The Washington herald., 1908-03-22


only few brief weeks ago, Miss Gladys
Vanderbilt, the only unmarried child. be-
came the Countess s1echenyi. Il IS
modelled after the famous Chateau de
BIois, near Paris A towering iron fence
shuts il in. and the garden. where once
stood three bTownstone homes. II cost
s, 10000.
The Twomblys and webbs have a half
block frontage between them at Fifty
fourth street, and the r. W Vanderhilts
another half Dsesk at Fortieth street
three and a half blocks frontage for this
one family on the cOstliest street in the
world.
When Senator Clark allows the public 10
enter his lowered new palace at Seyenty-
sixth street and Fifth avenue it VIII be
worth while TO drop in. no matter who
you are or what you have seen. It viii
he revelation in luxury-a marvel OF
moneys magic
Il is not as large as the Vanderbilt
houses. nor the houses Of the Astors. NJ
schwab. or Mr. Carnegie. but II cost
more Before Senator Clark sets foot in
It he viii have paid out S5.o00.Ooe. II isn't
ready yet though work has been yCing
on ten years The hair OF Washington
Hull the architect. was brown when he
started; Il Is gray nOw. so many per-
piexities have confronted him.
Besides the original Fifth avenue lot,
Senator Clark bought four adjoining
houses-three in Seventy-seventh street
and one in Fifth avenue-for a site
Then started the great pile. Eleven
stories high including basement and
= L..
than a home.
The whole interior IS a mass Of sculp-
ture, modelled by Philip Martiny. the IA
nous artist. and carved by the most ex-
pert wOrknen Obtainable- The enormous
entrance hall and winding staircase is OF
ivory-tilted marble. in pure classic cary
ing. The ceilings are OF quartered OAK.
oyerlaid with gold leaf to show the grain
On the ground floor are reception rooms.
Offices. billiard and smoking rooms. all in
mahogany. Circassian walnut. or English
oak
There are entrances TO the ground floor
the private one 10 the main hail. one
FOR carriages through a great gate in the
arch under the oval conservatory ana one
10 the court through great bronze gates
in the rear A carriage, on entering. dis
charges its passengers in the middle Of
the house at the main hall door. goes on
through the court. past the marble foun-
tains, and. turning three sides OF a
square. passes out into the street again
by the big gate. A large automobile
storage room connects with this interior
driveway. The faience gallery has an
entrance from the court in the rear 50
that the public may enter without dis
turbing the household.
The second floor is the glory OF this new
world palace. Ascending 1he marble stair
case one reaches long hall Of Maryland
marble. with panels Of splendid old tapes
tries under ceilings OF white Caen stone
This leads 10 the grand salon facing Fifth
avenue in Louis XVI style All the wood
work was stripped from an old French
palace and brought here The walls ara
gray and gold. with gilded pilasters and
magnihcently painted panels Adjoining IS
an eIHptical salon taken bodily from the
Hotel Seubise in Paris Behind this is a
beautiful morning room furnished with
superb tapestries by Benchor typifying
Earth. Fire and Water
Under the tower is the circular sculp-
ture hall with a dOmed ceiling. all IN ivory
marble with supporting pillars
Next the conservatory in pink marble.
The 6ining-rOOm is Of English oak with
an elaborately carved stone frieze rep
.resentiRg hunting and sporting scenes
The ceiling Is also Of oak gilded-
The principal art gallery has a wainscot
OF Istrian marble, with a carved oak cell
ing supported by twelve pillars CT polished
CipOline marble Upstairs are the living
rooms, all wonders OF luxury and magnif-
cence. There is z secondary staircase. II
Caen stone from top TO bottom. Thirty
bathrooms are part Of the palaces equip
nent. And a great swimming pool in the
basement lined with Carrara glass. The
ceilings are OF mosaic and the floor OF
marble.
The main elevator Is fitted up as a huge
Sedan chair Of the Louis XVI period Be
sides. there is an elaborate system OF
dumbwaiters connecting the kitchen and
service room with all the floors
There is an electric light plant with
power fer S59s bulbs big and little; a
laundry run by electricity. storage. and
packing room for objects Of art, refriger-
ating plant wine cellars. safe-deposit
vault. and two roof gardens.
No emperor Of bygone days ever dream
ed Of such luxury.
Charles NJ. Schwab has to-day the
largest single homesite in New York City.
[ He owns the entire block bounded BY
West End avenue. Riverside Drive. Sew
enty-third and Seventy-fOurth streets. and
on this great plot he has erected a splen-
/ did S2.500 000 turreted chateau in the Re
naisSance style which looks out upon the
/ lordly Hudson There he dwells for brief
periods Of the year ID lonesome isolation.
/ for the Schwabs have no children Il IS
81
palace VIII be turned into an institution
fhousing some charity.
The twin Astor mansions. AT Fifth ave
nue. and Sixty-fourth street. have one re-
sion made for visitors afoot- The front
door opens On the carr.agewsy and unless
you drive Up you must pick your way in
among the carriages and horses There IS
no footpath 10 the front door. But then
any one who may call on the AstorS is
supposed 10 have a carriage. and there is
an entrance for others at the back
Further. though the houses look as one,
they are absolutely separate establish
ments. ore occupied by Mrs William As
tor. social arhiter OF New York society.
and the other by her son. Col. John Jacob
Astor. and his beautiful wife and two
children.
/ aThree-quarters of a mile up Fifth
avenue, past the more modest marble OF
stone homes OF men who can only reckon
their millions In one figure. one pauses
with a start at the block between Nine
tieth and Ninety-frst street. guarded by
a fence Of iron paillngs and brick col
-esr.
Set in garde-s decked out with flowers,
I lawns terraces shrubbery. and trees II