New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-05
ENDED WITH A GREAT BALL.
NOTHING LIKE THE INAUGURAL DANCE
EVER KNOWN BEFORE

WHITE AND GOLD BUNTING. FLAGS. rc"E"'
AND ELECTRIC LIGHTS MADE THE GREAT
COURT OF THE PENSION BUILDING
RADIANT scEHEvNorABLE TOILETS.
[pY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
| Washington, March A great court, 400 feet
| long, broken midway at either end by eight pill
lars lifting their massive proportions $50 feet be-
| meath arch. from which rises vaulted glass
roof. concealed by triple bell-shaped canopies OF
white and gold: in the centre a marble noor' CIV
ing OF dancing space. and a fountain oil
! splashing waters, with green banks: on All SIDES
tiers OF broad galleries. hung with white and gold,
supported by 800 columns. alternating with as
many arches; every column n Corintnian piiiar
Of futed white and gold, every arch a line OF net
work and garands. trailing vines wreaths OF IVY
flags and banners. National and State coats-ot,
arms; above them outstretched wings OF gilded
eagles, Of ferns ard bushes OF yelio"
| broom, groves OF palms and bowers OF roses; over
ALL through all. In and out Of leaf and flower, pan
ner and flag. from end to end from floor TO roof
| thousands upon thousands OF tulip shaped electric
lamps. sparkling until the great hall Is scene
| OF gorgeous color and ght--this Is the Inaugural
| Ball room tonight. Within this setting locO peo-
| pie the sheen OF satins and the CLEAN OF jewels.
the dash OF uniforms and the glitter OF foreign or
ders musics enhancing strains floating above
| gay laughter and formal speech give the hhlsh-
| ing touches to the picture. There are balls and
balls but the Inaugural Ball Of tonight was
| never dreamed OF in the early days OF TIE Repuo-
| lie or It's middle age. when Administrations were
danced in three balls. because no one building
was large enough for all the dancers.
| Not until quarter Of n century ago did the IN
aug,lral Ball become n regular feature or the IN
augrration and even In comparatively recent years
these entertainments were more or less failures ior
! lack OF suitable room. 1t was the DIG fehso'
| Building, with its much-crlticised architecture
| which proved to be the ideal ballroom 1t was
| IN ha do tVpl
| the first ball in honor of President Cleveland. In
most respects that ball was success. though the
structure was scarcely finished. Four years later
| the ball In honor OF President Harrison was
brilliant occasion. and then occurred the no less
brilliant ball at President Clevelands second lnau-
| guration.
| But the ball tonight in honor Of President Nc
| Knlcy is the most radiant Of all. One may well
wonder after tonight what novelty there Is left
for the next Inauguration.
PLAN OF THE DECORATIONS.
| The three greatest features were floral decora-
tons. drapery and EXAMINATIONS The color scheme
white and gold The profuson OF white.
| sprayed over with delicate green. afforded fine
| background for the evening toilets, much to the
| delight OF the women who wore them. While there
were more flowers, there were fewer flags than at
| former balls. one hundred thousand yards or cot
| ton bunting used by the decorators. The
! magnitude and magnifcencc Of the floral decofa-
| lions best appreciated by noting the use vi
| 500 roses alone, most OF them the superb Ameri-
| Beauty; orchids without stint. no end Of spring
| flowers and azaleas without number, snow white
| and bright red with maidenhar ferns. lilies. the
| fea thery white sp!rea and yellow Scotch broom
| like small trees with their branching blossoms The
| walls OF the galleries were covered with fun.
straight hanging draperies OF white. sprayed over
| with clematis and finished above with friezc OF
| gold garlandcd with clematis The rails and
| balustrades OF the galleries were hung with white
and gold and row OF urn-shaped vases on the
| top gallery rail held spring flowers with draping
! vines falling them.
Within a year the eight pillars supporting the
| roof OF the court have been finished with the rich
tints and polish of old Roman marble. If this had
| been planned nj the time. the golden yellow aEd
brown shades of the pillars could not have harmon
| ICED more perfectly with the color scheme Of the
| decorations tonight
| The music balconies were unique. One on the
south side of the court carried out the design OF
| Colonial portco On the high arch of the gallery
above a gilded eagle held magnificent flags. stretch
| Ing away on either side to immense cornucop'as
| mourning out American Beauty roses, ard just be-
meath in shining letters OF light were the names
| .W,lliam Mckinley" the right and 'Garret A.
| Hobart" on the left The second music balcony at
the east end OF the the design OF the we'll
| remembered Golden Gate" OF the Transportation
| Building at the Columbian Exposition. II was
wholly Of gold. and the effect was heightened by
| the scarlet uniforms OF the paHu AZ ''S oPi'si'e
end of the court was the original flag. with its
| thirteen stars.
THE PRESIDENTS ROOMS
| The rooms set apart for the President. the Vice
President and their parties were the same used
for this purpose at previous Inaugural balls. though
the decorations different The Presidents
room was hung with crimson velvet. The flowers
| were white orchids In profusion and American
Beauty roses and above the doorways flags were
| held in graceful folds. This room opened Into a
smaller room, where the walls were hung with
Turkish draperies. the floors covered with Turkish
! rugs and the corners filled with couches and pill
| lows in Oriental coors. The VcePresidents room
was equally beautiful. The walls were hung with
| blue velvet bordered with darker shade of velvet
| frieze embroidered with gold cord. Trees o. white
azaleas and the yellow broom filed the corners and
| crystal vases held long-stemmed pink roses The
| stairways leading up to this floor were canopied
| with white thickly sprayed with green. The part
OF the gallery into which the President and Vice
Presidents rooms opened reserved. all the rest
! Of the gallery space being thrown open to the
| guests.
| MRS. MKINLEY'S GOWN.
| The gown worn by Mrs. Mckinley was very hand
| some The material was what Is known as cloth
| OF silver The groundwork was OF white satin.
| heavily woven with silver thread in n conventional
| lily design The train. which was plain, full and
| sweoning measured two yards and hall In length.
| On the left side 1t open over panel OF seed
| pearls embroidered satin. Beginning at the bot
| TOM was a hounce OF Venetian point lace OF a
| snec,al and beautiful design, half yard In width.
| which was cascaded narrow at the bottom ana
| gradually widened toward the top until 1t eG-
tended It's full width over the hip and out to the
| back where It was partly concealed under the full
] train.
Mrs. Uobar. wore gown Of soft white silk, with
rare old lace falling the front of the waist
nd caught on either shoulder with knots OF volet5.
barrett A. Hobart. jr. accompanied his father and
| mother. and In the Vice-Prcsdents party were
| Governor Griggs OF New-Jersey and Mrs. Griggs,
| Colonel and Mrs. Henry A. Potter, Mr. and Mrs.
1 =. :, nh r,,doo Advoca te-( General and Mrs.