Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-05-02
Tie Centennial Ball

The Centennial Ball
The Now York Herald says towards the
close of the centennial bali ;bc tIair became
nothing less than disgusting, and the re
spectacle minority who remained after that
hour declared it was disgrace to the occa
sion, the management apd the city.
After the Presidents departure, and while
the ball room was still crowded with dancers
bands of men and calow youths made their
way to the supper room, to which they had
previously paid many visits, and deliberate
ly set to work TO show the level to which
human nature can fall.
The scene in the supper room, as ira
verssd il shortly before one o'clock, was q
powerful argument in favor of prohibition.
Groups of drunken lads with vacant eyes,
unsteady feet and reckless gayety of speech
we're scattered about the place. holding In
their trembling hands brimming wine glass
es Naturally enough, the floor was soon in
terrible slippery condition. The noise WAS
deafenug. Men were shouting to the wal
ers, som, of the most inebriated we're sing
ing, gu every now and then woman's
shrill laugh would rise above the general
din.
Two females of unmistakable character
attracted general attention by their bold
and indecorous behavior, while others there
were who, although evidently not belonging
to the same class, were exciting equal
comment by their unsteadiness of speech and
gesture.
Nearly all the women present who bac
not lost their sense of propriety through in
diligence in strong drink hastened to quit
the scene, where, indeed, they were in more
than one instance subjected to Insult, but a
few still fingered at the upper end OF the
room, possibly unconscious of the disgusting
scenes which were enacted at little dis.
tance from them.
Many of the walters added to the general
confusion which prevailed by their negll'
gence and nsolence. Food was strewn up
On the floor, the appearance of the bullet
and the space behind it rapidly became un
inviting and the noise and drunkenness in
creased so much that at about twenty min
utes past one Sergeant Schmittberger enter.
ed the room at the head of some twenty po-
licemen and announced that the sale of
wine must cease.
The walters, who had been drinking free
ly, clnmorously protested that they had
already ceased to serve wine, but several
struggles for the possession of smuggled
DOlLlGS SUsUOUs L wv Ndll6lS CuRnROu III q
fight which resulted in the contents of
wine glass being spilled down a lady neck,
maudlin guests argued with the bluecoats
as to the propriety of their interference and
pandemonium reigned
Finally orders were given to clear the
room. This proved difficult matter. The
sober folks endeavored to haul their drunk
On friends out of the way, but with inditfer-
ent success. Some of them succeeded, how.
ever, with the result that one or two
'scenes" occurred in the corridors. A police
man seized one particularly disorderly in
dlvidua sttlred, as we're nearly all the
drunkards at this stage, in dress suit, and
upon determined attempt at rescue be.
ing made by hH "aristocratic" friends, push
ed him into closet and guarded the door,
with the assistance of a fireman, until IDspec.
tor Steers arrived and succeeded in restor.
ing peace. What became of the prisoner
later on could not learn.
Meanwhile policemen, fremen and sever
al queerly dressed, tough" looking men
were eating their fill in the supper room and
three or four buecosts at the door were re.
peling the attempts of half dozen
more or lees intoxicated walters to force
az entrance. Having left the room these
fellows protested that they must be re.
admitted, but the police refused to distin-
euish between walters and guests, and no
one was allowed to enter. Several free
fights were going on In the supper room,
halfa dozen men were sprawllng on the
wine soaked floor, and finally Stuyvesant
Fish and Inspector Steers arrived on the
scene and endeavored to accelerate the
clearance of the room. This was finally &C
complished amid crashing OF glass and
crockery, which evinced the fall of many a
reluctant Individual, until, at last, the police,
by dint of pushing and rough handling,
elected the last brawler and locked the
doors. A line was formed extending across
the corridor, but very slow progress was
made, and the antics and remarks OF the
fugitives from the upper room provoked
many quarrels.
The scene in the ball room was not edfying as
the hours went on. Women were dancing there,
and were even seated in some Of the boxes, who
were evidently to say the least affected by their
visits to the supper room, and one rather pretty
girl excited comment by her obvious lack of stead
iness, while her escort was the subject Of consd-
erable indignation as he strolled across the floor
at the conclusion of dance with his arm still
sround her waist. The strains of "Home Sweet
Home, efectually cleared the ball room at fe r
minutes past three O. clock but half an hour later
the stairs from the corridors were occupied by
several persons Of whom two men and one woman
were conspicuous by their WEAKNESS, which had
rasulted in their falling fast asleep in anything
but conventional attitudes.
ADVICE TO MOTHERS.