The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-21
MAGNIFICENT CHATEAU

| land, 1t has been by the touch OF gold,
transformed into an ideal spot.
MAGNIFICENT CHATEAU.
Those who have stood spellbound
| upon the esplanade of this magnificent
chateau, and looked upon the wild
tumult of mountains. which stretch
away in every direction until lost be-
| hind the curtain of the horizon. can
well understand why Mr.. Vanderbilt
selected this particular spot Of all
others in America for the erection of a
home, which is as supreme among the
houses of men as this SPOT is among
the creations of Nature. and that the
| inspiration should come to him to say.
Here will l erect a mansion, which
shall emphasize the work OF man as
| this spot has the work of God"
| The chateau Is situated on q plateau
1000 feet above sea level, upon an es-
| planade 200 by 300 feet, artifcially
made by cutting down the summit of
the hill upon which the castle rests
and filing surrounding dcpressions TO
a perfect level. Huge walls of solid
masonry, sixteen feet in thickness at
the base and at some points forty feet
high, crowned with coping of finely
|
The palace-for it is that. and nothing
else-is intended to be Il monument to
| last for ages, a silent, but significant,
tribute to the perseverance and ability
for accommodating wealth, with which
this remarkable family is endowed. The
building is 375 feet long and 1872 feet
wide. 1t is built of Indiana limestone,
and in it's construction 5000 barrels of
| t.l- n
in addition to the stone. Everything
about it is stone. brick, iron and steel;
not a piece of wood is used except in
scaffolding and falsework. I heard an
eminent architect say that it would be
as solid five centuries hence as 1t is to-
| day. The grand entrance opens upon a
winter garden, octagOn in shape and
sixty feet in diameter. From this gar
| den. or court, radiate the principal
| apartments. Let the reader ina sine a
| banquet hall seventy-two feet wide and
| seventy feet high. with one span and q
| domed ceiling; IL magnificent library
| 40XG0 feet, as large as an ordinary
| church: Il music room and tapestry gal
lery, the latter - feet long and con-
tanning numerous specimens of hstori-
cal and valuable tapestry: "a reception
|
easily be put; stone stailways, so broad
and massive that a regiment could
march down them, and loggias. with
their score of richly carved pillars and
graceful arches. while on the upper
floor there are a hundred rooms. The
family and guest chambers number
twenty, and each possesses bath.
A SPACIOUS LAWN.
The house grounds comprise 5000
acres of lawn. farm and forest, thirty
miles of magnificent rOadways, rustic
| bridges, artificial lakes, and thousands
| of trees, shrubs and plants brought
| from every quarter of the globe, while
| more than one million have been trans
| planted in the vast park of 100000
acres. His private nurseries are the
| largest in the world The "hunting
| preserve which comprises $1,000 acres,
is on one side of Mt. Pisgah, Il portion
OF which Mr.. Vanderbilt owns, which is
| stocked with bear and deer and is
| truly & sportsman's paradise. The
hunting lodge" is some thirty miles;
| from his mansion, is built of rough
oak logs and cost upwards of $50, 900.
and here Mr. Vanderbilt entertains his
| guests in regal style. All the year
round this place is kept in order ready
| fCr Il chance call from its owner. The
! great hall is Il huge square room. with
AN enormous fireplace at one end, be-
| side ii is kept a heap of logs ten to
| twelve feet in length, the fireplace be-
| Ing so large size as to accommodate
! fuel ot this mammoth size. Hanging
| to tt.e chimney piece are rows of iron
| spies, designed to hold the carcass of n
| der OF bear or such other animal as
| may be cooked over the mighty fire.
| He"r on New Years Day Mr.. Wander
| bi.t gave II truly regal feast. Among
| his guests being Joseph Choate, am
| bass; dor to England. and Prince Del
| gr;lcio-Talleyrand Perigord. In this
mighty hall decorated with hundreds
OF skins of wild cats, deer. bears and
smaller game, the distinguished guests
We're regaled on the products of the
| ch;, So, cooked and served by the corps
of keepers.
| 1t is said "Our modern millionaires
easily outstrip the old English lords
aud barons in the magniticence and
extent of their country seats and in
| the rich lavish of entertainment" 4
| visitor to Asheville says: When Mr.
| Vanderbilt and his hunting guests start
| On the thirty mile drive that inter-
| veres between his Biltmore estate and
| the hunting loGge. one might easily
| imagine that the traveller was some
European potentate and his attendants
| sworn vassals, so imposing is the turn
| Oh, and 50 deferential the servants.
| Thus, like barons of old, are the new
! lordS of wealth. Visitors come all the
| waN from Europe to inspect the great
| American dukedom and the castle
| which has no equal on the Rhine.
| This mansion is a French renaissance
| chateau, highly elaborated and exceed
| inely rich in every detail. 1t has cost
| over $C,O00,000. The architect was
| Fred Law -Olmstead, of New York.
| Some 600 men for the last decade have
| been employed at the palace or on the
| grounds, making pay roll of over
$4,000 yearly. $4,000 was distributed
| by Kim in the way of salaries and other
| expenses which found its way among
the citizens of Asheville every week.
! Through the courtesy of Baron d.
| Anngs, Mr.. NanderbiltS farm super
| intendent. we secured memoranda of
| interest to us, which we give in part
| to our readers.
| WheE Mr.. Vanderbilt began pros
DC cung around Ashevile less than a
| dc2ea years ago, farming was the
| thing he least thought Of His ambi-
| ton was to build a palace and home
| commensurate with his wealth to stand
| 70: centuries as a family memorial.
| But as time went on and his mansion
| progressed, he added more and more
| to his vast possessions, and II became
| evident that nature had strong attrac-