The evening world., 1903-12-17
Ball to Be Given Tomorrow
Night at His Residence, When
Miss Katharine Barney Will
Make Her Debut.
0 W COURAGE AT A FIRE
She Found the Country Home Of Her
Parents Was Ablaze and Saved
Lives Of Her Mother and the Ser
wants.

At a ball to be given tomorrow even
Ing by her uncle. William C. Whitney
in his handsome residence Mt the corner
OF Fifth avenue n Sixty-eighth street.
Miss Katharine Barney. second daughter
of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Tracy Barney,
OF No. 81 Park avenue. will make her
bow to society.
Everything that money and taste can
do to make the occasion memorable
among the balls OF exclusive and ex-
travagant New York society has been
done. The cotillon. for which fayors
have been specially imported from the
other side, will be led by Miss Barney
and Worthingeon Whitehouse. who, with
Elisha Dyer, jr.. has for many years
divided the co:illon honors OF New York.
Lander's orchestra will play it's sweet
est music in the debutante's honor, and
the supper, which will be served at small
tables. will be provided by Sherry.
Heroine of n Fire.
To her large circle of friends Miss
Rarney's debut will be interesting
mer ely as that Of the pretty daughter OF
one millionaire and the niece of another.
But to the general public she is known
as the intrepid young girl who a little
more thar two years & saved the lives
Of her mother and three servants, ex-
posed to a horrible death by fire in the
destruction Of the Barney country home
at Southampton, L.. /.
Miss Barney. who was at that time
by the sound of cracking wood n In a
Fam l..,, 49,. A. -.
on fire. All the electric lights in the
great house had been turned off at mid
night, but after a frantic search she
discovered some candles which nae been
provided for an emergency, lighted one
and flew through the corridors to her
mothers room and from thence from
one door to another till the very top CT
the house had been reached and every
member of the household had been
warned. Before she reached the ser
wants dormitory. which was Just
house vas shooting flames. visible for
miles around. But Miss Barney pushed
her way through the mr. nd smoke and
reused the three slecpins servant girls.
Within. the next two hours only three
iron girders remained of what had been
the finest residence on Eastern Long
Island.
Lost s12S.OOO In Diamonds.
In the fire Miss Barney's mother, who
was Miss Lilly Whitney. sister of Will
jam c: Whitney. who gives to-mor-
rows ball in her honor. lost oyer
the family hac given up The
for the gems hordes of diamond
swarned to Southampton ana
spent many fruitless hours sorting
n ashes in a vain quest for
Them.
Shortly after her heroic adventure
Miss Barney went abroad to complete
education and has only recently re-
In appearance she is tall and hnnd-
some. one of the best types of the
girl of the period. She is a
fine mr--:ian. plo ying the violin espe-
well, an expert golfer and is fond
Or riding. She Is also an excellent
whip mi loves to drive her fathers
.'our-in-hand. Her most intimate friends
ire the Misses Ellis, daughters of Her |
nan Ellis, of Short Hills. N. j.: the
Cryden triplets. and Miss Wycoff.. ,
She has a sister, Miss Helen T.
Barney, who made her debut two years
ago at a ball given in her honor by
Whit ey and a brother. j. W.
Barney.