Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-12-17
HOW HE MET DEATH.
Vanderbilt's Last Conversation.

road to this city, and the changes it
would make on Staten Island. Mr. Gar
rett thinks that it was nearly 2:30 o'clock
when he noticed change in Mr. Vans
derbilts tone, and he had to lean for
ward to bear him. As he did so he no.
ticed that his mouth was twitching, and
that his face had grown pale, and that
he was trying in vain to speak. Before
he could realize the awful change, Mr
Vanderbilt made an effort to rise from
the chair, but fell forward and right in
to Mr. Garrett's arms. The latter caught
him before he fell to the floor, but could
not hold him, and had to lay him on the
rug by the side of the table, in front OF
the fire place. He was dead.
The servants and the family were
summoned at once and messengers sent
for the nearest physicians. Mrs Van
derbit and George, the only members of
the family in the house, hastened to the
study, and soon afterward the family
group was complete, with the exception
of the dead mans daughter, Mrs Elliott
F Shepard. and her husband.
DEATH FROM PARALYSIS.
DR. Miller, who WAS tGe first to arrive
applied restoratives i'll vain, for there
was not the slightest sign Of life. He
wis satisfied that death had been in
Simultaneous, and in this opinion was sus,
tained by the family physician, DR. Nc
Lean, who arrived shortly afterward
The latter informed Mrs Vanderbilt that
her husbands death was the result of a
sudden stroke of paralysis, 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 sta,
ted that Mr. Vandarbilt's death was as
painless as it was sudden. The doctor
knew his patient most intimately. and
promptly certified to the cause of death
As soon as it was ascertained beyond
doubt that Mr. Vanderbilt was dead, the
men servants were summoned and help
ed to carry the body up stairs to the bed
room he had occupied in life.
Mr. Vanderbilt, while he had for two
years past been victim, more or less
of Indigestion, with its attendant ills
and kindred disorders, bad lately, despite
the frequent reports of his death, been
apparently mendiug. There had been
an improvement in the general tone OF
his health that was particularly noticea.
bic yesterday, and it was remarked that
he was more than usually vivacions. The
deceased leaves eight children-Co
us, aged about 40; VIM K, SO or 81
Frederick w, so or 32; George W, 23
Mrs Elliott F Shepard, Mrs VIM d
Sloan. Mrs Hamilton Mex. Twom0ly
and Mrs Seward Webb.
HIS LIFE AND NOTABLE ACTIONS.
VIM II Vanderbilt was born 10 New
Brunswick, n J, on May s, 1921; receiv,
ed an ordinary education in the Colum
bia College grammar school, where ht
proved an average scholar. He went tc
work in the banking house of Dean, Rob
inson & Co, in Wall street, and by his
energy changed his fathers opinion to q
more favorable one of his sons abilities
From this point on he gradually grew il
the Commodore's estimation and in May
1877, was left almost the entire fortune
amassed by his father
The gifts made by W H Vanderbilt tc
various objects have been of princely
nature. He gave the city S15O,OO0, that
it conld bring the obelisk to Central
Park, and gave poor Gorringe $4,000 as
a gift. and in the same year-18So he
gave 100000 to found the theological
school at Vanderbilt University, al
Nashville, originally endowed by his
father. Last year he gave 100000 fol-
the land on which to build for school
of medicine under the auspices of the
College of Physicians and Surgeons, and
100000 more for the building. The of.
fer to cancel the mortgage given by Gen
Grant to secure the loan of $15O,OOO tC
the latter, is we'll remem bered.
Mr. Vanderbilt was, it is thought, rich
er than any single member of the Roths.
child family. The Duke of Westminster
is said to be worth S2OO,OOO,OOO, but Nj
Vanderbilt was richer, because the
Dukes money only pays him about 8
per cent, being mainly in lands and
houses. Mr. Vanderbilt had a much
larger income. Last year he held $54,
100000 of per cent bonds, and later be
reduced this amount To S35,000,O00. His
Government bonds we're worth almost
S75,000.000. He valued his Fifth ave
nue. residence at S3.O90,O0O. His ordi
nary household expenses were 100000
a year. In 1884 he gave bali that cost
$4,000. He loved horses and was g
good judge of horse flesh. He sold
Maud S for $4,000. Although his for
tune sbrank materially through decline
in stocks and through business depres
sion. the bull movement of the past few
months brought it up again.
His income was calculated as follows
S2,232,O0O a year from Government
bonds, $7,394,OOO frem railroad stocks
S6T6,695 from miscellaneous securities
total, over SlO.OOO,OOO year. S2S,OOO d
day, 81, 200 All hour, or S19 10 a minute
He made no ostentatious display of his
wealth and was charitable, although in
this he bad to be quiet, or ne would have
beed overrun with imposters.