Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-03
A NATIONAL DISGRACE.
Patriots Blush for the Scenes at the Cen
tennial Ball.

NEW YORK, May 2.-Tbe World says:
Now that the Centennial Ball is over, peo-
pie who paid from $40 to S25 apiece to par
ticipate in it, and whose fun was repre-
sented by the figure 90" are taking out
the balance in criticism. The tongues OF
the ball. gOers were blistered with fault
finding yesterday. On all sides it was
conceded that the Centennial ball was the
biggest executive failure of the century
People who were most competent to speak
were loudest in declaring the ball monu-
ment of incapscity and vulgarity. AS Mr..
Ward McAllister read his private de-
spatches in his Washington retreat, COM
placent smile overspread and softened his
features. The scenes in the supper room
cannot be described safely in newspaper.
Never since the palace of the Tuileries was
invaded in 1899, by the Sans Culottes, of
the Seine department. have such startling
contrasts bsen witnessed in similar circum-
stances.
THE ATTENDANTS ALL DRUNK
When it is said that the walters, police
men and messenger boys drank most of the
free champagne, the situation at midnight
may be suggested. Justices of the Su-
preme Court, Governors, staff officers,
club men, lawyers, poets, millionaires,
with beautiful and refined women, crowd
ed blankly smongsthe supper counters and
demanded in vain the attention they were
accustomed TO receive. The functionsries
around the place showed undisguised con-
tempt for the free lunch fiends" Wait
ers, who did not have to account for the
unlimited wine, took occasion to neglect
guests and treat themselves. The excel
lent supper was largely wasted. There
was no responsibility for anything to
snvbody. The "Gentlemen's Dining
Room" idea was shown TO be an utter
fallacy By 1890 p. m. the supper room
had been given over to people, whose ideas
Of enjoyment had been learned in free and
easy resorts Drunken men invaded the
ballroom, lourishing bubbling bottles Of
champagne. IN the corridors, free fights
we're of constant occurrence Gamblers,
bookmskers and women dozsd or made
merry on the stsircases. Never once did
an accredited officer of the evening inter
fere to anybOdy's knowledge.
THE OFFICERS HELPLESS.
The policemen who were sober were
helpless. They couldn't tell the dress
coated walters from the guests. By l
o'clock most of the respectable ele-
ment were making frantic and supperless
efforts TO get away Even this privilege
was denied them. A line extending from
the coat rooms for 500 yards end made up
of some OF the leading citizens of this
town, surged for hours against the feeble
and inadequate partitions OF the cost
room. Gentlemen grew angry and des-
perate at the utter insdequscy of the ar
rangements. Men whose names are known
all over the Union fought their way toward
their coats under the frequent clubs OF the
police, the ieers of the MOB outside and the
pernicious activity of the pickpockets. II
was o'clock in the morning before the
last scattered nd ragged guest joined bis
family at the doors and reached his hack
THE WORST EVER SEEN.
"In its executive aspects the Centennial
Ball WAS the worst OF its sort ever known
in the history of this city," said well
known man sbont town, yesterday. TIE
possibility Of sitting the attendants get sll
the wine they wanted, waI enough to ruin
any plans which might have been made
left at q. N. without my hat or coat.
Two of the checkers inside the cloak-room
were drunk. / got my own umbrella by
paving 81 for one exchanged for 1t IN
my sight, by the fellow who had demanded
the dollar. OF the ladies I met, ones
dress was ruined by plate of salad thrown
over it by drunken brute, and
the shoulder of another was cut from
a bottle which stranger had
broken upon it. saw more respectable
women insulted in the supper room than
ever saw even accosted at the French ball.
I knocked down man who tried to kiss
the daughter of leading lawyer here.
The ticket takers bad no check placed
upon them and there is no question they
made lots of money letting in people who
never should have been there. The police
men lost their temper completed y and
cleared people ont at the end OF their
climbs. Hundreds OF bottles of wine were
passed out of doors and sold by walters
and others. One man was drunk and fell
down stairs, and was so badly hurt be had
10 be carried off in an ambulance. MsDy
flags and pOtted plants were stolen, and
some of the boxes were shockingly soiled
after their first occupants had left. The
supper room was
CLEARED BY CLUBS
shortly after l o'clock. The lights were
turned out in the ball room long before
the crowd had left the building.
DR.. John W. Gibbs said at the Hoffman
House last night: 81 have Just finished
letter of congratulation to Mr.. Ward Nc
Allister. The ball, as it went of, was
about the best answer he could make TO
those who removed him. Mr.. Stuyvesant
Fish may know something about railroads,
but he knows nothing of how to conduct
ball.