Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-02-20
The Great Inauguration Ball.


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The Great Inauguration Ball.
The new pension building, where the
inaugural ball is to be held, is rising to-
wards the clouds like the wonderful
palace of Aladdin, which was built in
a night, and it promises to be the most
beautiful of the art structures of Wash
ington. 1t will be the largest brick
building in the United States, if not in
the world. 1t will cover two acres Of
ground. Its outside walls will be 75 feet
high. A roof of iron and glass will Use
sixteen feet above this, and the centre
will be crowned with great glass dome,
the topmost point of which will be IA
feet from the ground. Its style is vital
ly different from that of the other ma
tional buildings at Washington. 1t will
consist Of II single range of office rooms
around great court at the centre. Gen.
Meigs hopes to make it the triumph of
architecture In brick, and It's outer walls,
which are now completed, look more
like those of mammoth art hall than
OF a government department. Four great
doorways, one on each side of the build
ing, lead into it. These doOrways lead
to the great central court through halls
replete with carving, and so wide that
the largest wagonload of hay could pass
through them without touching.
A few steps and you reach the grand
court OF the centre. 1t twill be the grand
est ballroom the world has ever seen.
Covering almost an acre, and accommo-
dating easily on its foo! ut one time
5000 round dancers, or $500 square
dancers, il will surpass those of any time
or any country. 1t is 3l6 feet long and
lle feet wide, and waltz around its
outside edge will cove about one-eighth
Of mile. 1t reminds one much of the
square of ST. Mark i'm Venice. Around
It's four sides extend wide corridors sep
arated from it by many columns, form
ing a sort Of an arcade or promenade
around the entire ballroom, in which
five couples could easily march abreast.
Just above this corridor run two gal
leries, one above the other, with railing
as high as your waist, and many Ionic
and Doric pillars through which the
promenaders above can look down on
the magnificent scene below, as they
walk by thousands around the galleries.
The square of St. Marks ut Venice has
only the sky to cover it, but this Immense
court will be covered with glass, framed
in iron. The pillars which will support
the roof are already in their places
They are massive brick columns, each
OF the area of a good-sized hall bedroom
and containing enough brick to build
three ordinary eight-room brick houses.
They rise from the floor of the court in
4 two. rows of four each, upwards for 10
feet, when they end in massive capitals
of iron. They will divide the ballroom,
as it were, into three immense halls, but
the space between the pillars will be
more than the length of large city par
lor, aud dozen couples will not be
crushed in passing through at the same
time.
These pillars and the hundreds of col
umns surrounding the corridors and
galleries will give the greatest opportu-
nifty for the decorators art. The treas
ures Of the Navy and War Departments
furnish I 500 flags from ten to thirty
feet long and the Botanical Gardens will
fiji the hall with flowers and plants. In
addition to these, different estimates
have been received for decorating, run
ming as high as $4,000, and a series of
wonders In electic lights will add to all
, that bunting, fags and flowers have
done for the great balls Of the past.
The glass roof will not be completed
for nearly year, but an immense sheet
of canvass is being made to cover the
top of this great court in tent.like shape.
aud the four boilers which are to fur
nish the steam 10 heat the room are al
ready buih, and ready for use. 1t is es-
timated that it will cost $4,000 TO put
the ballroom I'm order for heating, but
this will be completed soon, and the
fires will be lighted at least two weeks
! before the 4th of March. The ball tick
cts were ready by February !. There
are about l2 900 of them, and they will
cost So a piece. They were printed al
the Bureau of Printing aud Engraving,
and will be beautiful enough to frame.
The programme Of the ball will be
printed on the latest style OF ragged
edge note-paper, and will probably
have engraved portraits Of Cleveland
and Hendricks on one Of its covers, and
a picture of the new Pension building
on the other. To il will be tied silver
pencil in the shape of broom, emble-
matte, l suppose, OF the clean sweep to
be made blythe new administration.
One hundred special tickets will be
printed on parchment, and another
single ticket will be made for Grover
Cleveland. This ticket will also be on
parchment. 1t will be framed in silver
and will contain the coat-of-arms of al
the States which voted for Cleveland.
The ball will cost a great deal, and
it is question whether the 600 re-
ceived from the sale of tickets will
cover the expense. Grants second ia
angural ball cost $50 900. II had ball