Evening star., 1896-11-28
Considering The Place IN Which i
shs4 b Held.
new LIBRARTAND PENSION BUILDINGS
Some Of ths Objections to Using
ths Former.
BOTH EDIFICES DESCRIBED

S~ooSSssSh ActcAltiy AiAdoC oDOul AAOfu-
ing the Inauguration ball next March in
the new Congressional Library building has
been received with considerable interest.
The idea seems to be, on the part Of those
who suggest having the ball held there, to
devote the magnificent rotunda to the pur-
poses Of the ball proper and to have the
dancing on Its floor. A Star reporter this
morning visited the new library and ex-
amined 1t with view to ascertaining its
fitness for a function of such magnitude as
the inaugural ball will necessarily be. At
the same time he had talk with Mr.
Bernard r. Green the superintendent of the
building. A survey of the rooms and a
study of their arrangement with a view to
inaugural bali purposes led to the conclu-
sion that the new library building would
be entirely inadequate for such thing
and would present too many disadvantages,
many OF which that might be possible to
overcome but a number that would be in
Surmountable.
The Retundn.
In the first place, the rotunda. which is
100 feet in diameter, is equipped with sta
tionary desks and forms for the use of
the coming visitors to the library who will
pursue their reading or researches into the
vast literary riches which it will contain
These forms and desks are built into the
noor, and are as much part Of the struc-
ture as the walls themselves.
They are also most important adjuncts
OF the heating and ventilating arrange
ments or the vast apartment. To remove
them Tor the purpose of holding the in
augural ball there would open up immense
hoies In the floor, which would have to be
covered by gratings, or the entire heating
and ventilation of the rotunda would be
impossible. The middle of the floor OF the
rotunda for space probably thirty-live
feet In diameter is raised a foot or more
above the surrounding floor. and in it's
center small stairway leads down to the
basement. The other apartments in the
building above the basement floor are moth
ing less than long, narrow halls, looking
into the court on the one side and out upon
the parking on the other. These apart
ments or halls are thirty-five feet in width
and Eli feet hong, and 1t Is thought no one
of them would be adequate for a ball such
as that OF the next 4th of March will be
They are high ceilinged, but possess no gall
lerleS whence view of the scenes on the
floor could be obtained. number of the
other rooms are fitted with book shelves
they would be admirably adapted for cloak
room purposes, they could be put to no
other uses.
No Place for Supper.
There would be no place apparently for
the supper to be prepared. and in the mat
ter of entrances and exits the deficiencies
would be notable. There are but two
entrances to the Congressional Library
building. one at the west front and one at
the east, and it would be almost a matter
OF impossibtlity to handle the great crowd
that Is always present at an inaugural ball.
In conversation with Mr. Green The Star
reporter was told that 1T would be hardly
wise to utilize the library building for the
inaugural ball, even If 1t were possible to
comfortably accommodate the crowd and
provide proI eriy for their entertainment
He was of the opinion that in any event
the DETACHMENT of the building would neces-
sarily follow where such all immense crowd
of people gathered.
On the other hand, 1t is claimed the pen
sion building, which has been the scene of
inaugural balls in 1885. 1889 and 1888 is
admirably adapted for the purposes, and the
work Of preparing 1t for President McKin-
leys ball would be simplfied to a superla-
tive degree because of the thorough expert
ence gained in the past by the citizens of
Washington who will naturally have charge
of the arrangements for that approaching.
Pension Office Court.
The great hall or court Of the pension
building is $50 feet in length and 130 feet
wide The apex Of the roof which covers
1t Is 100 feet from the floor. The frame
work of the roof is supported by eight
massive pillars eighty feet in height and
placed four abreast SO as to divide ,he
court into three equal compartments. but
wide enough apart to allow free move
ment betw cen them. Surrounding this i'm
one above the other. two of them being
twenty feet in width and the third ten feet
wide. The latter Is balcony projecting
from the walls of the building and in
closed with an ornamental iron railing.
There are four entrances to the hall.
At the north and south and east and west
fronts o. the building and surrounding
the court are a number Of large and COM
modious rooms on the first floor which
were used on occasions Of former inauga-
raj balls for cloak and toilet rooms. barber
shops, supper rooms, Information and press
rooms, telegraph Offices and police and
fire departments.
The Last Inaugural Dall.
At the last inaugural ball, Saturday,
March 4, 1898. the gentlemen's cloak room
occupied the apartments at the north
west corner of the building; the ladies'
rooms were at the southwest corner Of
the building: the supper rooms occupied
all the apartments reaching from the north
entrance at G street around to the east
entrance fronting 4th street. The Presi-
dent and Mrs. Cleveland occupied the three
rooms of the commissioning Of pensions on
the second floor. and the Vice President
and the diplomatic corps adjoining apart
ments. The arrangements for the recep-
ton and enjoyment OF every one who at
tended were perfect. The dressing rooms
were provided with all the necessities Of
the toilet and the hat and cloak boxes
were iu charge of 135 employees of the city
post office.
The total number Of boxes was u.0OO,
Z 600 being assigned to men and 1000 to
the use of ladies. To prevent confusion
end to facilitate the delivery of articles
the cloak rooms were divided into sections,
each In charge Of letter carrier. who re-
ceived and handed out the hats and cloaks.
and to prevent confusion the boxes were
numbered, after the plans of the houses on
the streets. For Instance, the left-hand
corner of the bottom row began with the
Lumber lO2 the. next 2O2, and so on. The
numbers were the ess me in every section,
and the tickets had printed on them the
number Of section as we'll as the number
of the box The inform alton bureau was
en- the south side Of the ball room, and i'm
adjoining were the telegraph Of
fees end the press room. The dining room
and kitchen vera in the northeast corner
of the building. the kitchen being in a
structure erected for the purpose on the
parking fronting street.
Carriage Arrangements.
The arrangements for those who went to
the ball by carriagss or other vehicles were
equally complete. the conveyances were
divided into two classes; private and public.
Private carriages entered Judiciary Square