The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-12-16
WILLIAM n. vAxDERBmr DEAD.
Stricken Down in Hts Own House
white Talking with President
Garrett.
New YORK. December S, 1885.
x.-.t.- III yT-l.-l.l& xx-oe 90 Oh

Il.
en- with apoplexy a few minutes at
ter 2 o'clock this afternoon and diet
almost instantly. He was in the Ii
brary of his residence, on Fifth ave
nue., at the time, ana was sitting II
his easy chair and converslng witt
Mr.. Robert Garrett, president OF the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, ano
ND TO the very moment OF the attack
vas apparently in his usual health
and sririts. Not a hint or q mo
ment's warning did either he or his
family have that his health was in
so precarious a condition. He was
stretched dead on the floor at his
guests feet almost as suddenly as
though his brain had been pierced
by a rifle bullet. Since 1881, when
he suffered shock of paralysis, not
long after the sale of 100000 shares
of New York Central, his health had
been a matter of constant solicitude
with his family, but for several
months recently he had been better
and brighter. He frequently spoke
of the improvement himself and
was often congratulated upon his
hearty appearance. He clung tena-
ciously to life, and often said of late
that bv the time he was sixty-five
he would be rejuvelated and set out
on another long life. He was sixty
four when he died.
The announcement of the sudden
death of William II. Vanderbilt
was received with a shock through
out the whole country. Almost the
first thought was, what will be the
effect on the stock market? Tele-
grams say there was furry, but it
was only momentary, and the mar
ket soon regained its normal tone.
The death ef his father. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, had no material effect on
Wall street prices, and the fact that
William n had not for the pas. two
years taken a speculative interest in
the market. helped to lessen the eff
feet of the shock caused by his sud-
den taking of.
Nanderbilt's last day on earth was
one of the pleasantest and quietest
of his life. Up TO the moment of his
death it was wholly given up to
those domestic pleasures of which
he was especially fond. He rose
early, as was his custom. 1t is said
that when, in bis younger days, he
worked on his Staten Island farm,
he made il practice to rise with the
sun, and be used to say in later life
that be had often arisen at 4 o'clock
to 90 to New York and return to his
breakfast and his pillow at Z. OF
late years he made it a practice TO
leave his bed at z, or not much la
ter, and throughout his increasing
i'll health of the last two winters he
had adhered TO this practice. After
arising yesterday he had held his
usual morning conference with his
sons, Cornelius and William X. who
were the active managers of his rail
road properties, and afterward with
Mr.. +. V. Rossiter, his private secre-
tary and treasurer of the New York
Central Railroad, to whom he en-
trusted large share of the manage
nlent of his private business affairs.
At ii o'clock he went down TO the
study Of j. q. A. Ward, the sculpt-
or, in Fifty-second street, to sit for
bronze bust OF himself, which the
Trustees of the College of Physicians
and Surgeons wished to place in the
yestibule of the college, for the erec-
ton OF which he recently gave $780,
600. He returned and took lunch
at 1870 with his wife, his son
George, and Mr.. Twombly. At the
table be was noticeably bright and
cheerful.
At ! o'clock Mr.. Robert Garrett,
President OF the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad, called at the Vanderbilt
mansion. Mr.. Vanderbilt greeted
him cordially, and they were soon
engaged In an animated conversa-
ton about railroad matters. Mr..
Garrett finally reverted to the scenes
OF his childhood and early work,
contrasting them with the achieve
ments of his older years. He was
sitting in his favorite arm chair and |
the two millionaires were alone to-
gether All at once Mr.. Garrett no. /
ticed slight indistinctness in Mr.. |
Nanderbilt's speech, that grew into |
an inarticulate sound. As he leaned |
over to catch his words Mr.. Wander
bilt pitched forward without word |
of warning and fell heavily on The |
hoor on his face. Mr.. Garrett sprang
to his feet with an exclamation of |
alarm, and seizing pillow from the
sofa laid it under his friends head. |
then summoned Mrs. Vanderbilt, |
and George, the youngest son. Mes
sengers were sent in haste for physi-
clans, One from the neighborhood
responded first, and was followed al |
most Immediately by the family doc
tor, DIR. James w. Mclean. Restor
atives had been hurriedly applied, |
but human aid was in vain. Mr..
Vanderbilt never spoke or moved
after he fell under the sudden stroke
and died within a few minutes with
out a struggle. To all intents and
purposes he was deaG the instanl he
fell forward upon the floor. 1t was
80 O'Clock when DR.. Mclean led
the stricken widow from the room,
Dr. Mclean pronounced bis death
the result of a sudden stroke of par.
alysis, due to the bursting Of large
blood-vessel at the base of the brain
OF the kind that are absolutely fatal
at the moment. He stated that Mr..
Nanderbilt's death was as painless
as II was sudden. The doctor knew
his patient most intimately, and
promptly certified to the cause of
death to coroner's inquest.
Mr.. Vanderbilt. while he had for
two years past been a victim, more
or less, of indigestion, with It's atten-
dant ills and kindred disorders. had
lately, despite the frequent reports
OF his death, been apparently mend
ing. There had been an improve
ment in the general tone of his
health that was particularly noticea-
ble yesterday. On Monday night
he attended the performance in the
Metropolitan Opera House, and /.