture galleries were
searched for models An the fashionable ces.
tuners IN the city we're kept busy on the de-
signs, many Of them drawn by prominent ar
tisis. Great care was taken 70 avoid trite COS
TUNES and over redupliration Descriptions Of
all the dresses were submitted beforehand 10
Lady Mandeville, who took care that there
shepld not be too many OF one kind Ordinary
evening dresses were absolutely prohibited
The dancers Of tho Hobby Horse Quadrilles
first took the floor OF the ballroom. Mrs s. s..
Howland organized 1t with the help of Mrs
KicltaFd Irwin, Miss Robert md Mr.. James ".
Parker. The regular quadrllles danced were
SIX IN number. The werkmen were two months
IN finishing the horses. They were Of life size
covered With genuine hides, had large bright
eyes aud flowing manes and tails, but were
light enough 70 ba easily and comfortably at
Tackled 70 tho waists Of the wearers, whose feet
were concealed by richly embroidered hang
Ing False legs were represented on the out
sidC Of tho blanket. The costumes we're rcd
hunting coaie. white satin vests, yellow satin
knee-breeehars aud white satin stockings. The
ladies wore red hunting coats and white gAiin
skirts elegantly embroidered, and all the
dresses we're in the style OF Louis XIV.
When this wonderful qusdrille had been
danced, calue on the Mother Goose Qua.
drllio, led by Mrs Lawrence Perkins az
Mother Gocse and Mr.. Oliver III. Northcote al
wizafd Tie other members were Miss Tlsse
Perkins So Jill, Mr. George Allen AZ jack. Mr.
Spsnrer 10 Prince Chsrining, Miss Fannie
Perkins as Miss Buifeffett Miss Theron AZ Lit.
tlA led Riding Hood, Miss Ialpson as Bo
Peep, Mics Blake as Geodg Two Shoes, Miss
Butlsr Duncan Us Mary, Mary Quite Contra.
rs, Miss Parsons as My Pretty Maid, Flex Bat.
Ter Duncan a. Pinawing, the piemans Son,
Mr BALDWIN, Mr.. Julian kean and Sir. Leav-
~ as squiFes, and Mr.. Lawrence Perkins a
the PIeman.
Perhaps tho most Brilliant qnadrille Of tic
evening was the Opera Bouffe." organized by
Mrs. Fernando Ygnsea, sstor Of Mrs w X
Vanderbilt. In this qnadrille appeared Mrs.
James y. Potter, Mrs. Clarence Carey. Mrs
Ffank Lawrence, Mics Leroy, Mrs George
kiyes. aud Miss Ada Smith another rIstar Of
Mrs " X. Vanderbilt Another striking
gasaflle was the "Star Quadrille," organized
By Mrs William As;or II this appearea Mrs
Lloyd Brice bliss Astor Miss BackwIlh, Nfiss
Carroll. Aiigs Hoffman, Miss Marie, Miss
Warfeg and Miss McAllister These ladies
we're arranged as twin stara III four different
colors-yeh0w, blue, rnsuve aud white The
! gentlemen wero led by Mr. LLOYD Brlce and
Mf. Lanief, IN costumes Of "HeDr Deux
| sun another vas the aDresaen Ouadrile . led
! by Mrs. James Strong, In which appeared Miss
Eta Strong, Miss Iilda Oelricha. Miss Dans
| of PaFfs. mieg A min ft,u.,d h4t.a r a..,n,y