Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-05-02
DECENCY TOOK WINGS
AND FLED PROM NBw YORK'S GRBAT BALL
ROOM.
Scenes at the Centennial Dance Make Up Record
OF National Shams-Drunksn Men and
Women all Over the Building.
Wine in Streams.

NEW lOhh, mny L. NC COnuncuts On
the great ball Monday night are becoming
more pointed every day. Whether the
astounding reports of what happened at
that ball were exaggerated or not il is not
easy to say, but if they were not it is GER
tain that there never was French ball in
town 20 disorderly and unlicensed as the
great assembly became after the supper
room was opened. There were too many
stories and they were too nearly alike for
there to be much exaggeration about them.
In the first place the affair was misman-
aged. After a person surrendered his
ticket at the door no one else demanded
his check or other proof of his right to be
there. There were no checks on the ticket
takers. They boastsd in the hearing of
others that they we're letting their friends
come in free in great numbers. Two
bright young correspondents walked into
the ball without being being asked for
their tickets.
The consequence of this state of affairs
was such
A TREMENDOUS JAM
that the estimate of 10000 persons in the
building seems too low. Dancing was
almost impossible, even after the supper
room was crowded. At that time a few
couples, constantly changing, wsltzed in
little clearing in the center of the densely
crowded floor.
There was no improper dancing. The
improprieties were committed when men
and women got drunk. They then were
sometimes shocking. The three blocks of
full champagne bottles, about which so
much has been said, will be even more no.
torious when people understand what be-
came of them. They were given out as
circulars are distributed on the streets.
Some men who went 10 the counters to
ask for q glass of champagne and had two
quart magnums handed them, were told to
get out Of tbs way in order that others
might come. Presently all about the
room were seen men, each with quart or
two.quart bottle in one hand and q glass
in the other, pouring in and drinking
down as fast as greed and idiocy would
permit.
THE BOYS GOT SPEEDILY DRUNK
When the artillery men came in their
awkward, rustic movements, excited
drunken laughter, and the intoxicated
men swung their empty champagne bot
ties at them, occasionally dropping a few
to be broken into jagged finters on the
floor. Besides these heaps Of broken glass
were evidences that many of the m had
been so sick that the beautiful room wes
being gradually turned into pigpen.
The ladies with the most costly and
magnificent garments ever seen by the pub
lie had to pick their way over the floor and
as they did so men who were utter strang-
ers to them pressed glasses of champagne
before their faces. Insults of greatest form
were offered TO them, and that wasn't the
half of it, for their dresses were torn and
themselves bruised in some instances.
These injuries were often accidental.
Tipey men, tripping on the stairs, come
times caught the slender film of clothing
on lady's shoulder and tore it of, or they
trod on the long trains and ripped them in
shreds. Lace handkerchiefs, gloves ard
other such things Uttered the floor. A
number of the women became intoxicated
and forgot themselves 50 far as to rest in
the most careless attitude upon the stairs
FISH WAS FIRED.
The police stopped the drinking at one
o'clock, an officer standing at each table.
Later still. the police cleared the upper
room, with some force. Mr.. Stuyvesant
Fish was among those who were pushed
out of the room. There is said to have
been much trouble in the coat room. A
line that reached to it took the form of
loop, and there were men who spsnt an
hour in moving from one point around TO
the came point in the other part or the
line. 1t took an hour and q half to get
to the cloak room, and now there are many
loud complaints by persops who could not
get their clothes after they reached the
counters.
Earlier in the evening before there was
any of this confusion they faced an inces
SAINT pushing, reaching, scrsmbling crowd
of men. Small wonder that some lost
their hats and coats. Perhaps it is not
more wonderful that the police are said to
have lost their tempers, and to have
brandished their night sticks when
the drunken men in the line became good
naturedly upruly.