The herald., 1897-03-07
BALL ROOM DECORATIONS
Sumptuous Grandeur of the
Inaugural Function
LARGE SUMS OF MONEY
Were Expended In Making II a Thing Of
Beauty
One Hundred and Twenty-Five Musicians
Discoursed a Splendid Progrsm-A
Wealth Of Flowers

The decorations of the inaugural ball
room, in artistic beauty and harmoni-
Gus treatment overshadowed anything
of the kind heretofore seen in Washing
ton. About $4,000 had BEEN expended
by the committee in the adornment of
the pension building, and, as result,
it has undergone a complete transforma-
tion and presented tonight a rare scene
of beauty and brilliancy The armor
and shields and much ornament, togeth
er with the great areas of red, white and
| blue and bunting, and the familiar feat
ure of the flags of all rlations, which
predominated in the decorations in past
years, were discarded and an entirely
new scheme OF treatment adopted, MAX
ing everything subservient to the floral
decorations. For the groundwork of the
floral decorations and for the great can
opy above, about $4,000 yards of white
and golden challie were used. The great
court was divided into three nearly
equal sections by two rows of massive
columns, which cross it, and to obscure
| the roof and materially reduce the
height of the roof, three. immense domes
of white and gold challie were sus-
| tanned with effect in the center of these
sections, about 70 feet from the floor.
The outer edges of the domes were
| encircled with small electric light cana
oples. which were tastefully draped to
number of pleasing electric light feat
ures were introduced. A large Ameri-
can flag. composed of colored lights.
was suspended OH the west wall above
the second gallery. and by a clever me-
chanical contrivance, the flag was given
| the appearance of waving in the breeze.
Within the high arch OF the east band
stand was suspended on black back
ground and in deep shadow single
brilliant red electric star High up on
the south wall was an American eagle,
with wings outspread, clutching IN its
talons an electric shield in colors, and
| from it's beak depended two floral
scrolls, bearing the words, Mckinley
and Hobart" made from fairy light.
On the other, and just below the eagle
were large golden cornucopias filled to
| overfowing with American Beauty
roses, the whole entwined with silk
American flags.
musicians on the south side and center
of the court, and that for the brass
band at the east end, each highly ar
| tistic in construction, were handsomely
decorated Semi-circles of electric
| lights outlined the front, and above 1t
was draped a handsome sunburst OF
silk American flags. Masses of palms
and other potted plants and quantities
| of large-stemmed American Beauty
roses filled the corners and every avail
able space in both stands, and placques
of roses, tulips, narcissus, ETC., with a
number of gilded Roman wreaths, with
tracings of asparagus vine, completed
their adornment. Broad SATIN ribbons,
bows and streamers were introduced
among the flowers wherever 1t would
enhance the effect. A fountain In the
center had been made a thing of beauty.
Around and through the spray pictur-
esque grotto of cork bark and moss
covered rocks had been built and plant
ed with ferns. lillies. vines. etc, and
aquatic plants. Surrounding it were
massed blooming plants, vines and
| tropical palms. A thousand electric
lights sparkled in the falling spray and
among the rocks and plant leaves. The
! eight towering columns which support
the roof were treated in an original and
novel manner. From temporary base,
| about ten feet from the floor. sprang
graceful growing palms, which reached
to a height of 20 or 25 feet. Massed at
the bases, and completely encircling
them, were quantities of genestas. aca-
cias. jonquils and other rich yellow
blooms. The upper portion of the pill
lars, which in color harmonzed with the
prevailing tints of white and gold. were
left unadorned. over the balconies and
about the smaller columns were trailed
southern smilax, ard in front of the
balconies at intervals to conform to the
flag decorations, were placques of sabal
palm leaves and flowers, alternating
with artistic effect with Louis XVI.
wreaths caught up with the national
| colors On the,top of the galleries were
| large vases filled with luxuriant tropi-
cal plants. On the walls in the rear Of
the balconies were frieze effects in lau-
rel festoons, fastened with green leaves
and tracings of southern smilax. The
stairways were matched WITH ever
I q N
singing birds hung among the branches.
| The presidents and the diplomatic
rooms were arranged with palms, as
paragus, orchids, American Beauty
roses, tulips, jonquils. ETC., with artistic
effects of ribbons and placques Of fiow-
| ers on the walls. At the court corners
were massed towering palms. based with
growing plants. the whole raised high
above the floor The approaches were
| tastefully decorated with greens. The
lighting of this immense ballroom was
accomplished by the use of so arc lights.
5000 incandescent lamps with tinted
i globes, and 5000 miniatures in white and
yellow cclors. These last were scat
tered right among the plants and flow
ers In a manner most pleasing to the
eye. Viewed from an upper gallery to-
night, the brilliant lights, the green
/ and golden decorations, the sheen or
the rich gowns OF the dancers, combined
4
passed The promenade music which
preceded the ball was furnished by Vic
tor Herbert's Twenty-second Regiment
band of New York and Haley's Wash
ington orchestra, playing alternate num-
bers The order of the music was as
follows:
observation-disclosures
Selection-FaustG Gounod.
Second Hungarian Rhapsodie-Liszt
| Overture-Fest Luther.
| Grand American Fanta asie-Herbert.
Selection-"Wizard Of the, Nile" Her
| bert ~
The order of dancing was as follows:
Waltz-"Return of Spring g"-Wa;d-
| teufel
! Promenade-"The Gold Bug''-victor
| Herbert.
Lancers-"Gayety Girls"-Jones.
| Waltz-"Artist Life"-Strauss.
Promenade = Spanish dance-Moss-
kowski.
ille-"Jeujour''-M. Guingle.
| Two step-"El Captain" "-Sousa.
Promenade--Selectio from Carmen
| -Bizet.
Waltz-"La Heureuse"-Waldte
| -"International"-
! Promenade-"Hungar Ezenda"-
Two step-"White Flyer"-Haley.
| Waltz-"Symposia' sia'-Bondiaz.
Quadrille-"Militafre"
| Promenade--Grand fantasia from
| Faust--Gounod.
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