The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-13
PALACES ron the VANDERBILTs
Tct More Costly structures TO Adorn the
Central Park Region.

Centfni Eark Region.
Opposite tho Roman Catholic Orphan
Asylum for Boys in Fifth avenue. between
Fifty-nrst and Fiity-socond streets. moro than
n hundred lnborors are Mt work with picks and
shoyels and noisy steel drills. excavating for
the foundations Of W. II. Vandcrbilts mansion
II IL said that no home In New York will com
pare with this great structure after It's compile
ton. Although tho laborers have been busy for
more than u month, It is not yet decided wha,
style Of edincc shall cover the ground. Mr..
John b. Shook. the architect. will not be able to
complete his plans until Mr.. yanderbilts re-
turn from Europe-probnbly on Saturday next
The great mansions Of London and Paris will
undoubtedly have made upon tho mind Of the
Railroad King Impressions OF things to copy
Fifth avenue. Just above Fftieth street. has
worn n ragged look since the ground was
broken for the now Cathedral. more than two
probably soc IL finished. The Fifth avenue
front ~ the Vanderbilt block is enclosed by
hands Of street sign COMPANY. II fairy
blazes with gay notices Of the cigarettes. cham
pagnes and other commodities that wealth and
nue. fence Around the Fifty-nrst street corner
steam engine puis and trenches all day long.
pipes b. the rock drills that pound aud grind
blast holes into the rock. Only Il narrow hump
Of the rock remains. NJ this is covered by the
mover before disturbed. Every half hour Il
blast IL prepared, and the powder man. using
the rocky mound for his rostrum. shouts down
10 the shovelerS the barrow men. and others
behind MIN thnt he Is nbont TO light n fuse.
Then all me men run FOR FLU avenue. Rcd
ilies on long poles are caught up by some OF
the flying work men who run with these signals
up ana down Firth avenue and the cross streets
TO warn the drivers OF vehicles. The powder
man. holding u long torch Mt arms length.
llghts u ,tnse wherever q blast has been IRE
r"mend6ms Near ri the blast the e rock is c rum
hl,d. and rents are made many yards into the
In a few days tho contractor will turn the
ground over tn the mason. The contract calls
foran excavation Of eight or ten feet only and
the mason argues from this hat there will bn
10 cellar nut merely IA English has ment.
There nre to be two houses and with their
POUNDS ,tl'yy WI ,,9,c,c,upy exactly hall H.
space u IS Sct 5 BY rs The other budns
nss being intended for Mr. Yanderbilts
dnughlers. Mrs. william d. Sloane and
Mrs. Elliott, F, shepard. The other married
nv'uGc. two blocks further up town, The
struMur" that y to be the dwelling Of the two
Nr vaadrrbts ba as WITT Viii b. '3 ,tn fc ut
shorter. II will be near tho Fity-second
bctweeu il T'' and Mr. vanGderbits h SSE
mud wider space in front AMI brhind and
north und south 81 both edhces. II is said that
stab es should be erected upon II, but however
TINT may he. Mr.. Vanderbilt Is putting up a big
stable block away from his new house. at
Madison avenue and Flity-second street. Three
houses hive hnrn torn down to make room for
IL. IL will be Is feet wide by 100 feet deep, and
E. contain 9o ring fer sTcrTTsin,s t99 fst
not exercise them himself on Tho Rond. The
stable ot the old Commodore in Fourth street
contained "A track OF this kind. and was Of about
the size OF his new stable. II is used by tie
tommodorc's widow for her carriage horses.
Mr.. Nnndrrhit's stable behind the house he
lives in covers a city building LOT only and is
too small for it, owners rapidly ncreas ing stud.
Imme lint"ly above the scene OF operations
Tor Mr.. Nandrrhilt's house and the dwellings
Tor his daughters, there is another high aud
guudy fence. and more workmen ARE employed
NJ eXcavatiug. This Is on the northwest corner
OF Fiiiy-second street. where Mr., w. X, Van
derhilt, a son Of Mr.; W. IL. Vanderbilt, viii
build n large and costly mansion. Mr. Hunt is
the architect He has made many plans. but
Mr. vanderbilt has not yet decided upon any
one. Tho excavation ordered is 100 feet wide
on the avenue and l25 feet deep; but this in
cln,l" wide arra in front and on the sides.
| and wide vaults Ia the rear,
The upper half Of the Fifth avenue block Is
not sold but behind It mansions arc going MP
Tor L. y. Grow. 7. T. Moran. and n Mr.. Kelly
| Conspicuous among the n"ighhors Mr.. Van
erhllt md his son and daughters will have Hre
y d. Babcock. President Of tho SouingtOn
Stenmhont Company and Mr.. SchiefIelin. the
wealthy druggist.
,.Sull further up the avenue Mr. Cornelius
Vanderbilt has bought Mr. John Bigrlow'.
house on the northwest corner Of Fifty-sevrnth
street and FINN avenue. and Mr. Louis Loril-
nrds house adjoining on the avenue These
| the architect who designed tho house that is to
he built on this corner. A few minor changes
are 10 be made in his design before II is com
plrtnd. Those who have seen the design say il
Will br the handsomrst house in tho avenue if
th" other Nandcrhilts do not build still finer
structures. The lot measures IS feet by 100
feet Mrs Paran Stevens, gregt house is op-
posito ON one corner. and Mrs Mason-Jones's
on the other corner.