The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-12
Simple but Impressive Services at the Sacred
Edifice. Followed BY the Journey to Staten
Island and the Final Interment.
The Passage of the Funeral Procession
Attracts but Few SightseerS.
Sensational Statement that the Fatal Attack
Was Caused by Heated Quarrel with the
President of the Baltimore & Ohio.
THE FUNERAL EXERCISES.


death over the remains of w. II. Vanderbilt
were begun this morning, when the body of the
deceased was removed from the ice-box in
which it had rested since Tuesday, to the coffin
of cedar, covered with black brocade The coffin
was then taken to the bedroom on the east side
of the house. The sun had barely appeared upon
the pinnacles Of st. Patrick's Cathedral before
small groups of people began to gather opposite
the house, and when the Rev Samuel Cook, the
rector of st. Bartholomew Protestant
Episcopal Church, arrived, shortly af-
ter 8 o'clock the groups had
increased to small crowds The crowds were
orderly, and the services of the police were not
needed. AS the hour appointed for the begin
ming OF the home religious services approached,
carriage after carriage drove to the entrance and
deposited the children, the friends most init
mate, and the pall-bearers of the deceased.
Each carriage bore a coachman and footman,
and all of these wore mourning liveries.
Shortly before 9 o'clock the immediate family
looked for the last time upon the face of the
deceased. The services, conducted by the Rev.
Dr. Cooke, were simple and touching consisting
OF prayer and few words of remem brance
and Mrs. Vanderbilt retired to the apartment
which she has occupied since the death of Mr.
Vanderbilt. The coffin raised upon the
shoulders of the undertaker's assistants. and,
preceded by the clergymen and pall-bearers,
borne done the broad staircase, through the cor
ridors ndthrough the open doors, never more
to re-entaf.
At 9A5 AsM the funeral cortege started for
the church, There were no crowds on the
streets through which it passed. and the police
along the line almost outnumbered the sight
seers. AT q quarter past 10 the doors of St.
Bartholomew Church were opened, and the men
bearing upon their shoulders the coffin passed
down the center aisle Preceding the coffin
walked the pail bearers wearing white sashes.
These were Chauncey M. Depew j. Pierrepont
Morgan, Charles Rapallo. William Turnbull,
William Bliss, George I. Magee, G.
NJ Berger, Charles c. Clark, Judge John r.
Brady, W. L. Scott, D. o. Mills and S. w.
Caldwell. The deep tones of the organ sounding
the opening measures of Chopins funeral march
were heard as the procession moved down the
nave of the crowded church The Rev. Dr.
Samuel Cooke, accompanied by his assistant
the Rev. F. w. Clampett, clad in the white robe
of the Episcopal clergy walked in advance of
the solemn procession and read the well-known
lines from the burial service. II am the resur-
rection and the life," etc. Following the coffin
came the members of the Vanderbilt family
headed by Cornelius Vanderbilt and wife. When
the music of the funeral march ended the choir
sang. Lord, let me know my end" After the
simple service for the dead had been read the
choir and congregation united in singing "Near
er, my God, to Thee"
It was ten minutes of II when the doors of the
church again swung backward and the solemn
procession returned to the street. Here carriages
were in waiting to take the coffin and mourning
family and friends to the ferry-boats at the
foot of Forty second street Probably never
within the history of the city of New York have
so many men prominent in the financial world
assembled to do honor to the memory of dead
associate. No one was admitted to the church
except friends Of the family and the representa-
tives of commercial, business educational
bodies. AS natural result there were less
than 100 ladies ADMITTED to listen to the service
Prominent among the business men were the
presidents and heads of departments of all the
nected
The ferry-boa Southfeld, of the Staten Island
line, waiting in the slip at the foot of Forty
second street when the funeral cortege arrived
It was found impossible to accommodate all Of
the carriages, and many were left behind. At
1140 A. NJ the Southfeld, which bore the re-
mains OF the old Commodore to Staten Island,
blew her whistle and started on her trip down
the bay. The passage was devoid of any event.
The boat landed at Clifton S. L. at 1925 P M
and the procession again formed and started to-
ward New Dorp, several miles away. Hun.
dreds of people came from all parts of the island
to see the funeral and on nearly all the hotels
and prominent buildings the flags were sus-
pended at half-mast
1t was after l o'clock when the mournful toll
ing of the bells on the Moravian Church, at New
Dorp, smote the ear. When the cemetery was
reached, the hearse was driven to space in
front OF the temporary receiving vault, and the
casket was removed and placed Immediately in
front of the door of the vault. The pail bearers
divided into two ranks, one on either side. The
spectators stood with uncovered heads,
while Rev. VIM. III. Vosle, pastor of
the Moravian Church, uttered an eloquent
prayer after which Rev Dr. Cooke, rector of
St Bartholomew Church, recited the Episco-
pal service for the dead The casket was then
| carried into the receiving vault, where it was
Theoretically sealed, in the presence of the four
sons of the deceased. When this was done, the
mourners again took their places in the car
riages, and were driven back to Clifton Land
ing. The Southfeld took the mourners back to
New York, arriving about o'clock.
The will of Mr.. Vanderbilt was read after the
funeral. in the presence of the family, but it
decided that its contents should not be made
public until after the document had gone to the
surrogate's Office The will proved to be longer
than had been, generally expected There
the contents of the document, but no trust
worthy details could be obtained. There were
present, besides President Depew and
Judge Rapello, the attorneys. Mr.
Cornelius Vanderbilt and wife, VIM. K
and his wife, George Vanderbilt and the
sons in-law of William Fl. Vanderbil.-H Mex.
Twombly, William Sloan and DR.. Seward Webb
with their wives Judge Rapello, it is believed,
drew the instrument, as he had drawn the old
Commodore's will. 1t was an hour before
the reading was finished, or little after
8 o'clock All of the formalities of the
was taken charge of by Judge Rapello. to be de-
hvered into the hands of the executors named.