The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-07
G. W. VANDERBILT Is
DEAD IN WASHINGTON
Heart Disease IL Cause, but He
Underwent Appendicitis
Operation Lately.
1lE INHERITED $4,000. 900
BiltmOre, His Country Estate
Of 100000 Acres. Cost
About S1O,OOO.OOO.


York. and Alfred "a. Vanderbilt. who
sailed for Europe last week. his sister
in-law. Mrs. Granville Merrill. made a
statement.
Mrs. Merrill said that Mr.. vanderblits
physical condition had been good until
recently. Less than two weeks ago he
became III. His physician, Dr. James +.
Mitchell. discovered that he had append
cits.
Assisted by Or. NJ. +. Cu;hbert and DR..
Mitchell. Or. J. W. T. Finney OF Johns
Hopkins Hospital operated on Mr.. Van
derbilt for appendicitis. The operation
was successful. The patient suffered no
severe shock from 1t and no complica-
ton appeared to have set In. Mr.. Van
derbilts improvement from the time OF
the operation until this afternoon was re-
garded as highly satisfactory.
Enjoyed His Lsscheon.
Mr.. Vanderbilt had luncheon In bed with
evident enjoyment at noon to-day. With
his wife and daughter and nurses in the
room with him he was unusually cheer
full. A little later Mr.. Vanderbilt tainted
suddenly.
Ills wife noted It first and ordered the
nurses to summon DIR. Mitchell. Before
the ply sician could reach the residence In
X street Mr.. Vanderbilt was dead.
IL was said that the operation for APP
pendctls was not the direct cause OF his
death, although Mr.. Vanderbilt never be-
fore had suffered from heart trouble.
Mr.. Frederick W. Vanderbilt was In
formed by telegraph OF his brothers
death. He reached Washington late to-
night. The funeral arrangements will be
made by him and will be announced to-
morrow. IL IL expected that Mr.. Wander
bilt will be buried In New York.
Mr.. Nanderbilt's only relatives in Wash
ington tonight besides his wife and
daughter were his slsters-in-law, Mrs.
Merrill and Mrs Nicholas Brown OF New
port T. ].
The vanderbiits came to Washington In
the fall This was the first year they had
occupied their own home here. They had
entertained extensively until about ten
days ago
George Washington Vanderbilt was al
ways regarded as the quiet member OF
the family He did not enter into so
ci-ty extensively. did not care for bust
ness and spent most OF his time on his
magnificent estate, Blltmore. near Ash.-
vile. y. e. Although he was not inclined
To business. as were his brothers, he used
such scientific methods on his farm that
practically all branches OF II made money
Tor him.
He was the youngest OF the four sons
OF William II. Vanderbilt and was born
on November IL. 1862. at the old Wander.
bit homestead at New Dorp. Staten
Island His brothers were the late Cor
nelfus. william Nissan and Frederick
W Tie was the uncle Of Reginald G..
Alfred g.. Cornelius and the late W. II.
Vanderbilt
Mr. Vanderbilt was regarded early as
a scholar His father engaged private
tutors for him and under their charge ne
was educated. spending much OF his time
travelling in Europe TO broaden his cul-
ture He matriculated at Columbia when
he was l6, took the classical course and
was graduated four years later with high
horors.
Hts Inherited Wealth.
600. and his father made him a present OF
sl,000,000 on his twenty first birthday.
When his father died. In 1885. George w.
Vanderbilt Inherited about $40, 900. 900. In
GLIDING the bulk Of the Vanderbilt land
on Staten Island. When his mother
died she left him the Vanderbilt home At
$40 Fifth avenue. including the paintings.
stRtusrtes. tapestries and other art treas
urss which II contained.
Mr. Vanderbilt was devoted TO the fine
arts ever since he reached early man.
hood and acquired a wide reputation as
u book lover. caring more, however. for
the contents than the cover. When In the
city ne regularly attended the opera. lie
WAS familiar with eight language
Mr. Nanderbilt's health was never ro-
bust, and rs he devoted much OF his time
before the acquisition OF Blltmore to the
study OF classical literature this study
ing had severe effects. Physicians ad-
vlsed him to spend the larger part OF the
winter in the South, and he had this fact
in mind In acquiring Biltmore.
In appearance he was slightly above
middle height with n slender frame. He
had a high. white forehead, blue gray
eyes and n brown mustache.
Mr.. Vanderbilt decided u few Year, af.
ter the death Of his father to possess the
this end In view he spent more than
80, 100000 In buying up tracts Of land.
In improvements and In building o beau
tifui house and gardens.
He began the acquisition OF Bit
moro estate In 1887. His agents bought
up farm after farm NJ reasonable prices
before tho natives learned the purpose
before his name became associated with
tho purchases, and then the values began
to soar. Land worth Q few dollars an
acre jumped to $3.50. II was Q holdup. but
Mr.. Vanderbilt was Wiling to pay the
price. and within Ave years he had ac-
Quired 10000 acres.
The Blltmorc estate In among the pine
and oak clad mountains Of tho Blue Ridge.
He made elaborate plans for transform
ing the ragged hills into a scene OF great
grandeur and beauty and carried the
plans through at an enormous cost.
$4,000 Tennis Court.
lie engaged Frederick Law Olmstead,
the landscape architect who laid out Gen.
trial Park. to do his best work. and Mr..
Oimstsad took him at his word. clifford
Pinchot was consulting forester for the
work. The land afforded many peculiar
difficulties. most of which contained beau
tiss which MI Vanderbilt and his archl-
tects did not want to spoil. The founda-
tions alons for the house cost $500, 900.
and the tennis court, built out on the side
OF q mountain. with massive rock foun.
dstions. cost $4,000.
In 1886. two years before the place was
ready, Mr.. Vanderbilt had spent $4,000
900 on It. All the time he kept acquiring
new tracts OF land. sometimes at enormous
prices. until Biltmoro consisted Of l0o..
600 acres.
A. an indication OF the prices he had
10 pay, he gave (76,ooo eight years ago
Ia a utYip OF land which had bean worth