Wichita eagle., 1889-04-30
CROWNED WITH SUCCESS.
The Grand Ball at the Central Opera House
Never Outdone.

NEW YORK, April 29-In the minds of
many of those who are thronging New
York in these days of celebration the
greatest sight of all is the grand centen
NAL ball which took place AT the Grand
Central Opera house tonight. 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 at
| tanned was satisfactory. There was GER
tainly little to be wished for in point
OF attendance, unless indeed one
might have wished from a selfish
motive that half the people had stayed at
home and yet it was all in all a night long
eXempllhcation of the old adage. THE
more the merriern Carriages began to
roll up to the Broadway entrance soon af-
ter O'Clock, although the ball was put
down on the program for 9, and by $50
were quite enough people in the corridors
of the great building to have put many
pretentious ball to the blush. And what
beautiful tableaux surrounded them on
every hand: You entered from
Broadway into the very midst
of what seemed an old fashioned
| garden. The outer walls of the audito-
rum and sides of the double stair cases
! formed three sides of the garden aud
/ trellised vines and Towering shrubs added
| to the mural effect, while real fruit trees
! set about IN artistic abandon challenged
! one to dispute the fact that one had just
come in from out of doors. The fronts of
| the lower tier of boxes were draped with
! red plush as Il back ground 70 costumes of
! those dancing and were festoOned with
| wreaths and flowers while great piles of
4 flowers on the front rails of most of the
J boxes gave color TO the rumor that all the
| flowers in New York had been bought
| up for the evening. There had been an
| other story abroad to the effect that the
decorations had exhausted ten carloads of
| evergreens; two thousand specimens Of
aZealas, 1900 frs. 1900 palms, 5000 pansies
and about 10000 tulips. One had only to
| turn from contemplation of the tiers of
| boxes and look toward the stage and the
| vast floor to see where seven car loads of
plants and flowers had been bestowed.
| Mr.. Ward McAllister was conspicuously
absent during the early part of the night
| but was seen in his box when dancing had
begun. Two orcheStraS were in position.
Each conner was handed a dancing order
at the entrance having twentyfour num-
bers.
The supper room is one of great proper
| lions. Beginning at Broadway, the end of
temporary structure erected in Thirty
ninth street, it runs all the way through
to Seventh avenue and up to Fortieth
street, forming two sides of triangle.
The presidents table stood at the Sew
enth avenue and Thirty ninth street
corner so that he and his party
could look both ways down the
arrived at 10 O'clock. 1t was 1880 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. Fin
ally the detachment of the Second artil-
Iery of the signal corps managed to force
"a passage through the crowd from the
main entrance TO the stage. While this |
was being accomplished the presidential
party appeared at the Broadway front. |
Mayor Grant and Manager Stauuton, !
McAllister's successor, then appeared |
from some where and advanced to meet |
the president. The meeting took place in /
the midst of garden-hke vestibule.
At exactly 1913 ii blare of trumpets was |
sounded and Mayor Grant, offering his /
arm TO the presiden began the walk be- /
tween the lines of artillerymen. Next |
came Vice President Morton with Mrs. |
Harrison on his arm and they were fol
lowed by Governor Hill and Mrs. Morton. |
Then came other members of the presi- |
dents 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 trumpets. |
Arrived at the special boxes on the stage !
the president turned about and was form
ally presented TO the members of the COM
mittee The strains Hail to the Chief
ceased and then the reception was at an
end.
The president ushered Mrs. Harrison
into box set apart for them Vice Pres
idant Morton and Mrs Morton also entered
the box, as did Mr.. and Mrs. Russell Har-
rison. The rest of the party We're disposed
OF IN their special boxes and all was then
in readiness for the great quadrllle. AT ii
O'Clock the orchestra struck up the star
Spangled Banner and the dance began.
1t was sedate in the extreme. Senator
4 ii. I'D L..
wise there was as much solemnlty about
the affair as if 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
hall Mrs. Harrison, of course, attracted
much attention. Her dress was of heavy
gros grain cut with a princesse train. The
waist was trimmed with pearl and silver,
the corsage being filled with gauze held in
place with ostrich feathers, as was also the
skirt. The front embroidery OF the skirt
was in key pattern worked in silver and
pearl. meeting panels of silver brOcade and
feathers and a shower OF silver ornaments
fell from the skirt.
The most notable figure ia the quadrile
was Mrs. Levi Z. Morton, the wife of the
vice president. Her costume was OF heavy
white brOcade silk. the design being very
ancient; clusters OF pink and wild straw
berries were half hidden behind festoons
of lilac frnged with a yellow inter
woven material. The empire coat fronts
were of lilac silk, falling over a
princesse front Of white crepe de lisse The
corsage was of brocade trimmed with
lilacs broad sash ends OF the lilac silk be-
Ing fastened 70 tue back.
The crowd on the floor was so great at
the conclusion Of the opening Quadrille
that il was At once seen that IL would be-
useless 10 try TO go on with danci e 50 the
orchestra played promenade music and
people moved about tie best they could
At midnight the presidential party led the |
way To the supper room and the onslaught
then begun. This exodus made little
room on the floor and the dancing then {
began. At first there was room for but 3
few couples but the number gradually fa-
creased and by the time the president had
left the supper table dancing was IN fu.i
swing aud be slipped away quietly -
get a part Of a nights rest while the
dancers, If they 20 through the whole
order OF dancing, viii be tripping it long A.,
after daylight {
Why THEY COULDN'T GIT THOUGH
There was considerable delay in startiag 4.
the procession from the foot IF Wall street
today. which was explained when ex-
President Hayes and Chauncey u Depew
appeared aud took seats n Carriage re-
served for them.
After reaching The Equitable building
Mr.. Depew told the story OF the failnre q
himself and Mr. Hayes 70 reach the dock !.
CT time il h.s OWN iuimitab:e way He
said: "Mr. Hayes and / were landed a. 81 :
ad joining slip from tie boat whence L.
had viewsd the naval parade. One mem
~<-p T~rae7 r.Fz.E ~ hTz-