The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-05-17
No Other in America Attracting
So Much Attention.
CONSISTS OF 10000 ACRES
Varies from Mountain Top to
Level Plain.
IT is A veRrTAeLg FARMLAND
Besides This MIR. Vanderbilt owns an
IS, 900 Acre Game Preserve
On Other Side of the
Mountain.


n. CD
There is certainly no other estate
in America attracting so much otten-
zion as the home and extensive do
mains of Mr.. Geo, W. Vanderbilt, near
Asheville, n. c. Persons who have
travelled the world over and are in q
position to know, assert that it equals
in naagnificence the most famous IN
Europe, while in point of comfort and
harmony of design, combining as It
does all the desirable modern arrange
ments, it by far surpasses any in the
Old World.
That Mr.. Vanderbilt selected this
spot in preference to all others, is, in
deed a great compliment TO Asheville,
and vet no one can visit the place
without feeling that his choice was
wise one. Despite all that has been
written concerning it, the universal
verdict of the thousands of visitors
who are constantly hoclxing to see IL,
is: 1.-THE half has never been told Inc
park consists of about 10000 acres
(more than fifteen square miles,, lying
on and between the beautiful French
Broad and Salamanca rivers and is in
full view of the city. It's surface varies
from the mountain top TO the level
plain, and abounds in retreats, by ma
ture both romantic and picturesque.
Mr.. Frederick Law Olmstead, the
landscape artist, the product of whose
master mind. elected the admiration
of the world. in the white City" at
Chicago, is transforming this into an
vx.af rh 10 a
yeritable fairyland Besides this tract,
Mr.. Vanderbilt owns, just on the west,
another tract of $4,000 acres i'm the
wilds of the Pisgah mountains, which
is to be kept primarily as a game pre-
serve.
Near the middle of the park on an
eminence, seemingly designed by nature
for 1t, stands that wonderful piece Of
architecture known as the Wander
bilt Palace" You enter the estate at
Biltmore. Mr.. Nanderbilt's model vii
lage, passing through a massive hand
forged steel gate, which, for centuries
hung in the city of Jerusalem. it is
said. You take spin over one of the
grand bouleyards of which there are
60 miles or more on this estate, wind
ing in all directions. You reach the
mansion, ascending gradually some
three miles, by graceful curves, cross
Ing and reerosslng, on ''oiau
bridges of stone, the winding mountain
riyulets, whose hillsides present haf-
monious combination of the natural
forest with the cultivated growth.
This forest has been Invested of all
rubbish, and is intermingIed with a
careful selection Of plants, vines and
flowers, giving it as whole the effect
of age, and making it a yeritable bower
of beauty.
A VISION OF GRANDEUR.
On arriving at the top Of the ridge
grand panorama is before you. Your
horizon is marked by the Blue Ridge
on the east and south, the Smoky Range
on the north, and the Pisgah Range
forms the connecting link on the south
and west, while the Black Mountains
fill the gap on the northeast, with Mt.
Mitchell, the highest peak east Of the
Rockies, raising its majestic head
high up among the clouds, just In
ron 1rons g G. you Is seen Mr. vanderbilt's
mansion. with the stables, the Espian-
ade. the Rampe-douce, the Bowling
Green, the Pergula, the Ramble, Or
Hanging Gardens, the Palm House and
Conservatory, and the Gardens, all
underf wall, containing some thirty
acres, while still beyond are the sys-
tenn of artificial lakes and the French
Broad river. A multitude Of emotions
take possession of the visitor. He is
so overcome by the immensely of every
thing that he can hardly estimate
space or distance.
j STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE.
To go now into details would fill
volume. The buildings are of the
Gothic Renaissance in style Of archi-
lecture, and are very elaborate in de-
sign. Altogether they are about TOOK
$50 feet in dimensions and 100 feet in
height, from basement to turret. The
materials are chiefly Of Indiana sand
stone, marble, steel, copper, oak and
mahogany. The carved stone work is
most elaborate in design, representing
four years labor of about $50 of
Americas finest stone artists. Scores
of intricate pieces of sfatuary-
Gus looking creatures (animals, mer-
maids, efc.l look down upon you from
the projections of the exterior.
CAPACITY FOR ENTERTAINMENT
The interior arrangement and finish
of the house, of course, represent al
most the perfection of elegance and
luxury. The style in general embodies
a harmonious combination of the an
fiqne and the modern, and without at
tempting a description, we can, per-
haps give the reader a slight comeep-
tion of the capacity for entertainment,
his resources for which almost exhaust
the catalogue. The scale upon which
he expects TO entertain has never be-
fore been attempted i'm America. His
palatial stables are stocked with the
finest thoroughbred saddle and coach
horse, also the costliest vehicles of yari-
Gus designs, for the use of his
guests. He has dancing, banquet and
concert halls, art gallery, libraries,
apartments for all kinds of indoor
games, and courts for outdoor games.
lakes for fishing and boating, boule-
Yards for driving, large swimming
pools for bathing, besides his immense
game preserve for hunting the yari-
Gus species Of game. On the first floor
of the mansion at the right Of main