Evening star., 1896-12-22
Chairman Bell Going to Consult With
General Horace Porter.
INAUGURAL BALL ARRANGEMENTS
How the Pension Office viii Be
Utilized March Fourth.
NOTES AT HEADQUART

| tOHiSHl W COlSuil With Itf t1OTace fOTleI
over the arrangements for the inaugural
| parade. 1t is probable that the procession
next march will be an improvement in its
+, arrangement over those which have pre-
ceded it, and that there will not be so
| much sameness evident in the various di-
visions. The assignments of participating
bodies to positions, it is thought will be
| determined with view of making the
| parade as attractive and picturesque as
| possible. Every one who has seen past
professions will remember how monoto-
| rous they were in the spectacle they pre-
| sented. There was. for instance, at one
time 5000 Pennsylvania troops, who
| marched in solid body and were nearly
| an hour in passing. 1t is expected that
| such large bodies will be broken and in
| terspersed with other troops differently
| uniformed TO eniven the tiresomeness of
| such steady passing of men dressed alike.
| The same system, 1t is believed, will be fol-
| lowed in the assignment of civic organiza-
| tfons; the clubs of the National Republican
| League, which are expected to turn out
| 15,OOO strong, being scattered through the
| civic division, instead of marching In a
| compact body.
Thursday Mr.. Bell will have consulta-
| ton with Secretary Francis over the use of
| the pension building. Elis conference
| would have taken place today had it not
| been for the cabinet meeting.
Home Industry to Be Pat-Onfzed.
There is general feeling on the part of
| the executive committeeman that home in
| dustry should be patronized far as pos
sible in the arrangements for the inaugu-
ration, and it is probable that the work in
| connection with them will nearly all be
| done by Washington parties, so far this
| is possible This view is taken on The
| ground that it will be Washington money
| almost exclusively that will pay the eX-
penses of the affair, and that consequently
it is only proper that it should be ex-
pended as far as possible in Washington.
| The Ball Arrangements.
The Star announced yesterday the deter
| mination of Chairman Bell to follow the
| system observed four years ago in the ar
| rangement of the pension office building for
| the inaugural ball. and it will be interesting
to know just what they Were
| The great hall or court of the pension
building is 80 feet in length and 130 feet
| wide. The apex of the roof which covers
| ii 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. to divide the
| court into three equal compartments, but
| wide enough apart to allow free move
| ment between them. Surrounding this i'm
| meIlse space are three galleries, rising 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 inclosed with an
ornamental iron railing.
There are four entrances to the hall. AT
the north and south and east and west
! fronts of the building and surrounding the
! court are number of large and COM
| modious rooms on the first floor which
| were used on occasions of former inaugural
| balls for cloak and toilet rooms barber
| shops. supper rooms, information and press
| rooms. telegraph offices and police and fire
| departments.
| The Last inaugural Ball.
| At the last inaugural ball, Saturday,
| March 4, 1893, the gentlemen's cloak room
| occupied the apartments at the northwest
| corner of the building; the ladies' rooms
| were at the southwest corner of the build
| ing: the supper rooms occupied all the
apartments reaching from the north en-
! trance at q street around to the east en-
| trance fronting on 4th street. The Presi-
! dent and Mrs. Cleveland occupied the three
| rooms of the commissioner 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 in
| charge of 13o employees of the city post of
| flee.
The total number of boxes was II 900.
|
| the use of ladies. To prevent confusion and
| to facilitate the delivery of articles the
| cloak rooms We're divided into sections.
| each in charge of a letter carrier, who re-
| celVed 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 Iefl hand
| corner of the bottom row began with the
| number 1U2, the next 202, and so on. The
numbers were the same in every section.
| and the tickets had printed on them the
| number of section as well as the number
| OF the box. Tie information bureau was
on the south side of the ball room, ard inn
| mediately adjoining were the telegraph Of
| fees and the press room. The dining room
| and Kitchen were 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 carriages or other vehicles were
equally complete. The conveyances were
divided into two classes, private and public.
Private carriages entered Judiciary Square
i on F street. and deposited their passengers
| at the 9TH street entrance To each occu-
| pant of a private carriage a ticket was
| given with coupon attached. When the
| occupant alighted he retained the coupon
ana the driver kept the ticket, and when
| the conveyance was wanted the number
| was called, and, being the same on each
| slip, all confusion was prevented Those
| who hired conveyances to the ball by an ar
! rangement of the Liveryman's Association
were assured of being carried home in the
same character of vehicle as that which
| they went to the ball in, the kind of vehicle
being printed on the card which was given
to the occupant of the carriage.
| Over Eight Thousand Present,
| Seven thousand four hundred and thirty
| five tickets were sold to the last inausura-
ton ball. and every ticket was represented
| by guest. In addition to this immense
| gathering, there were probably fifteen hun
died attendants. who were not included in
the number buying tickets. This immense
| crowd was handled without crushing or
| crowding of any serious character The
galleries were used for promenadine, and
/ at the same time gave opportunities for
1 excellent views of the beautiful and pie-
! tnresQue scene on the ballroom floor There
/ were hut few exchanges OF wraps or cloaks.
| and fewer dresses and gowns were injured
| than at any reception at the White House
/ held In recent years. II
On the Monday and Tuesday following
the Inaugural ball of 1893 there were prom
| enade concerts given at the pension loface
by the United States Marine Band The
Continued ON Seventh Pagel