Huntsville gazette., 1886-09-11
GRAND MAUSOLEUha.

The Structure Erected by the Vanderbilt
Family on staten Island.
New Dorp consists of roadside inn,
two houses, lot of well-laid out
streets through the meadows without
any houses on them and the Moravian
cemetery. There are a good many
more people in the latter than in New
Dorp and their houses are much more
fashionable in appearance. There is
also near the station the driving park
of defunct jockey club, wherein, ON
my visit, dozen sportsmen were vio-
lating the law by shooting at live
pigeons. 1t is long half mile to the
cemetery over the dusty country road.
just within the entrance the visitors
attention is at once attracted by cost
ly but unmarked tomb, by the side of
which a man is sitting. If it is very
warm he may be under the tree across
the driveway, but he does not stir out
of sight of the tomb. He is one of
Pinkerton's detectives, and the mas
sive unmarked door is closed upon the
remains of William II. Vanderbilt In
little niche. on the side of the tomb is
a clock and an electric annunciator.
When the sentinel desires relief or for
any other reason needs the presence of
his comrades, he touches the knob and
a loud bell peals forth in a little cottage
at the top of knoll just within the gates
and about a hundred feet distant from
the tomb. Night and day the lonely
watch is kept, and it will not be aban-
dOned until the bones of the million
aire rest in the house prepared for
them at the summit of the hill. Should
ghouls meanwhile attempt to disturb
them, the electric warning will bring
four stalwart men from the cottage to
their defense.
From the entrance smooth, hard
road winds its way among the little
hills of the burying- ground, always
ascending until the northern boundary
is reached. 1t is barren place, re-
lieved by few trees other than
those transplanted there by indi-
viduals to beautify the last resting
place of their friends Just before
arriving at the summit of the hill the
great tomb comes upon the view. The
first impression is that the structure is
grandly appropriate. The most ignor-
ant person could not mistake its pur-
pose.@1t is not built, as chapel
might be, at the very top of the hill; it
is like ordinary tombs in that the space
for vaults was made by excavation, but
the fabric has been erected so that its
top is several feet higher than the hill
top. ,. sd. 81. ~ a-s
The general outlines of the front are
those of triangle about sixty feet at
the base and thirty feet from base to
apex. There is an absence on the ex-
terror of striking ornamentation, no
pillars even being employed to uphold
the gable roofs of the three porches.
Rectangular blocks of white granite are
the principal elements in the compost
ton. The central porch extends sew
eral feet further front than the others
and is the main entrance of the vaults.
A semi-circular flight of stone steps
leads to beautiful bronze door or
gate, through which one could look di-
rectly into the main chambers were it
not for a large iron screen behind it.
Back of this massive and singularly
harmonious front is a simple mound of
earth. The soil of the island is reddish
brown clay. The mound has the same
dull tint and will i'll accord with the
granite structure until it has been
grassed over by a skilled gardener. On
the top of the mound are two turrets,
projecting more than fifty feet above
the surface and at least ten feet in di-
ameter each. They are capped with
cone-shaped domes of the finest Quincy
granite. Their purpose is to admit
light to the chamber below and one
can look through the bronzed guarded
windows to the marble floor. The
shanties occupied by the stone cutters
are still standing about the tomb and
there is general appearance of litter
in the vicinity. The workmen have
gone away, but guard remains in the
person of a hite-whiskered old man,
who whiles away the time from seven
o'clock in the morning until sunset
Cor. Philadelphia Times.