The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-11

livery emergency Thousands of men
knd women crowded the streets around
The hotel, but the police kept them
moving, and no conflicts or excitement
pf any kind resulted Detectives
ewarmed in and around the house to
prevent trouble, but their presence was
net needed.
The costumes we're exquisite. All the
great men and women of the last three
rsnturies were represented. Arrayed
eavishly beyond the dream of the orig
lnaIs were the men and women who
appeared last night as ladies' and gen-
tiemen of the olden periods. Adjectives
ksil to express the beauty of the scene,
h looked as If the treasure troVe of
hges had been combined with the in
kehuity of today In a wealth of gilt
herring Jewels, rare old laces. silks and
telvets.
At midnight the great ball was at its
Insight. All society was there gathered
10 portray the regal splendor OF past
nenturies. The great ballroom OF the
waldorf, benutified with wealth of
fuBes and fragrant flowers was the
scene OF grandeur never before equal
bod in this country. Courtiers Of old.
pf every cline, mingled with grand
hames and ladies' kings and queens,
princes and prlncesses, but here and
There the old spirit of loyalty had man
tfested itself in the presence of colonial
tmen and women of the old and quaint
days in America.
For lavish expenditure, for artistic
decorations and surroundings, for re-
nsction of the most picturesque epi-
sodes in old world history and a gath
erins of the fairest and richest in the
new world life the bali marked an
epoch. 1t was more than mile post
in New Yorks social history. 1t was
the event of a decade.
Victor Herbert, with so men of the
Twenty- second Regiment band, were
perched in the west end Of the balcony
Df the large ballroom. A Hungarian
band of 22, in powdered wigs and
quaint uniforms were in the east end.
As each guest was ushered into the
room in which Mrs. Martin received
n lackey announced his or her name
and the character from the 10Th, 18th
pr 18th centuries which he or she rep
resented
The Bradley Martin ball will go down
In history classed with the Schermer-
horn fancy dress ball of nearly half a
century ago. the Prince of Wales ball
and the Vanderbilt ball But it eclips-
ed all of these. 1t is the crowning
glory of the social life of New York
OF this century. 1t may not be sur
passed in another hundred years. 1t
was a gorgeous, superb and wonder
ful spectacle. 1t cost a fortune, and
the workers who benefited by it will
Say that the money was well expended.
The results of most of the preparation
and the outlay of hundreds of thous-
ands of dollars was exhausted in five
hours.
The guests We're received by Mrs.
Martin in the small ballroom as they
descended from the upper floor. In
this room Mrs. Bradley Martin stood
OH the dais, slightly raised under
canopy of rare tapestries. The scheme
ef decorations in this room was that of
the time of Louis XIV, and before the
dais passed the counterfeit present.
ments of all the prominent people of
that time, to mingle in picturesque
confusion with, characters Of other
days.
After being received by the hostess
The guests passed through flower
lined corridor directly into the large
ballroom. In the early portion of the
evening dancing in the main ballroom
on the first floor was general, but 1t
was not until all the guests had paid
their respects to Mrs. Bradley-Mart
and she had been escorted to the ball
room proper, that the fancy dress ball
" was declared formally opened.
In the small gallery were the mem
bers of the Twenty second Regiment
band and the Hungarian band. The
music suddenly stopped for just mo-
snent, to be broken by a flourish Of
trumpets as Mrs Bradley Martin and
her escort, Mr.. John Jacob Astor. en-