The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-30
STEINWAY DEAD.
Head Of the Great Piano
House succumbs to
Typhoid Fever.
HON0RED IN TWO CONTINENTS
Germany Gave Him the Cross of
the Red Eagle; New York
Made Him Presidential
EIector.

| NEW YORK, Nov. 90, lS9s-Mr Will
| lam Steinway, the famous piano manu-
Ifacturer and member of the Rapid Transit
Company, died at $3.50 this morning, at
his home, at No. rs Gramercy Park, Of
/ typhoid fever. His illness was Of about
three weeks duration
The first symptoms appeared on Novem-
Der 6 Mr.. Steinway at that time COM
piained Of pains in his stomach He was
a robust man. however, and continued
| TO so to his business
4 He made speech at the Isabella Home
for old Women and Men on Sunday, No
Vember 8. When he got home he was
50 II 4, that he had to go to bed
caIIe, Snaraaa e aa,a me In family physician was
| as typhoid fever. The disease made rapid
advances for the first two weeks and
can message was sent to his eldest son,
George Steinway, who is in Europe 10
come home immediately.
| Daring the last week, however Mr.
SteInWay.s condition improved material
". and there was joyful Thanksgiving
at MS Gramercy Park home
on Saturday. He suffered a relapse yes
| terday morning, however, and from that
time On =, his M decline was rapid It was
son, William r. Steinway, who is at
/ St. Pau1s School, could not be sent for
The members of the family who were
at Mr.. Steinway's bedside when he died
were Clarence Fl. Steinwav his nephew;
Frederick Z Steinwayl his son; Henry
Zeigter, y. Stetson, Theodore Steinway
| MS son; Mr.. and Mrs. Louis Won Berluth
MS son-in-iaw and daughter.
William Steinway was born in Seesen
Duchy Of Brunswick, on March 5. 1896
His education was begun in the schools
! of his birthplace but afterward con-
uhued IN the Jacobsohn High School, He
was an especially apt student, mastering
! German, English and French thoroughly
But while he was quick to learn any
| thing to which he devoted his attention
1t was in music that he made his best
| He. came to the United States with his
| FAMILY In 1880 and Influenced by his love
of music, persuaded his parents to ap-
prentice him to William Nunns e "a
| who were then manufacturing pianos at
/ NO. SS Walker street in this city He
remained with that firm for three years
Then he left it to start in the piano
manufacturing business with his father
and his two brothers, Charles and Henry
| While ne was under the guidance OF
! Nunns & Co. he had thoroughly mastered
/ the practical part of piano making, and
| continued in the mechanical department
| after the new firm had been started
The death of his father In 1874, and the
loss of other partners not long after left
him at the head of the business with
| mis- brother. G. z. Theodore Steinway
/ Mr.. Steinway was prominent member
i
posed Tasrlnaaay in 1871. He was unarai-s
/ nously elected q member of the National
Demoeratic Con5mmittee as a delegate to
! the st. Louis convention in. 1885, when
/ PRESIDENT cleveland was nominated for
/ a second term
/ He presided at the great Cooper Insti-
tute mass meeting held in 1885, when the
nomination Of Aloram s. Hewitt for Mayor
| was Endorsed, and was one of the Com
| misssioners appointed by the Supreme
Court to assess the value of the prop
Gr 10 QtrAfa for = I,.1l...
/ Brooklyn Bridge.
| The Assistant Treasurership was offer
| ed him by President Cleveland, and he
was at various times spoken of as a can
| didate for Governor of the State and
| Mayor of this city. The office of Seere-
| tary OF State was also rendered him, but
! on account of his great business interests
| ne declined, saying that it was impoSsi-
bic for him to accept the. distinction
MP. Stelnway was married twice His
first wife, who died in 1876. bore him two
/ children-George A. Steinway. born on
June J. 1865, and a daughter. Paula, born
| who was Miss Elizabeth G. Ranft, daugh-
| ter of Mr., Richard Ranft he married on
August l6, 1880. Two sons, William R:
Theodore Edwin, born October s, 1888
! We're the result of the union.
Mr.. Steinway was President of the
Liederkranz number of times, and was
| associated with many other well known
societies. He was also a patron of art
/ and science, and was always. ready. to
/ help in any desirable charitable work
j Under the last Rapid Transit act he
/ was reappointed. He spent both time and
4 money in London and Paris, and was
recognized as an authority on transit
| problems.
His large donations for the erection of
| the memorial churches to Emperor Will
/ lam I and to Empress Augusta in 1892
/ gained him much renown, and in the
spring OF that year he received an au-
4 tograph letter from the Emperor of Ger
| many thanking him for his cooperation
| in the work.
The German Emperor on June Is, 1852.
| turer to the Imperial Court Of Germany,
| and on ,eptember II of the same year
their NECESSITIES invited Mr.. Steinway to
a personal audience at the marble palace
| in Potsdam. This invitation was accept
cd and for an hour and a quarter the
Emperor and Empress.
/ AS an Elector-at-Large, he headed the
| Democratic ticket in the State of New
| York at the election in November 1892
German American Democrats held on Oct
27 of that year His speech in favor of
! Grover Cleveland. with whom he was well
acquainted, was one having great effect
| ON his hearers.
He was unanimously chosed Chairman
of the Democratic Electoral College when
sions. The Order of the Red Eagle, Glass
! H., was conferred upon Mr.. Steinway
| by the Emperor of Germany on June Il,
| 1898
thrift and ability is the town of Steinway,
beyond Astoria, on the Long Island shore
/ of the Sound. The town was founded by
| Mr.. Steinway on plans which he explained
| in 1883 to the United States Senate Com
mite on Education and Labor, then in
| session in this city, A large sum was
expended in preparing the site, the nat
ural obstacles in the way being numerous
/ and difficult, but the founder felt well
/ repaid when he looked at the Improvement
/ in the condition of the workmen and saw
| the promises for the future
DIED FOR HIS DAUGHTER