Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-11
MIR. VANDERBILTs DEATH.
Some Interesting Details of the Sad
Event-Sketohes of His Life.

Some Interesting Details of the Sad
Event-sketChes of His Life.
The following interesting additional de-
tails regarding the death Of Mr.. William
ID. Vanderbilt are culled from long ac-
counts of his death published in the New
York papers:
Since 1881, when he suffered a shock of
paralysis, not long after the sale Of $780,
900 shares Of New York Central, his
health had been matter of almost con-
slant sOhcitude with his family, but for
several months recently he had been bet
ter and brighter. He frequently spoke Of
the improvement himself, and was often
congratulated upon his hearty appear
ance. He chung tenaciOusly to life, and
often said of late that by the time he was
20 he would be rejuvenateda and set out n
another long life. He was Ga when he
died.
He got up Tuesday morning at his usual
hour, little after s O'Clock, and was I'M
usually bright and animated. He chatted
with his valet Louis while he was dress
ing, and went into breakfast at 8 O'Clock
with keen appetite. He ate heartily,
and then went into his library and busted
himself with some business matters for
! d
! with j. @. A. Ward, the sculptor, at IL
O'Clock, ana few minutes after II he
started on foot for Mr.. Wards studio.
Tuesday was Mr.. Vanderbilts third sit
| ting, his last having been on Saturday of
the week just passed,
SITTING FOR HIS BUST IN THE MORNING.
1t was upon arriving at Mr.. Wards that
| Mr.. Vanderbilt for the first time during
the day showed signs of slight indisposI-
| ton. The artists studio is on the third
floor. and Mr.. Vanderbilt mounted the
stairs somewhat YEARLY. He manifested
more than usual interest in the progress
of the bust, however, and made no COM
plant of feeling i'll. He seemed at times
| dull and drowsy. Mr.. Ward handed him
a particularly fine photograph Of Maud
s., which Mr.. Vanderbilt looked at with
out interest and held languidly in his
hand. Noticing that he was not quite in
his usual health, Mr.. Ward shortened the
sitting from the usual hour to half hour,
and Mr.. Vanderbilt set out for home on
foot, as he had come.
On his arrival at his house all trace of
the languor which Mr.. Ward noticed dis
| appeared, and when he sat down to
| luncheon at 1890, his usual hour, he was
unusually lively and chatty. His wife,
Mr.. and Mrs. TWom 1ly, his daughter and
son-in-laW; his daughter, Mrs. Webb, and
his son George sat at the table with him,
and MIR. Vanderbilt, it was noticed, ate
heartily and with relish. AT luncheon he
| proposed to his son George that they
should take a drive together in the after
noon, and George declining, he asked Mr..
Twombly to accompany him. Mr.. Twom-
bly, had been suffering somewhat from
neuralgia for few days, and was under
orders from his physician not TO expose
himself to the cold air, so he, too, was
obliged to decline.
ssrhen guess will stay at home N.Y.
self" said Mr.. Vanderbilt, good natured-
", and soon after he rose from the table
and went into his library"
Mr.. Garrett arrived at Mr.. Vanderbllts
house about half an hour after Mr.. Van
derbilt had left the luncheon table. He
was at once shown into the library, where
| Mr.. Vanderbilt received him. 1t was
then about 1 AS O'Clock. Mr.. George Van
derbilt, Mr.. Twombly, and the ladies
We're then in the parlor.
DEATH STRICKEN.
Mr.. Vanderbilt and Mr.. Garrett talked
for about half an hour on the relations OF
their respective railroad systems and the
new staten island project Of the Balti-
more and Ohio. The talk having thus
drifted TO Staten island, Mr.. Vanderbilt
smoke of his early manhood there. He
was talking Of the Vanderbilt family
tomb and mausOleum when MIR. Garrett
noticed that his voice became thick and
indjstinct. As stated In the kilograms,
he nitched forward and fell to the floor,
his fall being eased by Dir. Garrett, and
cushion placed under his head. 1t was at
| first thought that 10 was merely faint
ing fit. and that he would soon recover,
and his wife was so informed.
IN PRIVATE LIFE.
In private life Mr.. Vanderbilt was quiet
| and unostentatious. His habits were
simple and methodical. He always re-
tired at an early hour, and breakfasted
before am. He was at his Office before
| most merchants have started from their
homes. when he first moved 10 New
York he liked club life and CLUB dinners,
and used TO spend his evenings at the
Union Club Finding that the late hours
and dinners did not agree with him, he
gave IN the club. and in the latter years
of his life he was always al his home after
business hours. Although fond OF good
living. he was exceedingly temperate In
food ana drink. For years he rarely
tasted wine. He was extremely FOND OF
molasses candy.
| Although in his younger days MI. van
derbllt was rather slender and not very
robust. he grew broader and stouter with
age. and inclined toward corpulency.
MIR. Vanderbips home for many years
was the plain, substantial stone-iront
! house at the southeast corner OF Fortieth
street and Fifth avenue. in 1850 Mr..
Vanderbilt laid the foundation OF the
palace In which be died. IL is on Fifth
avenue. between Fiity-nrst and Fifty
second streets. That aud the con-
nected house OF MS sohIn.
law. MIR. w. ID. sloane. north of
Al. occupy the whole face OF the block
on the west side OF the avenue. Inc
houses are connected by passage WAYS
so hat they can be thrown into one. Mi.
Nauderbiles was the most costly single
house ever erected in New YORK. Inc
outlay for carving. frescong, Decoration
and furnishing, doubled the cost Of u; go
that S5,o0O000 would not cover ~ az =. IN. .hs