The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-13
VANDERBILT,S ASHES.
The Tomb at New Dorp, and What 1t Costs
to Guard 1t.

The Tomb at New Dorp, and What 1t Costs
to Guard 1t.
New York Star.
Following the red-clay road one passes pond
whore the shouting and unbridled youth of New
Dorp are skating. having come out to the grave
yard for a holiday. And when it dark
they will light fire on the pond and chase one
another about in the shadows The road winds
about through gaunt and spectral trees, like a
road in Dante. When one walks long way he
climbs to the top of a hill-not a very high one
and here he sees the stony face of sepulcher.
1t is as big as little church in side street. and
its facade is like that of Italian church of the
time preceding the renaissance. Its front has
three Roman arches, with three doorways. and
three sets of bronze gates quite wonderful in
their way, for each gate is piece, and the
seeming rivets in IL are counterfeit. Beyond
the bronze gates is the vestlbule, with walls and
columns of polished marble, and it opens into
the inner sepulcher by great door which is
hidden by heavy cloth screen. The front of
the sepulcher is Quincy granite, and the stones
have been discolored by iron, which the rain has
dissolved and washed out on their surface.
There two stone cDpolas on top with
Chinese look They are the lanterns" and
have glass Sides protected by a network of
bronze, for admitting light into the tomb in the
daytime. They do not give out light at night.
All the sepulcher. excepting the facade, is
covered By bare earth, which makes either side
of the tomb look like railroad cut. People say
that it cost half million. and other people guess
the sea- and sees all the ships that are blown here
and all that go away. 1t viii behold the com
merce of New York for centuries. Only
. stones throw away from it is lighthouse,
which sends it's rays over the ocean every night
A park is TO be laid out and built around the
tomb.
The first thing one discovers on approaching
the Vanderbilt tomb is not the sepulcher itself,
but the men who guard it. There are four of
them, and they are Pinkerton detectives They
hay IN
derbilt WAS buried, and have now kept up their
vigil year. They have been by his tomb day
and night, in winter and summer, in storm and
rain and snow. They occupy little hut about
fifty yards in front of the sepulcher. and watch
an shifts of six hours each. Two are ALWAYS on
duty. They are heavily armed, and would give
any body of grave robbers a sensational recep-
ton. Two lamps in glass and tin reiectors are
placed on the steps of the sepulcher every even
ing, and all night they illuminate the ground in
front of it. detective goes to the door and to
the two lanterns on tho roof every fifteen min
utes, night and day. and records his visit to each
place on register. When it rains ard thunders
nd lightens in the sky he wears a gum oyercoat
and gum shoes, and he always carries mis- revolv-
er and lantern: No one has ever yet attempted
to disturb the tomb. 1t is supposed that it will
be watched for a century or more.
The coffin of William Fl. Vanderbilt was re-
moved to it Friday. The millionaire's remains
were taken from the receiving vault Of the GEM
etery and placed in underwriters wagon-not
a hearse-and were followed to their last abid-
ing place by his three in a carriage Four
Pinkerton detectives accompanied the wagon
The coffin was taken into the new sepulcher. the
minister at New Dorp conducted brief service
and then the casket slid into a niche in the
crypt. and slab was placed in front of it It is
the only tenant of the sepulcher. which has six
large crypts and will accommodate $50 tenants
more.
Said one of the villagers at New Dorp "It
must cest 80 700 year to guard the remains of
William H. Vanderbilt. He costs as much dead
as Ave families cost living. AT Rome there is a
tomb nearly 1000 years old and in it is the dust
of the man who fought at Cannes and the dust
of the man who took Carthage The tomb of the
Vanderbts NAV last as long the tomb of the
Sclpos, and 1000 years hence some man, to
whom are the ancients. may pause at the
crumbling walls of the Vanderbilt tomb and ask
whose dust lies there, and they will say "A rich
mans'n