The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-21

asbarijle. \. c., March 4.-(SpeclaD-
George w. Vanderbilt has done more
tban any one man to attract people 10
>Nortb Carolina His lordly estate with
its macnitcent chateau is the supreme
object of interest to many of the thou
sands of annual visitors to the metropolis
of the Land of the SKY.
4 few DAYS ago l had the opportunity
Of seeing the "Biltmore Estate as it is
officially named under exceptionally good
circumstances. | was invited to accom-
pany rhe official photographer. AS l had
driven over the estate several times be-
fore. | thought | knew it quite thor
oughly. but never before had ! seen it as
on this occasion. The B.ltmore estate
consists of 100000 acres of land in the
choicest section Of the far-famed Land
of the Sky" The palace is located IN
tract OF 10000 acres, at Biltmore station,
on the Southern railway, which Is two
miles from the court house in AshevLle
The other $4,000 acres is woodland, ana
extends over several counties, and up the
side Of Mount Pisgah, the tallest peak OF
the Blue Ridge mountains visible around
here. This great game preserve rs Deihs
stocked in a methodlcal manner "itii
quail pheasants, deer, etc. Inc FOREST
is also being cared for by experts IN
growing trees and shrubbery.
The park in which the magnhcent
chateau is situated is most beautifully
laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead, tfle
famous landscape artist, with roads
smoother than the government boulevards
Of Chickamauga National park. This is
because Mr.. Vanderbilt has his roads
daily sprinkled with watering carts and
frequently rolled. The entrance to the
park at Biltmore is through a large and
imposing lodge gate-quite English you
know. Here you show your permit to
visit the grounds. which you have pre-
v;ously secured at the office building Of
Mr.. Charles McNamee, general manager
of the estate. in the village of Biltmore.
Permits to enter and view the estate
are only granted on Wednesday and Sat
urday afternoons from l to O'Clock. and
in printed form. are something Ike
railroad tickets. The palace is about
three miles from the lodge gate. There
are some sixty miles Of roadway in the
park. of which the chief drive. twelve
miles long. is called The Arboretum. 1t
is fringed, or bordered, with ivies. honey
suckles and banks of shrubbery. There
are many queer and curious species in the
100000 propa gated plants along TINS
winding and picturesque driveway. One
of the most common is the Madagascar
periwinkle, of which there are thousands,
and which bears a bright-colored flower.
The curving bridges and artificial lakes
and Waterfalls are all 50 constructed as
10 look entirely natural.
BILTMORE HOUSE.
AS to the palace, it is the most plctur-
esaue and beautiful building one can
ina CINE The location is ideal, on top on
an elevated plateau, which can be seen
for miles around in every direction. Inc
Bilrmore house faces east. At the foot
of the hill just back of it the babbhng
Swanmanoa river serpentmely rolls ana
beyond the Blue Ridge mountains kisses
the clouds.
The house is built of Indiana gray lime
stone, and as it glistens IN the sunhght,
might be appropriately called white
palace" Its extreme length is $40 feet
Still dts beautiful proportions seem to
diminish the size of it, In style of archi-
lecture is of the French renaissance.
The greatest width of the building IS 49,
feet. The height from basement 10 tur-
ret is 100 feet. A mammoth granite re-
tanning wall on the Southern end of the
building is impressive because of Its
splendid construction. 1t is forty feet
high in some places, and 3333 feet long
Beyond this great retaining wall, and IN
front Of the residence, appears the espla-
made 333 feet long and % feet in width.
In the center of this esplanade is costly
fountain some thirty feet in diameter
Very little of the exquisite carving of the
stone of the exterior of the house can be
seen in the illustrations with this article.
Grifins and dragons chiseled from im-
mense blocks of stone stand out several
feet from the wall. Musicians of many
nations are the unique designs under the
window openings. But these details are
too small to he dwelt on at length.
There are about one hundred rooms in
the house. Forty of these are sleeping
,partmer.ts. There are twenty luxurious
bathrooms There ara thee elevator,
Entcr ng the nam door from the terrace.
the visitor is at once struck with TIE
beauty Of the winter garden, which Is
built in octagon form and is about sixty
feet square. All the principal rooms are
seen from its many large windows III
almost Kaleidoscope completeness. To
the west is the salon forty feet in length.
TO the north is the garden and corridors
surrounding is the banquet hall and
west Of this is the breakfast room, be-
yOnd which is the main kitchen. The
banquet hall is seventy-tw0 feet long.
forty-two feet wide and seventy feet
high. with one span and a dome ceiling.
1t has not been finished up yet, but it
is said TO be Mr.. Vanderbilt's intention
to make it one of the most gorgeous rooms
OF its kind i'll the country. At the western
end OF this hall are three massive triple
flre-piaces OF almost gigantic proportions.
AT the eastern end there is an organ loft
and balcony for musicians.
Another feature Of the main floor is the