New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
THE WATERLOO BALL.
THE FAMOUS CARRIAGE-FACTORY BALL.
ROOM UNDER THE HAMMER.

ROOM UNDER THE HAMMER
FROM AN OCCASIONAL coRnEsroSDENI OF THE THDUSH
Brussels, June 10.
The seventy-ffth anniversary OF the battle OF
Waterloo is presently to be celebrated In de-
cidedy novel manner, and not little to be
regretted. It may also he said to he discredit-
able to the successors of the vctors in that battle
What would you say in America If Mount Vernon
or the Old South Church were TO come under the
auctioneer's hammer? Well, the relic OF Water
loo that is on almost the very anniversary OF the
battle to be sold to the highest bidder and there
after. in all probability soon 10 be demolished
altogether, is not altogether as sacred place az
these. Yet it is one Of the most interesting and
important memorials now surviving OF that
worlds earthquake and it has, moreover, been
immortalized by one of the greatest of English
poets and by one of the greatest of English nov
elists. That it should at this date he mcDaced
with destruction seems certainly ptiabe. and one
wonders why little of Engand's surplus wealth
cannot be used to secure and preserve it as his
ioric memorial of the greatest conflict Of the cen.
fury.
This structure, which is now advertised for sale
at auction, is none other than the building in the
Rue de la Blanchisserie in which the Duke and
Duchess of Richmond gave their famous ball on
the very eve Of Waterloo; brilliant gathering,
graphically described by Byron in Childe Harold"
and by Thackeray in Vanity Fair" And it is
especially memorable as one Of the historic feat.
ures Of Waterloo actually founded on fact There
are enough fanciful legends about that battle,
surely. Wellington did not say up, Guards,
and at thcml" nor anything like it, Cambronne
did not say The Guard dies, but never surren-
ders." nor anything like it, And with many
other alleged incidents Of the battle What is
true. however, is the story Of this rather frivo-
lous and homogeneous social function, this rev
elry by night in Belpiums capital 1t is al
most literally true, as Byron has told it, For he
visited the very spot only few months after
the event. and wrote with the pen of truth as
well as Of inspiration. For instance, the Duke Of
Brunswick who was killed in the battle next day,
did attend the ball. and whether or not he sat
within a Widowed niche. he might have done
So and probably did. for there many such
deep receses in the thick walls, which naturally
would have been utilized for seats. The poet de.
scribes it as lofty hail. which it is in COMPARE
son with the average height of Flemish apart
ments in those days. though fifteen feet high
would scarcely now he accounted lofty for a ball
room CAPABLE Of accommodating 800 dancers on
It's floor
The Rue de Ia Blanchissere is a quiet, faded
street. with little of its former splendor. In those
days it was particularly arstocratic quarter and
the intrusion of VI. Simon and his big carriage
factory was bitterly resented NJ. Van Assche,
who owned the property and leased II TO NJ Simon,
was subjected TO treatment that in these days
would he called boycotting. Indeed, his neighbors
made it so unpleasant for him that within
year or two after Waterloo he was glad to sell
the property. The purchaser was NJ. Jacques
;,l. al 10
carriage factory into brewery He left ii TO his
son, and the latters widow now possesses it, and
being in straitened circumstances, offers it for
sale For few years the brewing business has
been discontinued, and the building has stood
empty, save for the Vanginderachter family and
the numerous sightseeing visitors. The floor OF
the ballroom is now very uneven. The bare walls
are whitewashed Some of the windows are
boarded up Down the centre run SIX huge oaken
columns, Clipped ald Scared by rellc-hLnters.
The smaller room adjoining in which Inackeray
pictures George Osborne and Becky Sharp Srawiey
sitting out the dances, is now occupied oy
huge. ,unusued boiler.
There are still a few persons living who danced
at that famous ball. One of them Is ady
who lives here in Brussels, and who well remenl-
guests. Another is Lady dc Ros, widow OF the
twentieth Baron of that name. she was then
Lady Georgiana Gordon-LennoX. the dauShter OF
the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, who gave
the ball and on that occasion she made her hrst
appearance in society. Her memory OF II Is also
keen and when King Leopold was in London the
other day he called on her, and she rehearsed for
him the story of that famous revelry, which
occurred before his dynasty was founded Lord
Albemare was also at the ball, being then the
youngest ensign in the British army: These three
are believed 10 he the only survivors OF the
beauty and the chivalry' that were gathered in
NJ Simon's carriage shop that night ~ happy
coincidence however, the present British Minister
here is a grandson Of one of the most conspicuous
of the dancers-who was also nobly conspicuous
the next day on the field of Waterloo. The name
Of sir Husscy Vivian stands out conspicuously on
every page of Waterloo history; Sir Hussey ana
his untouched horsemen seem to have heen
always at hand Just when they were wanted: and
his calm intrepidity more than once turned the
fortunes of the fight AZ critical Juncture Major
General Sir IIussey Vivian went straight from the
Rue de la BanChiss Ia lead his brigade TO
victory and TO pave his way 10 the neerage and
other high honors The crest of the Vivians is a
dcmi-hussar of the 18th Regment; the
Waterloo medal still figures in their arms. and
they have for supporters" gray and bay horses
caparisoned, the bearing a hiissar OF the
;" Black Horse and the other lancer of the
Supple l2th.' Captain AlllX, Of the Grenadler
Guards. whose name appears lower down on The
Duchess list. is still represented az Brussels by
his first cousin and hrother-in, Law. Nj Aim. Of
Willoughby Hall. With a single exception he was
the only officer of the I'd Battalion of Grena-
diers who ESCAPED unhurt. He afterward marched
with the survivors of his battalion TO Paris, and
was rewarded for his Valor IN the ned with pro-
motion TO n coOnelcy.
Three books are shown proudly by Nine.
Misunderstanding TO all visitors One is blank:
book, in which innumerable visitors. many OF
them distinguished personages. have inscribed
rheir names Another is French translation OF
"Chde Harold" in which one reads.
ia mutt retcntissait des e"hos dune fcte.
on Bruxeles assembait danes ct chevaiers.'
The third is little volume IN yellow paper
covers, inscribed, La Foire aux Nanitcs: par
NJ w Thackeray": in which you may read, II
YOU can read French the immortal story of
Rcbccque Crawley. lie Capitaine Osborne, and e
Maeur Dobbin.