The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-01
THE ASTOR PALACE.
A GORGEOUS STRUCTURE WHICH
HAS BEEN BUILT IN NEW YORK.
Spacious Rooms and Elaborate Dec
OrntiOns-Mrs. AstOr's Costly Bath
Room and other Features.


From the Upholsterer.
The new Aston palace. which will be
completed about Oct. !, will be one OF
the most beautifully decorated private
houses in America. 1t is Of the modern
style Of renaissance. 1t looks very much
like a small Tuileries. mansard roof and
all. but is more elaborately decorated than
the palace OF Catharine de NIedicL which
was burned by the commune. This elab-
grafton Of detail is carried into the orna-
mentation of the house proper. Some of
the rooms are so profusely ornamented as
TO seem almost heavy.
What looks from the outside like one
house is in reality two, fer though you
enter in the center of the house by a flight
of steps, there is doorway on each side
leading to what has been made two houses
by a partition running through the mid
die. This has necessitated the grand stair
case being made narrower than if there
had been only one leading up through the
center
Mrs. William Astor's house is the north
ern one. That occupied by John Jacob
Aston is the southern, at the corner of
SiXty-fifth street. Ultimately, at Mrs.
William Astor's death, the house will
be thrown into one. As it is, some of the
rooms are equally divided.
This is the case with the ballroom, which
occupies the center of the house a the
rear of which is also a picture gallery.
Otherwise Mrs. Aston has suites OF apart
ments which are almost precisely of the
same size as those the younger couple
occupy on the southern end.
lot sa1=a
first. You turn to the left on entering
and find small reception room decora-
ted in tapestry, apparently of Gobelin
make. This room, like all others, is as yet
unfurnished.
Next to it, and reached by going into a
large marble han, is the grand salon. This
is profusely decorated i'm gold. 1t is an
immense room, the decorations being in
light colors, but gold everywhere When
furnished the general effect will be mag
nficent
Directly back Of this apartment, sepa-
rated by sliding doors. is the dining room.
which is about the same size as the par
Tor. These two apartments occupy nearly
the entire ground floor of the house
This dining room is in strong contrast
to the drawing room, the decorations be-
ing all in black and gold. The general
style gives an effect of heaViness. the cell
ing with its paneling and holdings pre-
senting such masses OF decoration that
We're 1t not high there would be a feeling
of suffocatlon. Yet it is ali very beauu-
ful and exquisitely finished
The service is made directly from an
elevator which goes to the kitchen below
70 the other side Of the dining room, and
back Of it is pantry a great deal larger
than the dining rooms In ordinary private
houses.
In fact, the effect of all these rooms
seems to be immensely. One hundred per-
sons could easily sit down at one time in
the dining room.
Going along the hall toward the south. a
small door is opened by the superinten-
dent Mr.. Davis, and we now find our
! selves IN the second Astor house the one
that will be occupied by John Jacob AS
| tor, his wife and child and some fifteen or
/ twenty servants
The upper rooms the living rooms. are
smaller than in Mrs Astor's house. for the
reason that more people must be accom-
modated. The library is about the same
size as the elder Mrs Astor's but the
situation of the bed rooms is pleasanter
street. ia ~
First we come to Mr.. Astor's bedroom.
which has a small dressing room Off II
is smaller than Mr.. William Astor's. ana
shows that he has given the best If IL 10
ms Wite, for her bedroom occupies the
exact corner Of the house and Is one-
third larger than his.
Next to Mrs. Astors bedroom and front
Ing on Sixty-ffth street is one of the pret-
test apartments in the house-Alrs. Astor's
prIFate Dath room. 1t is roman in design,
the bath tub being made of one solid block
o! marble and carved out. The bath itself
isFalmost round. 1t is intended to be sat
in rather than to lie in
little Cupid is carved out Of the same
piece Of marble at the back, and he is
lookins at two dolphins, out Of the mouths
OF which flow the hot and cold water
The ceiling, which is rounded. and which
seems to hang like canopy over the bath.
is of Roman mosaic and of the most beau
tiful finish.
Back Of this bath room is the toilet. The
hrst room beyond this on the Sxty-hfth
street side is Mrs Astor's private parlor
good-sized room, but in which the deco
ration is unfinished
Beyond this again, on the Sixtv-ffth
street side, are two rooms, one for the
day nursery and the other for the night
! nursery Then comes the nurses room
and her bath room.
The two houses contain twenty hath
rooms, the servants being accommodated
in this respect almost as well as their
masters. Beyond again is a guests room,
the only one on this floor, and from there
we reach the all again and have a better
opportunity to remark its proportions
than from below.
The ceilings are apparently held up by A
series of female figures exquisitely mold
ed the work of Karl Bitter The figures
are all female and Of life size, the position
in every case being different, but each one
graceful and refined. 1t is apparent that
the best taste has presided at the selec-
ton Of these different objects.
AT the side Of the house, but at the
back, a staircase unusually narrow takes
one to the upper floors but there are two
elevators, one for the master and mis-
tress Of the house at the front and another
for the servants at the back
The second floor is devoted to school
rooms, sewing rooms and Mrs. Aston 8
maids room, next to which is her private
bath room, almost as dainty finished as
those below on the lower floor.
Wherever we enter the private rooms
we find simplicity and good taste The
mass Of gold and ornamentation seems to
be reserved altogether for rooms to which
friends win be invited and where the GER
emonial receptions viii take place.
Still an other flight of stairs, running
from the side and from the back we
reach the third floor. This floor Is devo-
ted entirely to the servants ana to stora ye
purposes. One room is given to the an
nara frs for controIffupr tha hot ,,-,... -,