New-York tribune., 1885-02-18
GAYETY IN MASKS.
THE NIGHT OF THE LIEDERKRANz BALL.
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE CROWDED Win
MERRY MAsKERs.

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE CROWDED Win
MERRY MAsKERs.
There was an unusual stir in the clubs ana
the hotels the great restaurants and other resorts Oh men
OF leisure last evening Groups Of gay young broRers
AMI gray Old bankers chatted brsky at the Union
Club Lively young Democrats at the Manhattan anu
austere Old Republicans at tue Union League neht
hearted artists and OF the pen at the Loos piue-
boodcd descendants of the venerable Dntch vans a ue
KnckcIbOcker-a found common topic of discussoh'
Even he still air ghtul studies AT the University
Club lost its usual tranquility. Delmonco's, the HON
man House aud the Brunswick populous WIN
dudes whose habtual stagnation had been rnieu INTO
some show of lte while other and more mpetuous ire
quentcrs OF those places of refreshmen wore LOOKS Oh
.er anticipation. In theatre lot bics and behind the
scenes. in the halls of the Fifth Avenue and Windsor
Hotels chorus of talk the theme of the night
was swciled by hundreds of voices That one theme
was the annual masked ball of the Lederkranz Society
This festival of folly Is the favore with club men,
with mon town. with elegant lonngers oil all sorts'
and with solid of business and the professions az
we'll who once in the year delight to minee with the
maskers II Is fayOre too with pretty actresses anu
some not so pretty, and with women whose races anu
forms are less familiar the public The boxes ana tue
floor are graced with the bf many OF the grace
full sex who attend any other pubic masquerade.
Some them remain shyy In the boxes ana keep their
faces covered from the time they leave their homes
enter freely the fun OF the night That fun s
seasoned with Irritation and sometimes may become
little ndiscreet But neither In costumes nor In dane
Ing nor in the baons OF the sdpperroom Is tne pupne
pcace afronted There ir disorder, there is no Wild
license at Lederkranz. and no asciVous cdncds or
furious Carmagnoles ever shock the pure-minded
looker-on For the ederkranz is under the watch ana
ward OF the Teutonic spirit No reckless French orgies
ever find welcome winked at within its doors The
law abiding. order-lovng German genius Is seen
through 1t all, and no matter how much wine may no"
and beer may froth, the fun Is Kept within pouhds'
The hundreds OF members OF the society take their wives
and daughters their sisters and sweethears to the ball
and for their saRcs 1t is kept clean as public
masquerade he. 1t is impossible In spite OF all pre-
cautions keep out the vicious element entirely but
It gets chance for offensive display
The ball this year WAS held at the Metropolitan Opera
House instead OF the Academy as In
former years. The great building was
and by midnight every box was full
every point from which the floor could be seen was
taken, and the floor itself was so closely occupied
that dancing difficult There were great
many rich and costly costumes but never
was LedcrkIauz ball held at which masks
were so promptly and largely discarded. ladies
who had never shown their features at masked
ball in the Academy showed no dis
position to hide them in the Metropolitan The
ball was the most brilliant and enjoyable ever
by the society, and the officers OF the LcucfAlduZ
and the mcmbcrs OF the committees won
the heartiest praise from all present.
The decorations were chiefly confined TO the
stage, which was set in gfeenery with
mountain scene against the back-wall
broad gallery was built up before this
and gas Jets, electric lights, colorcd globes
and strcamers lavhy used to produce ornamental
effects ''iiederkranz" and l.. H." blaked
here and there IN letters of fire.
A thrill Of alarm ran through the great
throng at half-past eleven o'clock, ms the flames
OF an alcohol lamp caught a streamcr on the stage
which blazcd up swiftly. A few cowarlly fellows
cried Fire - and rushed for the
doors few women shrieked and
two three cspccitlIy llm'u
ones tainted. The frcmcn who were
in attendance rushed ard had
a Babcock cxtineusher and a half-dozen buckets
of water Oh the fire, which almost instantly
disappeared. The fright was speedily
over and the little incident formed
lively topic OF talk for the rest Of the
night Every in authority showed dis
cretion and GOODNESS at the time Of the little panic
and there serious consequences. Even the
fools who cried Fire" and tho women who tainted
should have mind the fact that the building 10
absolutely reproo and there could not be the least