Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-23
THE GREAT BALL ROOM.
How the Immense Pension Court will
Look on March 4.


How the Immense Pension Court will
Look on March 4.
BUNTING AND FLOWERS, RADIANCE AND FRA
GRASCE-THE PAGoDA FOR THE BANDs-REGu-
LATIoSs GOVERNING THE APPROACHES TO THE
BUILDING, ETC.
The decorators have just begun their work
OF transforming the great white court of the
pension Office into beautiful ball room, and
bunting, shields, gold, silver, pennants, por-
traits, designs, and other materials to be used
in the operation lie all around on the tiled
floor, while the sound of hammers makes
merry music. The decorations, as planned by
the contractor, Mr.. F. Aldridge, of Brooklyn,
promise to be about as magnificent as any ever
seen IN this country. The accompanying pic
ture gives representation of the Pension hall
as 1t will appear when decorated.
THE GRAND COURT.
The hall affords good field for the arrange
ment of colors. it being without question the
largest construction of the kind on this hemis-
phere and, barring churches and cathedrals.
has few. II any. equals in the world in floor and
balcony area and height. It's immense size
may be realized by few figures. The clear
length is SIG feet the width ll6 feet and the
height to the surmounting roof 149 feet The
nail Is broken by two screens of four immense
pillars feet In diameter or over IS feet in cir
cumference at the base. ) feet at the top and
IS feet high. surmounted by artistic arches
which support the roof. These screens greatly
enhance the superb architectural features of
the hall and give the effects of dimensions
horizontal and vertical which otherwise would
not be so impressive.
The area of the marble tessellated floor is
$1,000 square feet, or very nearly an acre.
On the four sides of the floor extends an
arcaded corridor 12 feet wide and 90 feet high,
formed OF 76 iron Corinthian columns Is feet 6
inches high, with a range of elevation sur
mounting arches feet inches around the en-
tire interior and supporting a balcony of the
same dimensions, the entire circuit of the
court. or IL feet long and 90 feet high, and
supporting on 5S marbleized columns sur
mounted balustraded promenade or parapet of
the dimensions OF the balcony and 43 feet from
the marble pavement below. On this sur
mounting parapet, at intervals over the COL
umns, are large vases for floral display
THE BALCONIES.
The balcony and surrounding parapet are
reached by brick steps II feet long, laid on
arches and ascending from each gate. When
decorated for an occasion Of national festiyity.
like the coming ball, the arched balconies and
Parapet Iestooned In bunting and embroidered
tapestries, representing all the states of the
Union and nations of the globe pendant from
the dizzy altitude Of the roof, nearly $50 feet
above the floor, floating streamers vases filed
with exotics browning The parapet and group
lngs OF tropical foliage surrounding the bases
OF the mighty Corinthian columns and filling
the arched spaces of the corridors, the scene Is
grand. -
The capacity of the hall is equal to the de-
mands OF an almost unlimited throng. The
hoor will conveniently accommodate over
iSoOO persons. During the Cleveland ball in
1854 S,OOO people passed in the gates and vet
there was ample room for dancing and prone
hadlng; 1t took two bands. the Marine band.
OF washington. 100 pieces, and the great Ger
mania orchestra, of Philadelphia. to furnish
the music, and even then it was difficult to
near the harmonious sounds above the buzz
OF voices and shutting Of feet of thousands of
guests on the floors
1t may be expected that this room will
present picture never before excelled in this
country for beauty and elegance. A thousand
incandescent lights flood the building with soft
ened radiance. Choice flowers perfume the
air and delight the eye, while the more sub-
stantial decorations are such as to make the i'm
mense hall thing of beauty.
THE PAGoDA.
The most conspicuous and prominent feature
OF the interior scene will be the two-story jan
anese pagoda that is now being finished. II ia
III the center of the building, built over and
around the fountain, that on ordinary occa-
sions lends its babbling to the noise of scratch
missions of pension-giving or pension-refusing.
The lower part OF the pagoda is a grotto built
OF rocks and ferns around the fountain; q pic
turesque retreat for the dancers, where thew
can rest, surrounded by the glamour of flowers,
soft lights and running water The second
floor Will accommodate the band-one hundred
performers-who will play the dancing music.
Above them, on the third gallery, will be sta
toned the Marine band, who are to conduct
the promenade concert. The whole structure
VIII be made gay with streamers of bunting,
draperles OF flags and brilliant with electric
lights. 1t will be without doubt the most TAX
ing thing in the whole plan of the decoration.
and will break the immense space Of the floor
with good effect.
Portraits Of the new President and Vice
President will be placed ON the 'front.' and run
ming entirely around the structure, Just above
the first story, will be line of shields, each
bearing the name of state or a territory.
Gilt and the glitter of the gas Jets will reveal
the colors OF the flag: On the top Of the pagoda
the word Constitution" will blaze forth in
letters of fire. The eight columns lifting the
dome eighty feet from the ground are twined
with heavy laurel garlands interspersed with
palm leaves.
DECORATIONS.
For the decorations of the ballroom are
promised massing of color, a glitter of armor. n
drapery of flags and the painted gorgeousness of
the national and state coat-of-arms. Their back
ground will be the dead white walls of the vet
unfrescoed interior of the big hall. The
scheme of decoration will be to drape the GAL
lery all around with flags and garland with
laurel, spruce and pine the four big columns
which divide the space into three great sec
tons. Bunting will be suspended from the cell
ing. running in all directions. and forming an in
tricate mass of brilliant colors In the decora-
tons the American colors will be the prevailing
feature. Silk flags satin bunting, gilt and silver
ornaments will be used. The fronts of the
three galleries which completely encircle the
hall, one above thes other, will be festooned
with flags and the coats-of-arms of the states,
The great columns, which support the roof of
the hall. will be almost hidden by projecting
flags. Their bases will have plush dados. eight
feet in height, with shields above them.
The fronts Of the galleries running all round
the building are festooned with American flags,
and in the spaces between are alternately suits
OF full-sized silyer-plated armor mounted with
a silk plush backing, and large coats-of-arms,
painted in OIL Of all the states and nations sur
mounted by carved and gilded eagles over the
states and crowns or other national insignias
over the foreign arms, all draped with appro-
pirate flags OF silk. Garlands Of laurel and
flowers have subduing effect twined along the
front of these decorations. Each one Of the
three hundred columns supporting the galleries
IL draped with smilax and bears large ma