New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-05
THE INAUGURAL BALL.
4 BRILLIANT SCENE IN THE SPACIOUS
PENSION BUILDING.
pr,rr1rr.r. DECORATIVE EFFECTs-A PROPULSION
OF FLOWERS, PLANTS AND ELECTRIC LIGHTS
-ARRAXGEMENTs FOR THE AFFAIR
CARRIED OUT WITHOUT MsHAp
GOWNS OF TIE NOTABLE
WOMEN PRESENT.
iBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBuSE.l

broken midway ut either end By Tour massNe P'i"'
80 feet In height, beneath arches from winch r'seS
the vauled glass roof In the centre OF the maroo
floor. giving an acre of dancing ground; fountain
OF spashing waters and green banks on all SIDES TIERS
OF broad galleries. supported by 800 gilded Columns
alternating with as many arches, every conmh' aren'
stone and fO Of wood covered with hags ana pn''S
silver-plaed armO" National anapSta'e eo"'''oi ~ '
surmountcd oy gdcd eagles; network and gariahds Oh
trailing vines, wreaths and plaques OF Vics maSSe'
Of ferns and yellow BROOM groves OF PaimS o>e' an
through ALL in ard out OF leaf and flower. spray anu
splasb everywhere from end TO end, from hoor 10
roof thousands upon thousands OF electric lamps
twinkng sparkling. radiang, until the VAST ro'' ID
one bewderlng. splendid Summer OF gorgeous .o'o
and light This Is the inaugural ballroom OF leV''
Within the setting 10000 people the sheen OF SahS
and CLEAN OF Jewels musis enhancing strains ABOVE
gay laughter and formal speech, gave the nhbnnis
touches to the picture
SpLENDOR UNKNOWN IN EARLY DAYS.
There are balls and balls. The inaugural ball
Of to-day. In tue one feature OF decornton aohc' ~
revelation Of artistic magnihcence never dreamed Of
in Washinstons era Of ceremonious festvity. much
less I'm Jererson's reign Of severe simplicity. II
WAS not until General Grant entered upon the Prcs'-
dency twcnty-four years ago. that the BAH became !"
regular feature Of the inauguration Until recently
these entertainments were more less failures LOT iic"
Of proper rooms. Their luck TUNED twelve years ago
Garlcld's inauguration in the new National Museum
building large and comfortable But 1t was The big
Pension Building with It's much criticized architecture
which revealed unthOuGhioi possibilities. ard proved u"
be the ideal ballroom. II has been The seen" o
three balls the first In honor Of President Clcveiaha
In some respects success In others partial failure
because the structure was then scarcely nnishcd ;
President iarrsOn's. which was brilliant OCCASION
and 10 nights President Cevelinds second. The Dig
In In
the essential requirements and now that dccouti"
is an art each ball In turn Is more beauuai IMAM
the one before It, With the perfection OF 0ehh
and the grand success OF the whole. one may well
wonder alter this evening what T. left ior the neat
inaugural ball.
The three great features were Eoral Decorations py
Small Son, OF Washington: trapery decorations oy
Roster a. Co., OF New-York and Nominations by the
General Electric Company. OF New ora. tho three
accomplishing the harmonious effects OF a bcautlhi
and brilliantly lighted ballroom. The nora decorations
wero never equaled on any similar OCCASION ana III
deed far surpassed anything OF the kind before seen al
the capital. The magnitude aud masniicence are
best appreciated by noting the use OF 1000 rsea sIoe
many OF them the superb American Beauty orchids of
tho rare languid variety, without stint; no end oi
spring flowers. and szalas without number. looking
like banks OF snow piled up In the green Of maiden
hair ferns The amount Of tropical foliage. WIG
smilax and fethcry asparagus. could hardly 10 s't
mated but II spread out. II must have covered many
acres; while palms and giant ferns were Ike the
abundance Of native growth. and flcd corners Will
miniature groves The effect throughout was Heightened
by the PERCUSSION OF green. and the artists arrange
mep,. Each OF the eight massive pillars was huns
with crimson cloth six feet up from the base. Above
this encrcled wrh wealth Of foliage. were plants
and yellow scot.h brown. and still higher Was
hedge covered with u network Ut wild suiax.
BEAUTIFUL DECORATIVE EFFECTS.
The effect Of these eight great pillars. scintillanS
from base to top with myriads Of tiny lamps In
hundred colors, can hardly Dc conceived tn" nm
Of the fountain basin was bank Of moss graSses,
wood ferns and trailing vines: aud on TIE top were
big vases filed with spike palms and red azalia-.
The fountain was formed Of Hers of graduated
s.uccrs filled with lilies and hung with vines. over
whic the shower Of water fell with thousand colorcd
lights, sparkling like 50 many jewels. Directly op
posl,c the fountain. on the north aud south sides
were the music balconies. 'acl bun. on four square
pillars. The balconics and arches were hung with
white cloth covered With branches Of asparagus the
balusrad,S set with wrcatcs of Ivy and the corner
filed with palms; the whole effect Of white aud
green being extremely delicate ard beautiful. ON
the face OF the north arch was the name Cleveland.
I'm big letters OF light; above rhc arch. the United
ates shied, surmount,d by gilded eagle. and the
name "washngton7 carried diasonay across the
shield. The arch above the south balcony was cx
name stevenson In big letters Of llgh, and the
name Jefferson carried across the shield The
Naval Academy Orchestra. led by Zimmerman. occu
pied the Cleveland balcony. and TIE Marine Bnnd
was In the stevenson balcony. The three
tiers of galleries inclOsing the great court were
triumph Of decorative skill. In so large work 10
give variety and preserve good taste. with the
Of floral materials and patriotic devices, was by no
means an easy task. Int with one or two exception
the galleries were beyond criticism. The balustrad"
II each gallery was concealed by American flag
drapcncs. Just below. the names OF the Presidents
flashed ont in twinkllng letters. All except Wash
ngton In line extending around tho four sides
The name Of Washington WAS abo"c the balustrad"
at the end, and below IT, the United states
shield, the name OF Ste, cnsOn. II was suggested
that history places the name Of Lincoln beside the
name OF Washington and that II would be appropriate
to give Lincoln equal prominence by placing his name
above the rail at the end Of the gallery. The
suggestion not avornbly received, though II led
to some suggcstiv. remarks. one member Of ia"
Decorations Committee said
"Washlngton was the Father OF his Country. Lin
coin was 10 more than the rest OF the Presidents
Another said There some thought OF putting
Jefferson up there instead Of Washington. He was
the Father OF the Democracy"
still a third said: 1t first thought TO group
all OF the Democratic Presidents and give them the
After few more like remarks. q bysander said
quietly, with touch Of sarcasm Evidently ID.
committee Is under Misrepresentation. This Is not
4 Democratic ball. II Is National ball. 1t matters
not whether innugurate Democrat or Eepubicai.
he ball Is Il National inaugural ball.
The greater mistake, PERHAPS was In placing III"
1ames TO read across. from one side OF the
gallery 10 the other. This was confusing TO those
who the name OF Lincoln between the names OF
Pierce and Grant. whereas the name OF Johnson, |
whose Administration followed Lincons, was directly
opposite the other side. The arrangement brought
he name OF Harrison OIL side OF the arch at the
.ast end, and the pane OF Cleveland on the other.
Between them, the shield to CORRESPOND with the
place Of Stevenson under Washington at the west end.
was also the OF Cleveland In small letters. This
repetition OF cleveland brought the names close
together, and lack OF taste, to say the least.
Above the rail where the name OF Lincoln should
have been immense Jnpancse fam a wonder |