The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-05
THE INAUGURAL BALL.
Extraordinary Beauty Of the
Floral Decorations.
Ten Tho asand People Crowd the
Ffoor-Daneing 0at Of Question
tsnfIl Ass~r Mianishf.

wAsnrNGros. March 4.-The great
court Of the rension building Is to-
night ablaxe with light and color. and
10 tine seductive music OF the great
orshestr.. thousands glide tarough the
movements Of the dance or stroll in
tina corridors or promenasles. admir-
ing or contributing 10 the marvellous
beauty of The scene
Z he court OF the new pension EaiId-
ing is undoubtedly the largest and
grandest interior Of its kind on this
continent, and IN respect of symuAes-
rieai beauty il has fex superiors IN
the world. Ihe.area OF tesseIa1ed tile
hoeT Is aboEt 81 Go square feet. or
] very nearly an acre Four wears ago.
/ when the first inauguration bah was
bald here. the then unfinished condi-
ton OF the bHilding rendered highly
effective decoration exceedingly ciffi-
! esais and IN some respects quite isnpos-
Sfble, but tonight the perfection OF
decorative art seems - have been at
tanned.
The nsosst conspicuous feature Of the
interior scene is a swo-story japanese
/ paeodz about - by 80 feet ia size, in
/ the center OF a Court built over and
around the fountain The lower part
Of the pagoda Is a picturesque groEio
of rocks. ferns aud flowers. On its
second floors are stationed 100 per-
formers, composing the orchestra OF
Philadelphia, who play dance music
Above them, On the third Eloor. the IA
noxzs Marine band discourse music
Z 4.
{ ture Is gay with sgreamers and fesfoons
of colored lights. Tall. graceful palms
ana lowering tropical plants and
naxes OF sraiiAx adoTH the fioors and
roofs Of this unique music stand.
which is indeed 3 thing Of beauty.
! On the west front Of the Erst gallery
hangs large oil portrait Of President
Harrison, and on the east front one OF
/ Vice President Morton, each richly
framed in blue, purple and old gold
siik plush The portraits, with their
j frames, are IL by - feet in size. and
are tastefuIly drapesl. Extending
around the entire circGit of the court,
under the three galleries and over the
heads OF the promenaderS, are thick
/ laurel garlands festooned In graceful
/ lines similar gariands are iooped
and txine.1 above the rich capitol of
( the bronzed Ionic pillars. forming
with the arches a succession of eilipses
Directly over the west entrance 10
( the building, and high above the para
pet Of the iirst gallery, in giitteTing
coiorei gGs lets. Is traced the word
Constitution and higher still shines
a single five-pointed star. It's crystal
setting rejecting The rays from leo
points OF light.
The faces OF the galleries are almost
completely covered BY rich draperies.
On the front of the lower gallery and
just above the eapiiols OF the pillars
are hung bread shields upon which
are srtastieally painted in rich eolors
the coats OF arms of all the states of
the Union. Alternating with these
are miniature suits OF steel and gilt
Roman armor. In general way this
scheme is carried out la the decoration
of the fronts Of the second and third
galleries. On the front of the second
gallery, however. the suits of armor
are feli-sixei and OF FURNISHED silver
plate, and on shields are represented
the arms OF all the nations of the
giobe, each trimmed with the flag of
tne nation represented.
The richest and most striking OF the
decoration are long lines OF silk and
satin embroidered banners. These are
six feet in length and are pendant
from gilt and silver ornaniented stalls
attached at acute angles 70 the fifteen
pillars supporting the tlrst and second
galleries. these are trimmed with
deep gold, frinsed and studded sifh
jewels. Upon each OF them is EN-
Druidered in gold the coat OF arms Of
one OF the leading nations Of the globe,
the American coiors alternating with
those OF other nations.
The decorations OF the eight inn
nense Eorinthian columns are in per
feet harmony with their towering pro-
portions. Stretching across tfse easg
end OF the court is great high ter
raced conservatory, the scene OF strik-
ing floral beauty.
Other striking fe4tares Of the interior
scene are eight large panels upon
which are represented in floral pic
fares the executive departments of
the government They are eight by
ten feet. and are suspended az even
distances from the front of the lower
gallery The state department is rep
resented by an open tscok upon which
are letiered in isnfnortelIeS the words
a Department of state The emblem
OF the war department is mounted
cannon with q pyramid of cannon
balls. The navy department panel Is
a complete naoGel of United state
ulspatch-boAt. perfect in every detail,
with her name on her prov. On the
panel OF the department os justice are
showsi the scales Of the Justice and an
open Law book. across the pages of
9fafeh Is the Latin inscription
" Fiat ggs,tia. THE postofflce de-
partmeFit Is represented by G mail bag
ieftered ~. 3 ~. and letter with
: pos1uIark dated March 4, isss. and
addressed 10 Benjamin Harrison,
Washington, ID. L. On the treasury
department panel is representation
Of large sale With combination lock,
carried out IN detail. The interior de-
paTtmen; Is represented fly iag cAhln
&ith stump OF tree. iato which an
ak has heen driven. AZ q the agFicui-
turai department ey II piow and zheaf
os wheat. All of these emhiematlcaI
designs are IN half relief, ana are con-
slFuetesi OF only the choicest cut
towers
From the topmoss peak OF each OF
the three sections % the roof OF the
battling. sheer 80 seeE fFozal the floor,
hAugs white AMI blue hauting ziternzt-
iagAath garlands of evergreen And
ioTaasng aa immense cAnopy. From
the ceaEeY of the naSdslie canopy de-
peslds probably the largest and most
complete pleg e og fsorSi decoration ever
seven. X Is fall-rlxgsSi three raa>ied
vesssl representing the ship II state
Is l. - ieet long and perfect model
n ever detail Tens oi thousands o.
choice 3owe-S were usssl In rs con-
siructian- IL Is marvel Of graceful
beauty. From the csuier OF esrh oI
the caEoples over pFeaaing the sec
tions oS the court, depends = coral
bail is feet ia diameter. q mass OF
brilliant eosoTs.
Taken as 5 whole and N sis tail the
decorations arr undoubtedly the rich
ct and most elaborate ever produced
on thsS continent.
The rooms set apart for The sse of
EEse presidential party are on the sec
osad Fsocr ia the southwest corner a
the lsasisGIng. The sails are entirely
covered wgfh cardinal -5lk plash
with bronxe a.ad old gold plush tr1eEe.
A blue psrtier~ hangs a. each Of The
tsasorS. The window hangings arc OF
The ana>t lace. and the carpets ana
rags os Tie sleAesi quality. The fur
nifure Is essgaas II ssesszn ard saa-
tefiai Ateacss sie.e 81 the szzAin ro-oai
ssanSts tesE-a-Eete tiorzi chair wstA
al 0verhansSnr canopy. akon xbsrh