Evening star., 1902-02-21
Opera House Decorations in
Prince Henry's Honor.
FLOWERS IN PROPULSION
UNIVERSITY CLUB WILL TENDER
HIM A RECEPTION.
Wireless Telegraph Companies Vie
With Each Other to Extend
the First Greeting.
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK. February %, 1902.
The scheme Of decorating the Metropoli-
tan Opera House for the gala performance
in honor of Prince Henry has been blocked
out by Stanford White. It will estab blish a
record for grandeur in interior floral deco
rations. Above the orchestra floor there are
two rows of boxes, the parterre and tier
circles. and three galleries. The ceiling is
about seventy-five feet above the orches-
ira. The boxes and galleries are supported
by a row of large columns. These details
of construction enter well into the decora-
ton scheme. The walls from the lobby to
the stage will be completely covered with
masses Of southern smilax as a sort of
background upon which to build the other
decorations. Set in the vines will be thou
sands Of small electric lights. Each OF the
columns supporting the rows OF boxes will
be wound with smilaX. Color will begin
with the parterre boxes. The parterre and
grand tier circles are formed by about sew
enty boxes, each with a swell front. In
the spaces formed by the union OF the
curves of the box fronts will be placed
boxes Of Towering plants The flowers
will be mainly pink in color These flower
boxes, about three hundred In number. will
be fastened to the two rows Of boxes and
suspended from the fronts OF the balconies
above. From the flower boxes will fall fes-
toons Of smilax. The same vine will be
used In covering the other exposed places
in the parterre and grand tier rows and the
balconies.
Decorations Of Royal Box.
The royal box to be formed by q union
of five boxes In the center Of the parterre
row. will be decorated in an unusually
elaborate manner. A square frame will
m wi he
with silk in white and gold Inside the
square will be an arch, which will be COM
posed solely of American Beauty roses.
For the keystone of the arch there will be
an artistic blending Of the German colors-
red. white and black-and the colors Of the
United States.
The inside OF the royal box will be lined
with red velvet. The ceiling Of the audi
torium will be covered with smilax. To do
this dozens of immense strands of the vine
will be made the floor and then raised
to the top by ropes let through the ceiling.
These strands will be large and numerous
enough to almost completely obscure the
fresco work which the opera patrons are
accustomed to The new red plush
drop curtain will also be covered with
smilax and electric lights. 1t is the plan. as
well, to place hundreds of small electric
lights In the green covering Of the ceiling
and the festoons OF vines In front OF the
boxes. The proscenium arch will be COW
cred with a wire framework, to which
will be fastened enough smlax to cover
completely the natural color OF the wall
and the frame Of wire. 1t will take about
five tons OF smiax to cover the walls,
boxes and proscenium arch. Two thou
sand American Beauty roses will be used
In addition to the hundreds Of Towering
plants.
University Clubs Reception.
It became evident today that the fear
held by many that the numerous receptions
to the prince were bound to clash Is
groundless. The arrangement Of the de-
tails Of both official and unofficial func-
tions is rapidly being completed. and BY
Saturday next everything Will be in readi-
ness for the royal visit. 1t was announced
today that Prince Henry will be the guest
Of the University Club Of this city at q
dinner and reception on March Z. Being
himself university graduate. the prince
men OF this country. Acting on this
knowledge. the University Club extended
an invitation to him. through the German
ambassador. with the result that the prince
expressed himself highly pleased. and
signifed cordially his willingness to meet
fellow college men. although OF another
country. The dinner will in no sense bs
an official one. In the invitation ia In
cluded the personal suite Of the prince
At the banquet there will be. exclusive
OF the club officials. about forty guests.
Among them will be the German ambassa.
DOR the German consul. Rear Admiral
Robley D. Evans. Rear Admiral Barker,
Adjutant General Corbin. Major General
Brooke, Col Bingham, Commander Cowles
and Assistant Secretary of State Hill. There
will also be present Rear Admiral Count
Won Baudissin Of the Hohenzollern and his
staff and officers Of the United States army
and United States navy who are gradu-
ates Of West Point and Annapolis and con-
sequently college men. The dinner will be-
gin at o'clock and will be followed by q
reception and a light supper, at which win
be present only the invited guests mem
toned and the members Of the University
Club There will be speechmaking al
the dinner. but the health of the prince will
be proposed by Judge Henry E. Rowland.
Welcome by Wireless Telegraph.
There is keen rivalry between the opera
tors Of wireless telegraph apparatus for
the honor Of first ticking to the prince the
words. welcome to America" At Nan.
tucket and on board the Hohenzollern, the
Etruria and every steamship in port pro-
vided with wireless plant. every effort
will be made to communicate with the
Kronprinz Wilhelm on Saturday. When the
Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse sailed yester-
day she bore instructions to make every
effort to carry on wireless conversation
with her sister ship in midocean. George
ser. was also directed to instruct the Kron-
prinz Wilhelm to begin to communicate
with the Etruria when the vessel was
within three hundred miles Of the city. The
street and VIII be there until 10 o'clock
Saturday morning. Operator Allen win
stand beside his instrument on the Etruria
all day Friday and throughout the night,
waiting for q message from the Kronprinx.
Internal Dissensions in Tammany.
Simultaneous with the departure OF Lewis
Nixon. the new Tammany leader. from this
city, hostile moves have been made among
the rank and nle in certain assembly dis
tricts whereby at least ten Of the present
thirty-hve Wagwam district leaders viii b
forced to fight for their very political ex-
istence at the primaries next September.
That these ten leaders must 60 has fo3
months been the belief Of those Thoroughly
acquainted with their standing inside thu
organization. That Richard Croker months
ago advised their voluntary retirement be-
cause Of their growing unpopularity among
their respective constituencies Is a WELL
known fact. Now when the chances for a re-
united democracy all over the state seemed
destined to blossom forth into a realization.
dissention threatens Tammany Hall, tho