Evening star., 1895-08-28
THE ASTOR PALACE
A Gorgeous Structure Which Has Been
Built in New York.
Spacious Rooms and Elaborate Dec
Orattons-Airs. Astor's Costly Bath
Room and Other Features.

orations-Mrs. Astor's Costly Bath
Room and Other Features,
From the Upholsteler.
The new Astor palace, which will lie
completed about October 1, 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 Catherine de Medici, which
was burned by the commune This elabor-
alton of detail is carried into the ornamen-
tation 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, for though you enter
in the center Of the house by flight of
steps. there is doorway on each side lead
ing to what has been made two houses ty
q partition running through the middle.
Ihls has necessltated the grand stair
case being made narrower than II 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
Astor is the southern, on the corner of
Goth 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 ball room, which
occupies the center of the house, at the
rear of which is also a picture gallery.
Otherwise, Mrs. Astor has suites of apart
ments which are almost precisely of the
same size as those the younger couple oc-
cupy on the southern end.
The Grand Salon.
Let US take Mrs. William Astor's house
first You turn to the left on entering
and find small reception room decorated
IN tapestry, apparently of Gobelin make
This room, like all others, is as yet unfur-
nished.
Next to it, and reached BY going into
a large marble hall, is the grand salon.
This is profusely decorated in gold. 1t is
an immense room. the decorations being in
light colors, but gold everywhere. When
furnished the general effect will be 1nagni-
f1cent.
Directly back of this apartment sepa-
rated by sliding doors, Is the dining room
which is about the same size as the par
lor. 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 being
gives an effect of heaviness, the ceiling
with its paneling and holdings presenting
such masses of decoration that were 1t not
high there would be a feeling of suffoca-
tion. Yet II is all very beautiful and cx-
quistely finished.
The service is made directly from an
elevator which goes to the kitchen below,
to the other side of the dining ROOM and
back of 1t is a pantry a great deal larger
than the dining rooms in ordinary private
houses.
In fact, the effect Of all these rooms
seems to be immensity. One hundred per
sons could easily sit down at one time in
the dining room.
Second AstOr HOuse
Going along the hall toward the south, a
small door is opened by the superintendent,
Mr.. Davis, and we now find ourselves in
the second Astor house, the one that will
be occupied by John Jacob Astor his wife
and child and some fifteen or twenty SER
wants.
The upper rooms, the living rooms, are
smaller tfan in Mrs. Astor's house, for the
reason that more people must be accommo-
dated. The Library is about the same size
as as the elder Mrs. Astor's, but the situa-
ton OF the bed rooms is pleasanter, for
they are on the corner of 65th street
FIRST we come to Mr.. Astor's bed room,
which has small dressing room of 1t
is smaller than Mrs. William Astor's and
shows that he has given the best of it to
his wife. for her bed room occupies the
exact corner of the house. and is one-third
larger than his.
Ing on 65th street is one of the prettiest
apartments in the house-Mrs Astor's pri-
vate bath room. 1t is Roman in design.
tne bath tub being made of one solid block
OF marble. and carved out. The bath itself
Is almost round. 1t is intended to be sat
in rather than to lie in.
A little Cupid is carved out Of the same
piece of marble at the back. and he is
looking at two dolphins, out of the mouths
CT 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.
Numerous Bath Rooms
Back Of this bath room is the toilet. The
first room beyond this on the 65th street
side is Mrs. Astor's private parlor, a good
sized room, but m which the decoration
Is unfinished.
Beyond this again, on the 65th street
side, are two rooms, one for the day uur-
sery and the other for the night nursery
Ihen comes the nurses room and her bath
room.
The two houses contain twenty bath
rooms, the servants being accommodated
IN this respect almost as well as their mas
ters. Beyond again is a guests room. the
only one on this floor, and from there we
reaoh the hall again and have a better op-
portunity to remark its proportions than
from below.
The ceilings are apparently held I'D by
series OF female figures exquisitely nodded,
the work of Karl Bitter. The figures are
all female and Of life size. the position in
eaCn
graceful and refined 1t is apparent that
the best taste has presided at the selection
of these different objects.
At the side of the house. but at the
back, staircase unusually narrow takes
one to the upper floors, but there are two
elevators, one for the master and mistress
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. Astor's
rlaid's room, next to which is her private
bath room. almost as daintily 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 will be invited and where the cere-
monial receptions will take place.
Rooms for Servants.
Still up another flight of stairs, running
from the side and from the back, we
reach the third floor. This floor is de-
voted entirely to the servants and to stor-
age purposes. One room is given to the
apparatus for controlling the hot water
with which the house is heated, and an
other to linen.
All the rooms on this floor are small,
though comfortable. and are given over to