The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-05
FORTY THOUSAND ROSES
THE INA UG URAL BALL ROOM REDO
LENT or YHEIE FRAGRANCE.

sion Building a symphony in Yellow and
White, the Golden Color Predoninating
A Vast Throng of Officials and Civilians
in Attendanoe-A Magnificent Success.
Washington, March 4.-The inaugural
ball has become a notable feature of
the festivities connected with the in
stallation of president of the United
States, but in it's earlier days no such
elaboration was attempted as that
which marked the grand function given
tonight.
The first inaugural ball to be given
in the pension office building, where
Major McKinley's friends assembled in
his honor tonight, was held on the
day President Cleveland began his first
term, March 4, 1885. Since then the
other similar affairs have been held
there.
That no more admirable place could
have been selected for the affair than
the pension building was proved this
evening. The spacious interior was
somewhat crowded with well-dressed
humanity, but no other place was OBJ
tainable.
Early in the evening the various COM
mittees in charge of the ball had per-
fected their arrangements and We're on
hand to carry them out. Just before 8
O'Clock the current governing the cleo
trio lights was turned on and the broad
and high interior was transformed into
Fai1yland From dome and gallery
and from pillar, post and rafter thou
sands of luminous CLEANS came forth,
bringing into view the results that an
army of decorators had labored so long
to produce. For three weeks the dec
Grating and lighting forces had been
hard at work More than a hundred
thousand yards of cloth had been used
in the drapery; six thousand incandes-
cent and fifty arc lights had been wired
and established in their proper places,
anG forty thousand roses, not to speak
of yards upon yards of smilax and 9TH
er foliage plants, had been arranged in
the most artistic manner
The interior of the pension office
building is a great court. Ordinarily
this court is filled with file cases and
tables and presents an exceedingly bus
iness-like appearances. Tonight every
thing suggestive of the proper function
Of the room had Disappeared in the
Alladin-like transformation Eight
massive pillars supporting the roof
were the only interference with a COM
prehensive view OF the ball room. These
columns gave a dignity to the Gambler
and enough Of drapery and Of floral dis
play was used to enhance their dig
nifty.
At the east end Of the court was the
triumph Of the decorators art. 1t was
a representation in gold challie cloth of
the golden gate at the worlds fair.
Here Victor Herberts band held forth
during the evening, playing promenade
music between dances. The golden
gate was constructed high above the
heads of the participants in the ball on
q platform extending from the first gal
lery of the fifty out in the court The
thousands of yards of cloth used in its
construction had been shirred in
dozen or more curves, forming as many
connecting arches tapered off into the
rear Each archway was studded with
incandescent globes, while above the
gateway, around it and below it, a
myriad more of the little sparklers en-
hanced the general effect. Golden
horns and wreaths We're plentifully dis
tributed over the facade.
1t was the intention of the decorators
to make gold the predominating color
in the display. They succeeded ad-
mirably, alternating with an abun-
dance of white challie cloth, suggestive
of the monetary agitation in the last
campaign. From ceiling to gallery
great streamers of white and gold fell
in graceful curves, while between the
pillars and around the gallery were
others of the same shades.
The coat of arms of each state had a
place in the decorat tions, and these were
surmounted by counterfeits of the stars
and stripes. At one end of the hall,
just above the stairway leading to the
apartments reserved for the guests of
the evening, was a flag composed of
red, white and blue electric globes,
which, by a mechanical device, were
made to appear in motion as though
through the action of a gentle breeze.
All around the gallery southern smilax
was distributed in graceful profusion.
In the center of the hall was rustic
lOullldlu LII dCilOH bGIedlH LIE sur
face of the water electric flashes came
in a constant succession of brilliant
color, showing gold and silver fish
swimming in and out through the ferns
and other growing plants that filled the
basin. With all the lights aglow, the
sparkling fountain, the brilliant crowd
of pleasure seekers on the floor, the
profusion of palms about the bases of
the massive supporting columns and
on the gallery, and, topping it all, the
singing of hundreds of canaries in gilt
cages suspended here, there and every
where, the scene was as brilliant as
could be imagined
The inaugural ball is not an exclusive
function. Everybody of respectability
who cares to attend can do so by pay
ing S. for a ticket. Naturally the at
tendance was large, and shortly after
s o'clock the floor was well filed.
Members of the diplomatic corps, in
their official uniforms. officers of the
regular army, members of the staffs of
state governors, generals, colonies and
a host of other titled militiamen, to-
gether with black coated civilians,
made a picturesque display.
The resolution of the inaugural ball
committee prohibiting the sale of wine
at the ball was adhered to rigidly.
1t was $40 o'clock when President