The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-12-20
A PALATIAL HOME.
FINEST PRIVATE RESIDENCE IN
THE WORLD.
II Is In Course of Erection by Cor
nelius Vanderbilt in New
York, and VIII Cost
SJ,OOO,OOO.
y oRNELIUs vANDERBILTs

" west corner of Fifth avenue
and Fifty-seventh street, is so
far completed, says New York letter
in the New Orleans Picayune, that it
is in the hands of the decorators and
finishers. This particular Vanderbilt
house will be, il is asserted, the hand
sor-est and costliest private residence
in the world. It's frontage on Fifth
avenue extends from Fifty seventh to
Fifty eighth street, giving it an out
look on Central Park. In order to
acquire this frontage Mr.. Vanderbilt
had to pay $3.50, 900 for single lot
on the corner of Fifty eighth street
and the Avenue and tear down a house
that would have sold for 5000, 900.
His new mansion completed will repre-
sent an outlay of Mt least S5, 900, 900,
but intelligent workingmen, instead of
crying out against him for his vast
wealth, commend him for aifording so
many steady employment during the
hard times. 1t is not forgotten that
he has been constant in his endeavors
TO ameliorate the condition of the work
ing classes ever since he came into his
fortune of over 800, 900, 900.
The architecture of the new house is
Spanish. II is built of gray stone.
with red trimmings, and has turrets,
battlements, towers and window veran-
das in great variety The conserva-
tory, which is Mrs. yanderbilt's
especial pride, is lighted by court and
by long windows on Fifty-seventh
street. Part of it has glass roof, and
is not built up overhead, the court be-
ing large enough to give the exotics all
the sunshine they require. Many rare
plants will be brought to the conserva-
tory from the Breakers, the Newport
home of the family, and many others
from over the ocean.
The ballroom is larger than any two
other private bathrooms in New York,
is to be decorated in green and gold,
and the ceiling will be beautifed by
celebrated artists, both American and
foreign. The decorations of this one
room will cost about 100000. The
side walls, left comparatively bare,
will be covered with flowers on the oc-
casion of grand entertainments. A
well-known florist estimates the cost of
the floral decorations for ball, n
screen of flowers about the room and a
flight of swallows, at $4,000. Mrs. Van
derbilt will not, it is understood, draw
upon her conservatory for such enter
tainments. The chandeliers in the
ballroom are crystal, and in the form
of flowers, in the hearts OF which cleo
trio lights will glow.
There are in the mansion about 100
rooms. Miss Vanderbilt, the daughter
of the house, has suite of her own,
including a boudoir, sleeping room,
maids room, breakfast room and little
parlor. For family use there is a pri-
vate dining-room only large enough to
accommodate twenty persons. In the
great banquet hall there will be seats
for one hundred guests.
It is stated that more money has
been spent on the plumbing of the
house than on any other one feature.
Since the death of her son from
typhoid fever, eighteen months ago,
Mrs. Vanderbilt has been very nervous
about sewers and sewer gas, and every
possible precaution has been taken to
prevent any invasion of the latter
The bathtubs are of decorated porce-
lain, and the floors of all the bath
rooms are exquisitely tiled. The fsu-
Gets are very ornamental and prac-
tically perfect system of drainage has
been introduced. The bathing facili-
ties include marble swimming bath
Mrs. @. p. Huntington has one Of
these in her house, and takes q dip
daily in it. 1t is freshly filed with
water every time she uses it at q cost
of SIT. The Vanderbilt swimming
bath is larger and will doubtless be
more expensive.
Mr.. Vanderbilt is naturally unos-
tentatious and domestic in his tastes
He has never figured very prominently
rs society man. This season, how
ever, his daughter is to make her
social debut, and that is undoubtedly
the paramount reason why he has been
anxious to have his new house COM
pleted. Miss Vanderbilt's parents will
give her a grand coming-out ball,
which is quite likely to eclipse in pro-
portion and magnificence any similar
affair of the kind in the history oi
New York. Mr.. Vanderbilt will have
for his nearest neighbors Ex-Secretary
William G. Whitney, on the southwest
corner Of Fifth avenue and Fifty.
seventh street, and Mrs. Paran Stevens
and G. 2. Huntington on the upper
and lower corners across the avenue.
Only one block away are the Plazs
Hotel, the Savoy and the New Neither
land.