Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-03-15
THE. WORLDS FINEST.
Opening Of the Great As
TOR Hotel at New York.
GREAT HOTEL WALDORF


New YORK, March i5.-The Hotel Wal
dorf, the most splendid hotel in the world,
was formally thrown open last night with
a concert reception, at which the brilliant
aud luxurious society OF New York, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia and Chicago was present,
To American enterprise is due most Of
the movement toward luxurious hotels
which exist in all parts Of the world today.
But heretofore, even American enterprise
had not dreamed of such palatial splendors
as those through which which the fashion
able throngs moved last night. In few
palaces of the old world can such wealth
of costly and artistic surroundings be
found
The fashionable people who went to the
charity concert reception found here at the
northwest corner OF Fifth avenue and
Thirty-third street, i'm public hotel-if a
place where the expenses of living exclude
all but "A small class may be called public
everything that the most prodigal disre-
gard of money could put into house
with the Aid OF Good Taste.
They found reception and ball and dining
rooms, which were decorated and furnished
as only 10th century artists, with all the
past centuries of art and taste to draw
from, can decorate and adorn. They found
private suites of rooms, private dining
rooms, salons, bedrooms such as kings
could not excel. All the reilnements of all
the various civilizations had been drawn
upon, and the artists who had the work in
charge had so blended that nowhere was
there incongruity, except in such trifing
details as the critics delight to dwell upon
and magnify.
Itwould he useless rs II would fail to
convey the adequate idea, to 90 into the
details of tapestries and paintings, Of fres-
Going and woodcarvings, of marble and
onyx and mosaic, of quaint and rich
pieces Of furniture, of rare and costly table
ware, Of Moorish and French and Venetian
rooms. These were all there. There were
attendants everywhere,
As at "a Show Palace.
There were several things. however
which were especially interesting. First
was the suite Of apartments set apart for
distinguished guests of the hotel Louis
XIV never could have got the like fixed
for his royal occupation. These rooms are
dark, and even sombre. There are tapers-
tries upon the wall. The furniture Is
carved in dark wood; the hangings are
heavy and rich and dark. Then there is a
bed-a heavy, dark, completely canopied
bed-npon dias, as kings bed should
be.
Then there is the Moorish smoking room,
where one may lounge amid Moorish tapes
tries and Furnishings, Moorish armor,
swords and spears and enjoy a cigar or a
cigarette. There Is also the garden
court, where great fountain plays into
h,,x tIa hot - .t,h sa ~
tesselated marbles designed in crabs and
strange sea monsters. There is ballroom
ceiling, where half-nude, rosy maidens
dance and frolic, while other half-nude
rosy maidens play upon stringed instru-
ments, and also there is a dining room
where William Waldorf Astor may
Entertain His Private Guests.
The representatives of the fashion of the
four great eastern American cities were
there, and they carried away good reports
of the place, so that their friends, such Of
them as can afford it, will know where to
go.
The guests were received in the marie
Antoinette" by Mrs. Paul Dana and other
society danes, richly gowned There were
six women Of fashion to sell the tickets.
They sold nearly 5000 at s. apiece. There
were nearly 100 women of fashion to re-
ceive and patronize the affair generally.
There were a dozen young men of fashion
to roam about the corridors as a reception
committee. These attracted the people to
buy trinkets, adding most insidious in
ducements to those which the spectacle OF
the magnificent hotel offered. So st.
Mary's hospital profited largely, and
through II many thousands of sick chill
dren.
There was concert as an incident of the
evening. Mr.. Damroschs orchestra, as
sisted by Mr.. HOLMAN and Mr. Wolf as
soloists. played for two hours in the dining
room, which had been turned into con
cert chamber for the evening, After the
concert there was "A supper.