The record-union., 1897-03-05
The INAUGURAL BALL.
GROWING GLORY OF THE GREAT
DAY AT WASHINGTON.
Grand Spectacle Presented to the Vast
Throng Which Gathered in the
Pension Building.

WASHINGTON, March 4.-With the
night came the crowning glory of the
| Inauguration. The residences and pub
lie buildings We're afiame with lights,
the streets were still crowded with peo-
pie, the clamoring multitudes still bat
tied at the doors of hotels and restau-
rants demanding food and drink, thou
sands surged to and fro in front of the
monument grounds, whence arose the
! chromatic fireworks which illuminated
the city in fitful CLEANS.
| But it was at the Pension building
| that the politicians paid their respects
to society. There distinguished guests
/ of the occasion paid homage to Presi-
dent Mckinley and the new mistress of
/ the White House, and later treaded the
maze of the dance. The inaugural ball
| was the climax of the day To the
minds of many there is nothing compar-
able to it. They like to see the parade
they linger for a sight of the prominent
men and women; they occupy their
weary places on terraced stands for
| hours to see the President and the in
| auguration party pass, but with these
people, and especially the ladies, pro-
| vided with exquisite gowns, designed
| and planned months in advance, is the
| ball.
| The Pension building is admirably
| suited for this spectacular display 1t
is an enormous hall, surrounding a
vast court, supported by huge pillars of
marble, around which circle two gal
| leries. This great court tonight be-
| came the ballroom. 1t lends itself to
| the most artistic decoration and it
was never so beautifully decorated and
| festooned and lighted as tonight The
| graceful arches trembled with flowers
and greenery; the colossal columns
seemed to grow out of bowers of flowers
and supported the iron roof. which was
| a royal canopy of white and sold Hun
dreds of canaries in gold cages tucked
away in the greenery sang merrily. The
thousands of electric lights flashed amid
the flowers and drapery The artistic
effect of the lights was probably never
| equaled, certainly not surpassed in this
country. The most striking feature
was an enormous Counterpart of "Old
! Glory" done in red, white and blue
bulbs, but SO arranged that it seemed to
be floating in stiff breeze.
1t was like the portals of fairyland
with its vision of beautiful women. it's
myriads of cleaning lights, its gorgeous
massing of colors, its wealth of bios
SONS, it's pulsations of soft music and
1. the heavy odors of thousands of per-
| fumes.
The enormous floor space, 800 feet
| long. and half as wide, was so large that
| it was divided into squares, each under
| a corps of assistants to the general
Floor Managers, Edward McCauley and
| Edwin B. Hay.
| The announcement of the inaugural
| ball declared that the doors would be
open at s o'clock, and that the dance
programme would begin at g. But
many visitors to the city, determined to
miss no part of the festivities. were
| clustered about the entrance to the
| pension building before the bolts were
drawn. When the door finally swung
| inward they came with a rush and in
a quarters of an hour the main floor
was comfortably filled with promen-
aders. The Presidential party, the no.
table figures Of officialdom and the
whirl Of society, which came swishing
along with the diplomatic corps and
the navy force as conspicuous figures,
| delayed their arrival until later and
more fashionable hours The first
corners, however. were repaid for their
| enterprise by the finest view, for with