The morning times., 1895-09-08

Is festooned in Harvest Home fashion at the
annual Newport ball. And when Mr.. Bel
mont leads the cotillion he dances down the
middle OF the floor underDa carved beam
covered with the fruits of his large and
eccentric farm. The many strange animals
the sacred cow, the llama aud the menagerie
OF his place he keeps underneath the ball
room But so exquisitely is all planned for
dancing and for the beasts that the high
bred ladies, far from objecting, think it a
privilege 10 be invited TO Mr.. Belmont's pc
culiar ball.
The ballroom in the new Astor palace, on
Fifth avenue, is about to be thrown open
for the first time. The first ball will be
given this winter. The date is not yet
fixed. II depends upon the health OF the
elder Mrs. Astor, who. though very well,
is no longer young. She finds Paris a
pleasant place in the early fall but If she
is in New York the ball will be given be-
fore the holidays. This is the declaration
of the younger set who are in Mrs. AstOr's
confidence.
A DOUBLE BALLROOM.
This ballroom is a combination affair.
Young Mrs. Astor and the elder lady have
built together. The same stone steps lead
to their respective front doors. And the
same state dining room is ueess At other
times the big paneled doors are closed
showing no trace of ever opening, and
each family has its own small dining room.
The ballroom lies upstairs 1t is reached
by small elevator In the elder Mrs. As
tors house. Tits half in one house and half
in the other.
Connecting the two halves are series
of pretty alcoves. The separate halves
are far enough apart to permit two or
chestras, which is the ambition OF all
who give party balls. One orchestra
plays when the other ceases, and each
side of the ballroom has its separate
intermission, with the conseryatories be-
tween.
The plan of decorating this room must
always be the same, as the walls are
planned for only one decoration. They
are rose-tinted IN panels, with gold
strips between. A bank of green leaves,
palms and plants Is intended to surround
the room. The green plants rise up nears'
the length of the gold paueling and termi-
nate III festoons OF pink roses. The whole
room is beautiful in pink, gold and enough
white to set off both colors.
WANDERED MOORISH ROOM.
The central idea of Cornelius Vanderbilts
ballrooom is a great Moorish lamp, which
hangs suspended in the middle OF the room.
The ceiling is forty feet high, and the lamp
reaches from the highest point in the center
OF the room to within three feet of the head
OF the dancers. 1t is a round lamp and the
ballroom is round in effect, preserving the
Moorish idea of proportion. Everything
must be rounded. -The small alcOyes are
circles, and the ceiling, instead OF lying
fiat curves upward in effect.
A very novel thing about this ballroom
are the adjoining apartments. II opens into
three large rooms. One is the grand salon
which faces Fifth avenue, another Is the
state dining hall, and the third room is a
very large smoking -roomg with large win
dow seats and Oriental settles all around
the room. Should dancing couples tire of
the ballroom they can wander in any diFec-
ton, except that of the smoking room,
across whose, threshold no woman ever
penetrates. The smoking room is kept
exclusive for the master; like the Sand