Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-09
DEATH OF VIM. III. VANDERBILT
Expiring Suddenly while Talking to
Mr. Robert Garrett.


residence in Filth avenue, New York, at half
past o'clock yesterday afternoon, while talk
ing to Mr.. Robert Garrett, president of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad. During the
morning Mr.. Vanderbilt seemed as well as
usual. and attended to business Towards noon
he went down town TO the studio OF ]. @. A
Ward, the sculptor, In west SD street, to sit for
a bronze bust OF himself, which the trustees of
the College Of Physicians and Surgeons wished
TO place in the vestibule of the college, tor the
erection of which he recently gave half a million
OF dollars. He returned and took lunch at
12-3o with his wife, his son George, and Mr..
Twombly, and at the table was noticeably
bright and cheerful.
Al O'Clock Mr.. Robert Garrett, the president
OF the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, called upon
Mr. Vanderbilt Mr.. Vanderbilt greeted him
cordially and engaged in a long and animated
conversation with him about railroad matters.
The conference lasted more than an hour The
two railroad magnates were discussing the new
terminal facilities of the Baltimore and Ohio,
the new inlet into the city il had secured by
way of Staten Island, and Sir. Vanderbilt took
a lively interest in the results that were To
follow tor the island OF his birth from the new
enterprise.
IL was while the talk turned upon this that
olr. Garrett, sitting on n sofa and facing the
niliionaire-who leaned forward in his chair,
as he was in the habit of doing when thorough H.
ly Understanding the president OF the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad company was suddenly
made aware Of a slight indstinctness in Mr.
Eanderbilts speech that grew into an inarticu-
late sound.
As ne leaned over to catch his words, Mr. Van
derbiit pitched forward without word or warn
ing, and fell heavily to the floor on his face. Mr.
Garrett sprang to his feet with an exclamation
OF alarm, ana selzlng pillow rom the SOFA
laid IL under his friends head, and then sum-
moned Ars Vanderbilt and George, the young a-
physicians. One from the neighoOrhood
responded first, and was followed almost imIne-
d1ateIy by the family doctor Dr. James W !.
Mclean. Such simple resIOrativeS as were at
hand had been hurriediy applied, but human
aid was in vain Mr. Vanderbilt never spoke or
m oh of no fell mn 6pr q SIlf
died within "a few minutes, without n struggle.
To all intents and purposes he was dead the
instant he fell upon the floor.
DIR. Mclean pronounced his death the result
of sudden stroke of paralysis, due to the burst
ing of large blood vessels 1T the base of the BRAIN
and of the kind that are absolutely fatal at the
moment, and stated that his death was AS pain
less as it was sudden The doctor knew his
patient most Intimately, and promptly certified
to thecause OF death tn avoid the unnecessary
fOrmality of n coroner's inquestand an autopsy
The body was removed To the bed room Mr.
Vanderbilt had occupied in life Mrs. Wander
bit was Frustrated with grief was the sons
and other members OF the l;lInily at the sad and
sudden intelligence.
Ii is said that the dead millionaire had a super
stitiOn that if he lived beyond the age OF 90, he
would be good for twenty years more. He
would have been 10 on May Sth next. He had
made a viii, but its provisions are not yet
known The funeral will be held on Friday, at
10 o'clock, from st. BarthOlemew's church.
Madison avenue and 44th street The inter-
I ment Will be in the vanderbilt, HKiily manso-
!enm, just completed. in the MoIaSian ceme-
THE RICHEST MAN IN TIE WORLD.
Mr.. Vanderbilt was generous in his impulses,
democratic in tastes; richer than any single
member of the RothschiId family. The Duke
OF Westminster is said to- be worth S20000O-
900, but Vanderbilt was richer, because the
dukes money only pays him about two per
cent. Ii is mainly in lands and houses. Vaa-
derbilt had a much larger income. He was the
richest man in the world Last year he held
So4,oOO,ooO OF lour per cent bonds. ana later
he reduced this amount to S35,0OO,0OO of gov
eminent three and a bali per cents. His gov
eminent bonds were worth almost 5000, 900.
At one time he owned 2iO,OO0 shares OF Mich
1gan Central, 800 900 shares OF Northwestern
and 100000 shares of Lake Shore. He is said
to have SOLD considerable Lake Shore lately In
addition he had 1000 Chicago and Rock
Island. 10000 Delaware and 1Iackawanna and
about 10000 sharc; in other Railroads, making
in all about SGU,OOO shares ol railway stock;
also, S22,OOJ,OOO worth OF railroad bondS; So
100000 of state and ely hoaGis. and S.,.OOO,O0U
III various muanuilc: uTiDr stock and mort
cages. He valued his house ON 9th avenue. with
Its art treasures. at S:i.OOO.0OO. His ordinary
household expenses were S2U0-U0U year. In
1851 he gave ball that CO.'S $4,000. He loved
horses, and was good Judge oi horse flesh. He
sold Maud :. tor S4J.0U0.
Although his fortune shrank last year ma
terialy through n big decline in stocks and
through business depression. the bull move
ment OF the past few months brought it up
again His income WAS calculated as follows:
S23l2,0OO q year from government bonds,
1881 900 from railroad stocks, S576695 from
miscellaneous securities, total, 81 10000
81 -
or Sle. % "A minute lie made no ostentatious
display of his wealth, and WAS charitable
although in this he had to be- quiet OF he would
have been oyerrun by imposters. He was
shrewder in business than many supposed he
was He knew enough to sell 2oO.oU0 shares
OF New York Central live years ago at 20 and
buy governments at par.
THE yANDERBILT RAILROAD SYSTEM
The Vanderbilt railroad system Will be man.
aged and owned as heretofore. The SONS will
manage the estate Oh the properties, all OF which
are here. the same as il the master hand was
still at the helm. No connection in financial
circles need result. Mr. Vanderbilt had long
ago abandoned the street and the stock market
He owned no real estate as investment. Like
the commodore. ne had no faith i'm real estate
but believed that, for men in active affairs. it
was the correct thing to invest in properties
that could be turned into money Instantly if
needed He had, beside, a theory which he used
10 express in words to this effect: that real estate
was really owned by the municipality: the
owners were really only tine tenants
1t was generally said by financers in New
York last night that the death OF Vanderbilt
would cause NO serious disturbance in the stock
market.
SKETCH OF vANDERBILT's CAREER.
Born at New Brunswick, y. j., in 1921,
William H. Vanderbilt began his business
career at tine age of Is in n Wall street bankin,
house. He left there two years later owing to
i'll health, and engaged in the cultivation OF an
unimproved farm on Staten Island. During
some years following he tOiled as hard as any
farmer ever did. He went To the fields before
sunrise and was still there at sunset.
His nrst experience a. a railroad man was as
receiver of the Staten Island Railroad COMPANY
This Is only a short road, but the company was
overwhelmed with debt and embarraSsrnents
Mr.. Vanderbilt displayed remark able efficiency
and business talent in the management: of AZ
fairs. He paid off the debts. connected the road
with New York by an independent ferry and
placed IL upon a secure financial basis. Then he
became president of the road.
In 1864 William III. vanderbilt was elected
vice president of the New York and Harlem
railroad company, and the following year of the
Hudson River railroad company. He now
entered fully upon his career - a railroad man
During the entire subsequent life OF Commt-
dore Vanderbilt his son William was his conf
dant and chief reliance and agent in every
thing. The Harlem railroad, which was
bankrupt when the Vanderbilts became its
owners, was made one of tine best-equipped and
River railroad was trebled in value, and In
soiidated, making a corporation with ninety
millions OF capital. William ii. Vanderbilt
was named In the articles of incorpora-
ton as vice president and executive officer
Upon the death of Commodore Wander
bilt William inherited the chief part of
his estate, amounting to something in the
neighborhood OF one hundred millions. II
was principally in railroad bonds and stocks
The Will was unsuccesstully contested by some
members OF the family. William I'll. Wander
bilt was soon elected To his fathers positions i'm
the different railroad companies. and from that
time has held the controlling interest. In order
To divide his great responsibility he not long
since sold stock To the extent of fifty millions