New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-02
PRICE THREE CENTS.
| w. W. PHELPSS GREAT LOSS.
HIS SPLENDID MANSION BURNED.
THE ART TREASURES AND BOOKS NEARLY ALL DE-
sTRoYEp-LOss OVER SlOO.OOO

HE AkT IhEAoDkEc AND BOOho AL w
sTROYED-L0ss OVER 100000.
The beautiful mansion Of William Walter
Phelps Tesneck Grange near Englcwood, N. j.,
with its wealth Of valuable paintings and luxun-
Gus equipment, was totally destroyed by fire last
evening. The fire began about haf-past o'clock
in the art gallery, where many masterpieces Of
great painters, living and dead, were stored. A
defective jet caused the escape Of large volume
OF gas into the gallery, and the explosive mixture
of air and gas was ignted by an open CRATE fire.
That whole portion Of the house in flames In
an incredibly short time-so short, in fact, that
Of all the art treasures only two paintings were
saved by q servant
The fire made rapid Roadway and, after leaving
the newer and more valuable portion OF the man.
sion, in ruins spread to the older part. The
attempts Of neighbors and servants to combat the
flames were too feeble to be Of any avail.
by ten o'clock the entire building de-
stroyed Most OF the valuable furniture
moved from the older part OF the house while
the fire ragged in the other wings, but the loss Of
most OF the contents of Mr.. Phelps's library could
not be prevented. Mr. Phelp, was in Washington
at the time, Mrs. Phelps and Miss Phelps being
the only members Of the family at home. They
were taken to n place of safety in neighbor's
house, and remained there during the night. Tho
total loss nearly as could be asccrtained,
over SIC 900, but the value of books and
paintings which cannot be replaced is nestimablc.
DESCRIPTION OF THE HOCsE
Mr. Phcpss house unique there being
nothing like 1t in that neighborhood. It stood
in the centre of large park in the middle or
that great tract of land OF 1,l00 acres which
comprises Tcancck Grange, and extends from
Hackensaclk to the Palisades on the Hudson.
nj fc
than Central Park, has been brought to the high
est state of cultivation, and the place is un-
doubtedly not only one Of the largest, but one OF
the prettiest country seats in the United States
The house itself was a rambling building, be-
tween 200 and 300 feet in length and ranging
from one and half TO three stories in height
The new part was 90 feet long, and constructed
of Palisades bluestone.
The art gallery, in which The fire began. was n
lofty room, built of the same material A large
portion of the rest Of the house was OF Jersey
brOwnstOne, this part including the original Jer-
sey farmhouse which Mr. Phelps bought, and 10
which he made additions. Between the brown
stone wings was wooden potion nearly 100 fcet
On the first floor Of the house library
forty feet square: an office still larger contain
ing Mr.. Phelps's law library and business papers;
a large drawing-room, two or three bed
rooms smoking room, a dinng-room, in
which dinner could be served to thirty or forty-
guests, and the large picture gallery -p,-ntloned
above On the same leNcl, also. III inc olntf wing
WAS series of bedrooms The whole building was
crowded with books en2ravins, souvenirs OF travel
Eastern rugs and all manner of costly decorations
likely to be gathered by traveller OF taste and
means.
GEMS OF THE PICTURE GALLERY.
The picture gallery contained large landscape
painted by Church, of the National Academy, on
a commission given by Mr. Phelpss father, as we'll
as a number Of other examples OF the best Ameri-
can art, together with modern pictures English,
French and German. from the best artists There
was a portrait Of the Emperor Of Austria and
one Of his Prime Minister, both OF which
he left Vienna after resigning the Office OF Min
lister to Austria, Many other pictures in the gai-
lcry related to his life abroad An or'glnal por-
trait Of President Garfield. one of the best in
existence. was an ornament to the collection
Another painting of note portrait OF Cen
cral Grant, seated beside Robert Bonner, driving
Maud s.