Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-05
BRILLIANCY OF THE BALL.

followed down Pennsylvania avenue by at
least 10000 people.
BRILLIANCY OF THE BALL.
Thousands on the Floor and In the
Galleries.
WASHINGTON, March "A brilliant finale
of the Inauguration ceremonies was the ball
to-night. 1t put cap sheaf OF gayety on the
more formal and serious though grand cere-
mOnial which preceded 1t. Beauty lent its
aid to crown the triumph of the incomIng ad-
ministration, and amid the Ii yht festivities of
the ball room the celebration OF the day came
to a close. The ball was held in the unfin-
ished new Pension Building, an immense
structure enclosing rectangular court yard
more than fG0 feet long by over ltO feet in
width. Two months ago only the walls OF the
building surrounding this court were in place,
but by the exercise of marvellous transform
ing skill this roOtless bare court has been
changed INTO palace of beauty. Entering the
building 10 night by either of the four grand
entrances one sees on every side unsightlv
piles of sand and mortar and brick and iron
and other material. out Of which the massive
pile has grown, and the covered archways by
which access is obtained to the building from
the streets, are laid down across what's little
better than morass OF sOggy clay, Whch only
yesterday army of lOborers was engaged in
levelIng, so that paths might be laid over it,
But a. the door opens on the interior the eve
Is udZL CU DY q sudden DldZo OF light and
color, and the mind confused by the immensi-
ty OF the scene revealed to it at glance.
MAGNIFICENTLY BEWILDERING.
The hall, 3l6 feet long by ll6 feet wide
lighted by sixty gigantic Siemens' gas burn
ers of SEQ candle-power each, which are
suspended from the roof, whose peak is lost
TO sight 80 feet above the floor in a perfect
forest of streamers and flags, on y hose acre OF
waXed floor several thousand couples in bril-
liant Toilets are moving about in the maZes of
the dance. while thousands more circle
around on the outskirts in ceaseless
promenade, ami other thousands look down
upon them from the surrounding balconies
Is the grand framework OF an ensemble
which, bursting suddenly upon ones view, is
magnlfcently beWlldernE. One must be in
the ball room some time before the details of
the scene begin to present themselves to
notice. The hall proper is divided by two
rows of massive pillars, which support the
roof into three connected halls the middle
one OF Whlcn Is tne largest. Rising from the
hall on the four sides are smaller brick pillars
which support the balconies, and on the outer
side of these, and between them and the inner
walls of The building, is a prOmenading hall
twelve feet wide sepa ated from the bali room
only by rows of pillars. From the balconies
which extend around the four sides of the
hail there rise still smaller rows of pillars,
suppO ted on those beneath, and in turn sup
port Dg the second balcony that is hidden bv
temporary roof. Two large music stands,
one for music ans furnishing the dancing
music and the other for the band which pro-
vides the music for prOmenading, are built
out from the sides of the hall to the height of
the balcony.
THE SIDE ROOMS.
The supper rooms wine rooms cloak and
hat room, reception rooms, Presidents rooms
and the rooms occupied by the various ball
committees are ranged on the four sides of
the haH beyond the promenading circle. In
this vast space hardly foot of the rouRh un-
finished interior remains exposed. DecOra-
tiOns cover the whole interior, with the excep-
ton of the roof, and this is almost hidden from
w a n OF nF Gfr Il
bunting. All i brilliant cOlOring in which
the red, white and blue tints of the American
flag predominate, but are toned down by con-
trastlng dark green of natural garlands hung
in festoOns and of the foliage of tropical
plants, which are banked about the sup
ports OF the roof and in the corners of the hall
and are blended with the rich dark hues OF
velvet hangings and the glossy sheen of silk
damask draperies The wealth of color Is re-
heved against back ground of pure white
muslin, and is blended into harmony and
sOfmess under the dffused light Of lamps
which hang from the roof like great globes OF
fire. The entire sheen forms a brilliant
setting for the rich toilets of the dancers and
lEomenaders and the ever changing panorama
on he floor. This Is the general effect. The
details are complex and elaboCate.
CLEVELAND AT THE BALL.
1t was half past 10 O'Clock when President
Cleveland arrived at the ball room. He was
Immediately escorted to the Presidents room
where, for half an hour, he held an informal |
r ceptlOn, the members of the reception
committee and small number of distn-
gUshed persons being presented to him. The |
President was accompanied by Miss Cleveland |
and Mrs. HOyt, his sisters, anu by his brother. |
Rev. w \. Cleveland, and wife, and their
two sons; Mr. Hastings, his nephew Miss |
Hastings, Miss Nellie YeOmans and Mis- Anna |
YeOmans, Mr.. and Mrs. Dacon, the Presi- |
dents brother in-law and wife. of Toledo, |
and Col. and Mrs. Lamont. A bout the same
time eX-PTesldent Arthur arrived at the ball |
room, and he, too, was escorted 10 the Pres- |
dents room With him were Secretaries Lin |
coin and Chandler, Secretary and Mrs Nc |
Culloch, Attorney General Brewster and Mrs,
Brewster, POStm aster General Hatton and |
Mrs. HattOn, Secretary Teller and Mrs. Tel
Ter, Judge DAVIS and Mrs. Davis, Miss Lucy |
treiinghuysen, Mr.. Allan Arthur and Mar |
shall McMichael.
Vice President Hendricks arrived about the |
same time and joined the President. In the |
room at this time there was large and dis
most diverse shades OF political opinions. |
Besides the persons already named there /
were present Senator Bayard, Col Villas of |
Wisconsin. Gen. Sheridan and Mr.. Sheridan, |
Gen. Rosecrans, Hon. Daniel Manning and |
wife, Senator PendletOn, Hon Richard 7. |
Merrick, Representative Eaton OF Cohnecti- |
cut, Representative Barbour OF Virginia and |
Mrs. Barbour, Senator Wade Hampton, Sena-
tor Brown of Georgia, Justice Field OF the 1
supreme Court, and Speaker Garlic and Mrs.
Carlisle. There was no formal reception by |
President Cleveland, but a large number Of |
persons pressed about him and some of the |
gentleman standing in the immedia.e |
vicinity made presentations.
TOUR OF THE BALL ROOM.
After half an hour spent in this manner the
room became oyercrOwded and the President |
and Vice President, the former escorted by
senator Pendleton and Richard T. Merrick
ana the latter by Representative Eaton and |
Mr.. ). ). Mines, left the room and made the /
round OF the ball room, the band playing
HAL TO the Chie1" during the time occu-
pled IN walking around the room. After the
Presidential party had left the room the
crowd continued to pour into it through other
doors, unaware that President Cleveland had
lett. standing near the centre OF the room
was senator Bayard, and the crowd pressed
about him and shook hands with him as they
passed, apparently under the impression that
he was Vice President Hendricks. When the |
Senator at last discovered that he was being
mistaken for somebody else he abandoned his
position. The scene in the ball room at this
time was exceedingly brilliant. The large hall
was completely filled with constantly moving
crowds, numbering several thousand, while
from the balconies thousands more looked
down upon the scene. The bright toilets of
the ladies, the flowers, glIttering Jewels dec
Orations and lights were prominent features
of the scene to be long remembered.
The President, after making the tour OF the |
ball room, returned to the reception room |
and for short time received all who came in
to pay their respects. but at II 80 he and his
party left the building, and Vice President
Hendrleks and his party also went away.
~ IL O'Clock the Germania Orchestra OF
Philadelpb1a. numbering over 100 pieces, |
opened the ball proper with waltz. Dane |
ing was continued until a very late hour, ln-
terspersed with intervals for promenadlng, |
during which the Marine Band supplied ex-
cellent music. A very handsome supper was |
served throughout the evening in a series of |
supper rooms by the Murray |
Hill Hotel Of New York. The supper and at
tendants were brought from New York on a
special tram. The arrangements and menu
were alike satisfactory.
1900 TICKETS SOLD.
From incomplete data the n,e,ohars - .ho |