Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-29
A NIGHT IN FAIRY-LAND.
DAZZLING SCENES AT THE VAN.
DERBILT BALL.

OEhb1LI BALL.
Fully $50 900 Expended by the Enter
tainers and $50, 900 by the Guests on
COstumes-The Floral Display and
Beauties of the Modern Palace-The
Dresses, Dances and People Present.
Yelc York Special to Baltimore Sun, esth.
The palatial house of William X. Van
derbilt, son of the famous railway mag
nate, William II. Vanderbilt. was the
scene this evening OF fancy dress ball,
which for its splendid effects, lavish cost
illness and brilliant company has never
been equaled in this, if in any country.
and whose combined attractiveness might
have excited the envy of the age of Louis
QuinZe, or of the cOurtiers in the palmest
days of the Alhambra. The house itself,
with its elabOrately carved light stone
exterior, its pinnacles and towers. and an
interior cOntainingan an immense hall, royal
dining room, winding stairway, large
ball room, and the cOstliest marbles, paint
ings and tapestries, is probably the best
suited for ball of this kind of any Of the
city's costly dwellings. This evening,
when the rooms were as bright as day,
when the strains of Lander's orchestra and
the perfume of banks and bouquets ofroses
filled the air, when millions of dollars in
jewelry glittered, and New York's proud
and wigs, mingled in the minuet and the
quadrilie. the scene was more than the
writer of the ''Arabian Nights ever
dreamed of. The cost of the entertain
ment has been wildly underguessed and
exaggerated. The costumes probably
cost, on an average. for the 800 guests
present, about 800 apiece, though some of
them ran into the thousands; the wine
and the refreshments, the latter being
prepared by the combined army of Van
derbllt chefs, perhaps $4,000. The flow
ers would probably cost $5,000 and the
music, faYOrs, extra service, walters, etc,
probably $4,000 more. Many of the
guests went earlier than usual to avoid
the crowd and to see the company arrive.
BY ii 80 the rooms were full almost to
discomfort. The halls and passages had
been turned into garden scene by dense
masses of palms and ferns, while the beds
of roses set round the room in every avail
able space were the costliest ever seen in
the city.
Mrs. Vanderbilt's irreproachable taste
was seen to perfection in her costume as
Venetian Princess, taken from picture
by Cabonel. The underskirt was of white
and yellow br0cade, shading from the
deepest orange to the lightest canary,
only the high lights being white. The
figures Of flowers and leaves were out
lined in gold, white andliridescent beads.
The light blue satin train was embrOider-
ed magniticently in gold, and lined with
Roman red. Almost the entire length of
the train was caught up at one side, form
ing a large puff. The waist was of blue
satin covered with gold embroidery, the
dress was cut square in the neck, and the
flowing sleeves were of transparent gold
tissue. She wore Venetian cap COW
cred with magnificent jewels, the most
noticeable of these being a suberb
peacock in many-cOlored gems. Lady
Vaudeville, who received the guests with
Mrs. Vanderbilt, wore a costume in most
fortunate contrast with Mrs. Vanderbilt's.
Her dress was copied from a picture by
Nandyke of Princess de Croy. The
petticOat was of black satin, embroidered
in jet. The body and train were of black
velvet, Ornamented with heavy Jet en-
brOidery. The dress had large puff Van
dyke sleeves, and immense stand-up col
lar of Venetian lace, the sleeves being
turned up with the same lace. The whole
was crowned with a black Vandyke hat
and dropping plumes, turned uD at one
side and blazing with jewels. Nothing
could have been more becoming to Lady
Mandeville's blonde beauty than this
magnificent and sombre dress.
Mr.. w. X. Vanderbilt appeared as the
Duke de Guise, wearing yellow silk
tights, yellow and black trunks, yellow
dOublet and a black velvet cloak, en-
brOidered in gold, with the order of St.
Michael suspended on black ribbon, and
with a white wig, black velvet shoes and
buckles. Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt ap-
peared as Louis XVI. in habit de COur,
and breeches of fawn-cnlnred hrncade.
trimmed with silver point despagne, a
waistcOat of Reseda, trimmed with real
silver lace. The stockings, shoes and hat
were of Reseda. He wore jabOt and ruffles
of lace and diamOnd-hilted sword. Mrs.
Cornelius Vanderbilt appeared as the
"Electric Light" in white satin, trimmed
with diamonds, and with a magnificent
diamond head dress. Mrs. Cornelius Van
derbilt was accompanied by her children,
daintily appareled, one as a rose, in pink
tulle, with a satin Overdress of green
leaves, waist of green satin and a head
dress of white satin. fashioned like bou-
quet holder; another as a Sinbad the
Sailor, in white satin breeches, a white
flying jacket, embroidered
in gold, and Turkish shoes: and a third as
a little courtier, in light blue satin hand
embroidered coat with waistcoat and
breeches of white satin, hand-embroidered
in roses and daisies.
Miss Ada Smith, sister of Mrs. Van
derbilt, wore, as peacock, a dazzling
costume of peacock blue satin, the waist
of real peacock's breast with
a peacock cap and fan. The train and
the front of the dress were covered with
the peacock feathers.
Mrs. Seward Webb, Mr.. Vanderbilt's
sister, wore as hornet brilliant waist
of yellow satin with brown velvet skirt
and brown gauZe wings. This dress was
paralleled by another representing
wasp, of purple and black gold gauze,
with horizontal stripes of black and vel
low, and transparent gold tissue over
dress. A special head-dress was import
ed for this costume, with antenne of dia-
mOnds. Yellow gloves striped with black
were worn with it.
Miss Work, as Joan of Arc. attracted
great attention. She wore a white China
Grape, embroidered in silver fe1tr de I,is.
with a cuirass, helmet and gauntlets of
solid silver mail, the bodice, leggings
and shoes being of steel cloth, and the
spurs of steel.
Mr.. Gorringe wore very handsome
costume of the Arab Sheik Manfoor. a
blue embroidered jacket, with a crimson
sash, white turban, and a beautifully
burnOus brought by him from
Egypt.
Mr.. Munroe-Butler Johnstone. NJ. p.
the owner of the madonna Del Candida
bril-" at the Metropolitan Museum. wore n
dress Of the time of Louis XII., of dead
gold satin embroidered in gold, gray hat
and white plume, as the Marshal Tribulzi.
the favorite Marshal of the conqueror of
Milan.
Mr.. Thorndike Rice, of the North Aneyi-
'dn ReUtelC, went in a black dress of the |
last century, with black velvet Venetian
coat.
Ex-Mayor Edward Cooper wore a simi-
ar costume.
Mr.. Hurlbert, of the World, wore the
costume of Spanish Knight of Calatrara |
black velvet suit of the seventeenth
collar and cuffs of old Point
lie Venise lace, and white cloak with a
black satin hood, and the red cross of the |
)rder.
Nine. Christine Nilsson represented
Marie Stuart. She wore black velvet |
elaborately embroidered in jet, and with |
4 head-dress of black velvet and jet.
Arthur Leary, the cOurtly ex-leader of !
the Charity Ball, appeared in a court |
lress of the time of Louis XIII. and |
Charles l. 1t comprised maroon velvet |
ynaa hrppohaa with sooI-o4 /