Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-28

smoke hung in heavy clouds over the rive,
and the Jersey shore was invisible for
. some distance. The admirals returned to
their ships, the steamboats, which still lin.
gered with passengers desirous of seeing
the great naval pageant went to their piers
and the ceremonies were over.
The festivities were continued this even
ing by dinner to the Duke de Veragua
and distinguished foreign visitors at the
Hotel Waldorf, and ball 10 the Columb-
ian hall at the Madison Square Garden,
the city being the host.
The Columbian ball at Madison Square
Garden, was in respect to magnifoence of
decoration and arrangement, and the large
number of world famous guests present
the most splendid ever given in the new
world. Besides the president and his
advisers, the chief legislative body of the
United States and Spanish grandes, who
Is the linesl descendant of Christopher
Columbus there were the diplomatic corps,
the admirals and subordinate officers of
every great naval power in the world,
governors of neighboring states and famous
army officers. It was in fact gathering
of celebrities go varied and SO gloriously
arrsyed that the oldest and most travelled
guest acknowledged that seldom. or never
before had he seen parallel to the gor-
geous picture presented.
| INC ueCOIhtlOHs VI tuc kdtucu Woto fiCn
and elaborate, eclipsing In magnifcence
and elegance anything ever bsfore attsmpt-
ed In the great auditorium. The main en-
trance had been drsped with back ground
of pure white, festooned with delicate
tracing of smilsx and asparagus sprays,
and cut flowers and rare exotics, were
profusely distributed through this rich
green ground, while myriad of tiny cleo.
| trio lights shone from out the mass of
flowers and vendure. Two silver dragons
with great burning ruby eyes guarded the
Madison avenue entrance.
In the center of the garden Thousands of
sprays of lilies of the valley formed an
arch. Upon the keystone was psrched q
smiling Cupid, whose wings were studded
with miniature lamps and who held In his
hands a chain of vari-colored electric
| lights. The base of the arch was com
posed of many colored lights, whose hues
were constantly changing. Surrounding
this beautiful arch was a grove of palms
and large foliage plants, and half hidden
amidst their verdure was Japanese Jug
gler balancing bamboo wheel of colored
revolving lamps.
At the Fourth avenue end OF the garden
| was placed an immense Japanese fan stud
died with electric lights. Directly beneath
this was the reception dais. 1t was gor-
geous with flowers and at the two corners
were dragons. Across the rear of the am
phitheater in huge letters of light were the
words ga New Worlds Welcome"
A magnificent model of the capitol at
Washington, crested of white flowers and
illuminated with electric lights rested upon
the stage of the assembly room. A minia-
ture reproduction of the grounds In nat
ural plants surrounded it. The Hungarian
band occupied the lower end of this stage,
which was banked with palms and cut
flower, while the broad stairway between
the assembly room and the smpitheater
was entirely covered with white and gold |
and festoons of smilax and tiny lamps. |
The cost of these magnificent decorations |
was $4,000.
The balcony pillars were twined with |
smilsx and flowers, and the entire roof of |
the garden was hung with canopy of |
white and gold, dependent from which |
were hundreds of clusters of the flags of |
all nations. The boxes at either end of the /
garden and along the arena were decorated |
with flowers and flags.
The large box at the center of the Madi- |
son avenue end was occupied by Mayor
Gilroy and suite. President Cleveland's |
box was on the right of the mayors. 1t |
was lined in white and gold, with delicate /
maiden-hair ferns, roses and asparagus in /
beautiful designs covering it. A msgnifi-
cent bank of American beauty roses sloped /
down to the base of the balcony to large /
American shield and eagle, Old Glory being /
outlined in colorsd lights. Each post sup
porting the boxes was festooned with smi-
lax and palms, studded with incandescent
lights. Large green PLAQUES bearing bou-
quets of lamps were placed at intervals be-
tween the boxes.
The box occupied by the Duke of Yer
aqua and his party was on the left of the
mayors. The other boxes on the first tier
and about the mayors box were occupied
by the members of the Unitsd States su-
preme court, the diplomatic corps and by
Governor Flower and staff. The arena
boxes were Occupied by the a1mirals of
the foreign and American fleets and their
been given the centsr boxes and the Amer
leans the outer boxes. Major General |
Schofeld, commanding the army, and /
Major General o. o. Howard, with their
suites, also occupied boxes in this tier.
Two bands furnished music in the ball /
room ,one being stationed on the south and |
the other on the north side of the garden
toward the Fourth avenue end. Lander's /
orchestra of eighty string instruments
played the music for the dances and |
Rogers Seventh Regiment band of sixty /
pieces played during the iutermiesions and |
promena1es.
The doors of the garden were thrown /
open at 9 O'Clock, and almost Immediately |
afterwards the guests tegan to arrive. |
The naval officers were met by speoial
COMMITTEE at the fcot of West Forty Seo-
ond street, and thence were taken in car
riages to the garden. The president, hav-
ing other engagements, did not arrive with |
his party until some time after the ball |
had been announced to begin, which was
at 10 o'clock.
Mayor Gilroy and Mrs Gilroy oficislly
received the guests of the evening. They |
stood upon the reception dale, and just |
bshind them were stationed the commit |
tee of one hundred and the honorary |
committees who escorted the more distin- |
guishcd of the guests from the entrance |
to their boxes. Chairman Varnum of the |
floor. committee advanced to name each |
of the nests and introduced him to the |
mayor. No precedent was observed, every |
effort being made to indicate that the ball |
was republican citizens affair.
TIE president, however, was not es-
cortsd to the mayors reception dais when |
he arrived a half hour before midnight, but |
was met at the entrance by his escort of
honor. The bands at his appearance played |
''Hail to the Chief'-the only piece played |
in honor of any of the guests, and Mayor |
Gilroy advanced ID meat him.
After the formal Introduction the presi- |
dent and party were escorted to his box. |
program of dances was very simple one. |
There were no distinctive figure dances |
during the evening.
A buffet supper for the invited guests |
was served In the concert hall. The buffet,
which extended around two sides of the
room, was handsomely decorated.
Inky darkness yelled the Columbian |
feet at 8 o'clock tonight and not a sound |
was heard by lsndsmen from the anchored
battleships. Suddenly ray Of light shot
upward from the Philadelphia. 1t was
long, dazzling and seemed to pierce the
sky. For a moment 1t was stationary and
then disappeared. That was the signal
for the scheduled display of electrical rsarch
lights with which the war vessels are pro-
vided. some of them having 81, 900 French
lenses. Quickly following the Phila-
| delphia's lead the American ships showed
the many ways in which the lights are
| used in actual warfare to protes. vessels
from attacks of torpcdo-boats. At times
| the protested rays were concentrated at
certain spots on shore, then turned far up
the Hudson, making objects plainly visible
at distance of five miles.
Ill