, 1884-06-04
COSTLY M~AUSOLEUMS.
for tho King OF Terrors-
Catncombs OF the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
pie Evidence That the
full Men OF business Have
Thought OF Death.

ENtn u SUM-
No name appears on the most costly and
striking mausoleum in Woodlawn cemetery.
The structure is in Central avenue, on the
highest elevation in the grounds, and COM
mands a view of the entire 400 acres of the
cemetery. Tho circular plot, $50 feet in
diameter, in which 1t stands, cost $50, 900.
The mausoleum, exclusive OF the ground,
$4,000. 1t is n model, eXtoriorly, of the
Pantheon, the most famous OF the wonderful
buildings that once stood in tho Acropolis in
Athens. 1t is thirty-sevon feet in length and
nineteen feet in width. 1t is constructed Of
Westerly granite, surrounded by thirty Doric
pillars The solid bronze door cost s., 600.
The roof is composed Of five pieces of solid
granite, each piece thirty feet in length and
six feet in width-rare products of the
quarry. The total amount of stone used was
800 tons.
H C~ATAcoMBs.
The open door reveals an aisle ten fest in
width, at the end of which Is an ornate
stained-glass window, representing tho
heavenly choir, through which a soft, mellow
Light pours upon the interior like the subdued
light OF a cathedral. There arc twelve cata-
combs, six on each side of the aisle, arranged
for the reception of one body each. Each
catacomb is eight feet in length and two feet
and n half in depth. The face of each cata-
comb is n heavy slab of polished marble.
The colors Of the slabs vary. Some nre
native stone, and some imported; all are
costly. Heavy bronze handles are embedded
in each stone. The ceiling OF the vault is Of
polished marble. The owner positively re-
fused to have his name appear anywhere on
the exterior of the building. This Is the
elnborite provision which has been made by
Jay Gould for tho disposition of his body
after his death.
That mausoleum Is only one of very many
instances where w~ell-known living mon have
made careful provision for death. Indeed,
there is not one of the many beautiful Gene
tories of New York and vicinity that does
not contain evidence that the busiest men
have thought OF death, and have made
ample preparations, so us to be certain that
their wishes in the matter shall DO carried
out, oven going SO far as to, in mnny cases,
bequeath money to the cemetery authorities
in trust, TO DO used for the care of their
places of burial. Very near to Jay Goulu's
plot is that of his business associate and
friend, Washington f. Connor. Next to
that is the mausoleum plot Of II. IL. Cook,
the millionaire, who owns the striking
granite mansion at Seventh-eiShth street and
Fifth avenue and n residence at Newport.
Mr.. Cool paid 10000 for his plot, and has
contracted for his mausoleum-
ToMBs OF NOTE.
On Chapel hill, close by the receiving
tomb, is the mausOleum of Henry A. Hurl-
but, the well-known banker and fnancier,
one of the directors of the Equitable Life
Assurance society. Mr.. Hurlbut's mauso-
leum is a more modest structure thnn Mr..
Gould's, but similar in style of architecture.
1t has two columns on each side of the mass
i've doors. 1t is of white Italian polished
marble, and the interior is lighted, like Mr..
Gould's, with stained-glass windows. 1t is
near the burial place of belong. William
F. Havemeyor after holding u beautiful plot
in Greenwood many years, finally removed
the family plot to Woodlawn, where there il
a plot set apart on Beechlawn. In the GEN.
ter of the plot is a figure of Hope, eight feet
in height, mounted on a pedestal rising thirty
feet high from n base nine feet square. Sew
eral family plots hive been removed to
Woodlawn from other cemeteries.
Although the late Commodore Vanderbilt
made no preparation for his grave except to
own n very modest lot In tho small cemetery
at New Dorp, Staten Island, some of his
descendants will hav3 prominent places
among the noted persons who have bought
at Woodland. His grandson, Cornelius Van
derbilt, has u very snowy plot at the junction
of Central and Poplar avenues. His daughter,
Mrs, Horace II. Clarke, has n plot near the
receiving vault. His sons-in-law, George
Osgood and d. b. Allen, also own plots in
tho cemetery. Opposite Cornelius Wander
bits plot is one owned by William II. Ap-
pleton, tho publisher. Adjoining 1t is tho
plot of A. II. Barney, who lives in Park ave-
nue.. The late Frederick Buttorfield, long
before his death, expended SIC, 900 in the
purchase Of n lot and the building of a maui
soleum Mt Woodlawn. Christian Herter, Of
Herter Brothers, has a mausoleum Of
Westerly granite.