Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-26
A PALACE In ASHES.
Vanderbilt's Grand Newport Villa
Now a Blackened Ruin.
THE LOSS PUT AT OVER 100000
Not Counting the Costly Tapestries and
Rric-a-rrac nevoured.
NOTHING SAVED WORTH MENTIONING

NEWPORT, R. l., Nov. 25.-"The
Breakers" the elegant and costly summer
residence of Cornelius Vanderbilt, is to-
night smouldering mass of ruins. Black
ing and crumbling walls of brick and heaps
of ashes are all that now remain of the
palatial villa, which for years has been
numbered among Newport's largest and
finest residences. The fire also destroyed
all the valuable contents of the villa, in
cluding furniture, bric-a- -brac, wearing ap-
parel and rare and costly articles of every
description.
The fire was discovered by Mr.. Wander
bilt himself about 4:3O P. NJ. the smoke
being seen in the main hall. A telephone
message was sent to the city, and still
alarm was sent in, Mr.. Vanderbilt thinking
at that moment that the fire was slight and
easily within control. A few minutes suf-
feed to show this to be serious mistake,
and within two hours the building and con-
tents were totally destroyed,
The villa was located at Ochre Point,
nearly one and half miles from the near
est fire station. Before an alarm could be
sent out and the apparatus reach the scene
the fire was far beyond control, and all that
could be done was to stay rather than check
the work of destruction. The entire de-
partment was called out. but the progress of
the flames could not be stopped.
Mr. Vanderbilt himself stated In the early
stages of the fire that in his opinion nothing
could be done to save his property. The
whole building was roaring furnace from
the roof to the ground and from end to end,
save the servants quarters in the
north end, when the department
arrived. A portion of the furniture
was saved, seeming large in itself, but in
significant either in quantity or value when
compared with that sacrificed. What was
taken out was the least valuable of all, and
not much of that, while all the rich tapes
tries, rare paintings, valuable bric-a-brac
and elegant decorations and furnishings of
every sort were beyond rescue.
The house was built about dozen or
Is years ago for P. Lorillard, of New York,
and was purchased, with the extensive
grounds. bv Mr.. Vanderbilt in 1885. More
than 100000 was expended in additions
and Improvements to the building, the
value of which was estimated at more than
half that sum at the time of sale. 1t was
of irregular shape, about 100 by go feet in
size, from one to three stories in height, the
lower part of brick and the upper of wood,
with numerous towers and gables. The
character of the furniture and decorations
may be judged from the fact that in single
hall were hung tapestries estimated to be
worth $50, 900 or more. Members of the
family and servants alike lost all their
clothing in the general destruction. The
loss Will foot up $500, 900, not counting the
decorations.
The family found temporary refuge in the
rda Nv
give no accurate estimate of his loss, which,
however, he stated was largely covered by
insurance, placed through New York
brokers. The silver, jewels and other valu-
ables of like nature were placed in the
safes by the servants and are probably all
right. Nearly every residence in the
vicinity of to-day's blaze represents, with
its contents and surrounding grounds, hun
dreds of thousands of dollars.