The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-25
ruE RICHEST NEW YORKER.
~ug JtsT DArS or THE MILLION
1TRR. WTIIIAM n. dSTOR.

A,.d ntiIIion Dollars A Family Of Million
.ire. How tho tnOrmsus Wealth was
A,oumuIrttd The Great Library that the
Iathrr Founded aud tho Son Enlarged.
The door Of the small, unpretending
,rat 5I'rncr ftr,et wa' closed yesterday,
md on u uilf shcet Of note paper were the
I'D. " Clolcd in consequence OF the death OF
Nf william ~ Aator." A notice was also pasted
,ot the cntr n,co Of tho Astor LIBRARY announcing
s.hat the iisti'uticn was to lie closed at o'clock
9, can cqu, nee ~ the death OF the President.
ooh tl.cin mediate fola hc' and friends " tho
nulonai.c klcS that he h d been III, md the
announcement - his DEATH even after It had
,aoe.rcd ON the ucws paper hui c.in DO ,rds, was
t,.c.y d almost with nctcduliiy. No Grape
tun,stthc tocr Of 81 Ffth avenue, hut the
tlnds VI Il. be vin. ofs were drawn down. A
.fg.nt dfcs. cd n black who opened the
1.r ev,v I've or six minutes to an
.r,r the inuuitl y of the thrung OF vis-
r.rs, sid b, h d been instructed to admit
nobody, AMI to answer no questions with
read TO III dca,h of the master OF tho house
Forage r past Vr. As'or mad been faing, not
an his gcucr ! hc.lih, ioi almost To the LAST be
seemed TO Q iobu .nl strong, and despite his
elrhly three years he attended TO bis business
Va efficiently as ne ad done In the prime OF bis
busy life hut those who watched him closely
noticed a growing irascibility and impAticnce.
while the alterations recently made In the As
Tor House were n Progress he visited the build
rug almost daily sni seemed TO take an absorb
sns interest In tho work. lie usually drove to
hi. rfnce 10 Prince street at about half past ten
w the morning aud remained In the diney little
room In which large part OF his enormous
wealth waa amdssed, until half past twelve.
rnr LAST DAY IN his OFFICE.
On saturday morning last Mr. Ast or went to
Us ,nlce IN his carriage as usual. Ills health
during the weok Lad been excellent, though he
had a slight cold but II did no: trouble him
much. lilo gave the necessary directions to the
sasistants in hiA office In tho customary way,
Transacted his own business with his ordinary
regularity aud prompttudc, and nobody sus-
pscted that he was sitting at his desk for the
last time. shortly after II o'clock he walked
out IN the steps IN front Of bis C1ice, and stood
for few minutes without an ovefcoat look
ang up and down Prince street. He drove
home and soon alter ne had reached
hls house the cold that he supposed
TO hsve been almost cured Oegon to give hlin
enced. Hc retired early, and passed some
whit feyciish and reStlc night, being troubled
~ cough that became hourly more severe.
Toward morning IL -ub-idpd. amt he slept for n
lev huufs. on Suud y morning he awoke with
= snre throat, and hts fnmily nhl stefan was sum-
moucd. The doctor found him coughing vio-
lcntly, aud suffering under u slight attack Of
bronchitis. Dr. Il btker arrived soon afterw ird,
and found the symptoms growing more aud
more untavorahio. Most OF his immediate rela-
tives were 1t his bedside. but they did not an:
them that although the disease might be sue
ccssfully combatcd in the case OF younger
patient. In man as old as Mr.. AstOr there was
great dlnGor Of bronchitis devolpping into pneu.
mOnia, which, under tho circum stances, would
almost certainly terminate In death
TIM DRArnBLD SCENE.
Realizing his peril Mr.. Astor's ons remain ed
by hts bedside all day. and in the fternoon Il
was clear that his lungs were becoming affected.
lie breat icd labUriously, and cOughei with In
creased violence and Frequency. SIN, hi.
less vitality said Dr. Barker, "he could not
have lasted so long" His indomitsble will,
long lifetime. supported him to the last, and
despite tue unfavorable symptoms, he was
N se,a Srs sYd seemed SIf confident Of 1
sickness, doctor" he said cheerfully 20 tho fam
~ physician. and | am sure you will pull me
through this lie was speaking of dangerous
attack about four years ago when he suffered,
AMI almost died, Of nnamm ,tt1n Of the vcns.
lii1 confidence was MT well founded. lie was
very restless duling SUNDAY night, vet on Mon
day mornn he WIS san sangulnc. But the cud
wa. rapidly approaching ON Monday evening q
marked aucc for the wore noticed. Hla
respiration became painfully oppressed, and hi.
cough moro and more violent. seeplos'
naY NOR. ing, and when the physicians arrived
70 was evident that the dreaded pneumonia had
set in, and that all hone wfs gone.
Mr.. Astor faced deaf as calmly us he had, tn,
dly pteyt usly, looked upon his prospects OF re
coyely. 81 might" he said, "hnye liyed foJ
rnotper yc.r If had no, cauEut this CJid but
am satisfied % 10 now. | am ~ vears.old- lone
pa.t the allotted time OF man-and ~ my age
ilfe becomes "A burden" In the afternoon a
lrth4rSy gradually cropt over him, and by slow
degrees lie lost interest In what WIS going on
Ar 'uni his bed. As ni-ht approach. d, symp
l"mS unm mistakahle to the pr ctiscd eyes oi
the physiciaus IN attendance proclaimed that
ms last moments were drawing near. His cough
Increased, aud his pulse grew more and more
feeble. lie brea.hed WITH greater din Guilty thaf
hefoie, and IL was evident that his lowers were
Iast falling HIS mind, however, was little
clold,d, aud he spoke nationally to his friends
and ieldtlNes. one OF the physicians remained d
Win him an night, but Mr.. Astor was unable TO
sleep. and ~ o'clock Yesterday morning nj,
death WIS momentarily xrected. He was still
conscious, ana sufficiently intelligent to recog.
nae his friends. Soon after o'clock the Rev
DR. Houghton, pastor OF THE Little Church
Round tho Corner" having been summoned
prayed beside the bed OF the dying man. Mr.
Astor parlook of the Holy Communion, and
men repeated the Lords Prayer aloud. Dr
BARKER LETT HIN under charge OF the o her ply
kictns slpposing that ho might perhaps live
Tor two hours, and Immediately afterward he
sank irto stupor, from which he did not
awake. Almost precisely at half past q clock
70 died 50 quietly tnat those around him hardly
ihew he had pas-ed aNa}. All the members Of
b. family ana fcy OF hi, old friends were Il,
Nls lestle.
Wnan l.. Astor's three surviving sons are
lohn Jacob, William, nd Henry Astor, and bis
tMI aaus4,crs' Mrs John Grey ana MI. frank
w,io Of the Hon. John W. Chaner,
IHE ruSrRAI.
Mr., lsaac II. Brown, sexton Of Grace Church
VIII have charge Of the funeral Arrangement $
INC remains wore pli ced on Ice YESTERDAY, and
nre t0 he Inferred on Sa urday In Trinity Come
lerN Carmansville, in the family vault, in whicl
the romans OF Mrs. Astot were deposited foul
years ago. The funeral services are to be per
formed Ia Trinity Chapel at 9:l5 A. NJ. by IN,
Rev. DIR. Morgan Dix, the Right Rev Bishop Pot
ter, tue Rev. Dr. HOughton, the Rev. Dr. Hugh
Nj lller Thompson, and the Rev. John ". Moore
Tho pail bearers Will be Thomas W. Ludlow
Albert Gallatn, Charles O'Conor, ex Governor
Gen. John A. Dix, Charles f. Southmayd Dan
1el ID. Lord. William NJ. Eyarts, and the Hon
Oharles 7. DAILY The coffin bears silver plat,
with these words:
.''''''''''''''.....,..',