Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-30

lurDuBlnR NEW YORK, tne greatest IedJuTe VI
all is the grand centennial ball, which took
place at the Metropolitan opera house to-
night. All that money could do to carry out
the immense scheme that was TO give night
OF pleasure to 5000 people, was done, and the
result was satisfactory. Carriages began to
roll up to the Broadway entrance
soon after s o'clock. The outer
walls of the auditorium and the
sides of the double stair cases
formed three sides of garden, and trelllsed
vines and towering shrubs added to the
mural effect, while real fruit trees, set about
In an artistic manner, challenged one to dis
pute the fact that he had just come up from
outdoors There were apple trees in blossom
and pear trees in bud, peach trees with
strong suggestiveness of fruitfulness, aud
cherry trees with every evidence except n
hatchet sticking in the base. The mural
decorations included ounces and prunes and
grapes even, while lilacs and smilax climbed
the balustrades and made up continu-
GUS panorama of floral verdure where
ever you might choose to go. In
safe corners of the corridors stood still rarer
plants and on each stair-landing was nina
ture grove of beauty. Around on the Thirty
ninth street side there was another garden,
but more artificial in appearance than that at
the Broadway entrance.
The Immediate entrances to the great
dancing floor were kept clear for obvious
reasons, but what a sight met the eye when
once within.
There is no word that better describes the
first sensation one experienced on entering
the vast auditorium tonight than to say it
was dazzling.
From the center of the dome long streamers
radiated to the side walls; and around the
tiers of boxes and balconies as WELL there
was wealth of decoration such as never
before attempted in New York. Little knots
OF colors and picturesque trimmings of red,
white and blue were so arranged that the
advent of pretty costumes not only enhanced
the general effect, but the costumes tnem-
oDl hnt, tod nlNv Nh.af frn tu
of the lower tiers of boxes were draped with
red plush as background for
the costumes of those dancing, and
were festooned with wreaths and flowers
while great piles of flowers were on the
front rails of most of the boxes.
On the stage arose u huge architectural
mass of flowers and plants, their disposition
being so artistic as to demand an admiration
that grew as it was studied more closely.
This structure was apparently to help the
heighth of the proscenium arch. The base
occupied several yards of dancing floor, but
the loss of space was atoned for In the gain
to the spectacle. 1t arose in several terraces
of different colored flowers.
The presidential box was the center of the
tier erected at the back of the stage. The
front was almost covered with palms, with
large American eagle in the center, sur
mounted by the words:
washington, 1889 and 1SS9,n
in colored electric lights. The whole front
of both tiers was curtalneu with silk flags
and decorated with groups of standards and
great masses of flowers The box
fore the mayor had arrived, and by
the time the word went around that the
presidential party was coming, there were
very few vacancies.
Among the families represented IN this
great concourse of expectant people, were
those of William Astor, Ogden Goelet,
William j. Hamilton, Chauncey M. Depew,
Elbridge L. Gerry Stuyvesant Fish, Robert
4 tt,,SfN A A,,y;tt
Fish, Clarence A. Seward, Henry Clews,
William Morton, Levi p. Morton, Stephen
b. Elkins and Paran Stevens.
Each conner was handed dancing order
at the entrance, having twenty-four num-
bers. The supper room IS one of great pro
portions, beginning at Broadway, the end of
the temporary structure erected on Thirty
ninth street, it runs all the way through to
Seventh avenue and up to Fortieth
street, forming two sides of triangle.
1t makes a supper room forty-five feet wide
and 4T5 feet long, with accommodations for
5000 people at one time. The sides of this
structure are lined with cheese colored
bunting and are as beautifully decorated as
any other part of the opera house. Hun
dreds of baskets of blossoms were made use
of, and only one kind of flowers was
allowed in each basket. The presidents
table stood at the Seventh avenue and
Thirty.ninth street corner. His party could
look both ways down the lines Of the supper
tables. Just opposite the table was a raised
platform on which Were musicians.
On the presidents table were wreaths of
scarlet tulips, white tulips, and azaleas and
hyaCinths arranged upon plateau of trail
ing arbutus, the whole floral decoration rest
ing upon great oval mirror six feet wide
and ten high completely filling the center of
the great oval table. The tables in the
upper room presented a most beautiful ap-
pearance before work of devastation began.
There was all an epicurean taste could wish
to choose from. Mayor Grant arrived at 10
o'clock
1t was half past 10 when the president
came.
There was then not room to move on the
floor, and it was labor to take three steps in
the corridors; Finally a detachment of the
Second artillery signal corps managed to
force passage through the crowd from the
main entrance to the stage.
At exactly 1910 Dlare of trumpets
| sounded, and the mayor Offering his arm to
| the president began to walk between the
| lines of artillerymen. Next came Vice-Presl-
| dent Morton with Mrs. Harrison upon his
arm, and they were followed by Governor
| Hill and Mrs. Morton. Then came other
| members Of the presidential party. AS they
all moved between the walls Of humanity
| that pressed close on either side, cheer after
| cheer went up and almost drowned the
| noise of the trumpets. Arrived at the special
| boxes or the stage, the president turned
| members of the committee. The strains of
'Hail to the Chief'' ceased and the reception
| was at an end.
The president ushered Mrs. Harrison INTO
| box set aside for them. Vice-Presdent
! Morton and Mrs. Morton also entered the
| box, us did also Mr.. and Mrs. Russll Har-
rison. The rest of the party We're disposed
| in the other special boxes, and all then was
| in readiness for the grand quadrille.
| AT IL o'clock the orchestra struck up the
"Star Spangled Banner" and the dance
| began. 1t was not a rapid dance, but was
| sedate in the extreme. Senator Aldrich
| smiled on his partner, but otherwise there
was as much solemnity about the affair as il
| it had been the most serious business on
| earth.
| The president busted himself looking at
the brilliant scene in the boxes and paid but
| little attention to the dancers.
AS the presidential party made the circuit
| of the bali room Mrs. Harrison attracted
| much attention. She looked well and happy.
| Her dress was IA heavy gros-grain, cut with
| trimmed with pearl and silver corsage
| being filled with gauze held in place with
| ostrich feathers as was also the skirt. The
| front embroidery of the skirt was in Grecian
| Key pattern worked in silver and pearls,
| meeting panels of silver brocade ana feath-
ers and shower of silver ornaments fell
| from the skirt.
The most noticeable feature in the quadrille
! was Mrs. Levi r. Morton.
AT midnight the presidential party led the
| way to the supper rooms and the onslaught
| began This exodus made little room on
the floor and then dancing began.