The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-09-10

Wood to finish the road at the rate OF $26, 200 per
mile, and take one-quarter the amount in stock at
par, one-quarter in bonds payable in twenty years.
and the remainder in cash the work progresses.
The number of miles to be constructed to the Can
ada line is about one hundred.
RAILROAD IRoN FOR CUBA-The bark DIRK, which
cleared lately for San Juan, Cuba, has on board
1910 bars railroad iron for the railroad build
| ing that island-Bost0n Ifapeiler.
|
From the Netc York Journal Of Commerce.
The Aston Library.
The work of demolition has been commenced
| among the shrubbery and stately trees of vauxhal
Garden in Lafayette Place, near the Italian Opera
house, preparatory to laying the foundation walls
of the Aston Library building. We congratulate
the public upon the prospect of the speedy construc
ton of edifce that will grace the city and reflect
credit upon our artisans, should the designs of the
projectors, developed in the plans of the arch
tect, be carried out, they undoubtedly will. 1t
will be built in the Byzantine STYLE rather in the
style of the royal palaces of Florence and conse
| quently will present strongly imposing appear
ance, both in its external and internal structure
Its dimensions will be one hundred and twenty feet
III length, by sixty five wide, and from the level of
the sidewalk to the upper line of the parapet its
height will be sixty seven feet-buit of brown cut
stone. Scarcely particle of wood will enter into
its composition. We are informed that no building
in the United States, of this character, will be
| formed, to such large extent, of IRON According
to the estimates, the iron work will form of the
heaviest items of expenditure Its uses, too, will
be altogether novel, at least in this country, and in
genious For instance, the truss beams, supporting
the principal weight OF the roof, will be constructed
of cast-iron pipes, in parabola FORM on the same
plan with the iron bridges in France, and other
parts of Europe, with view TO secure ghtness and
strength.
The Library hall, which will occupy the second
floor of the edifice, will be truly elegant apart
ment, 100 feet in length by 60 wide, in the clear.
The from the front will be by single line of
L L.. .t.l .tt
the entrance, by stone sphinx Upon nearing the
summit of these steps, the visiter hnds himself near
| the centre of this immense alcove, surrounded by
fourteen brick piers, plastered and finished In mi
taton of Italian marble and supporting iron gale
| ries, midway between the floor and the ceiling.
The side walls, from ''pit to dome, form one CON
tnuous shelving OF capacity sufficient Tor lOO,ooO
volumes. This is reached by means OF the main
gallery, in connexion with which four iron
spiral stairways Zone from each corner OF the build
ing,) and an intervening gallery OF lighter and
smaller description, also connected by Its saircases
eight in number, with the main gallery. The whole
are very ingenousy arranged and appropriately
ornanented, in style corresponding with the gen
eral architecture Of the building AT an elevation
of ty-one feet above the spectator Is the principal
sky light 81 feet long by Ia broad, and formed Of
thick glass, set in iron Besides this, are circular
| side sky flights Of much smaller dimensions All
| needfu light j. thus furnished, in conne1ion with
| the windows in the front and rear walls. Free
ventilation il also bad by of iron iretwork
inserted in suitable portions of the ceiling. In the
| extreme rear arc the two librarians rooms, to
which access Is had by means Of the main gale
| ries.
The first floor will contain the lecture and read
| ing rooms with accommodations for five hundred
persons. The latter located each side of the
building, and separated from the library hall stair
way at the front entrance, by two corridors lead
| ing to the rear vestibule, and from .encc TO The
lecture room, still farther in the The base
| ment contains the keepers rooms, cellars, coal
vaults, air furnaces, &C. The floors com
| A
iron beams
The library building in ts exterior, especially as
seen from the street, will present am appearance at
once grand and imposing The first story will be
faced with high rustic asher, projecting SIX inches,
| thus imparting extremely bold relief The win
| dow frames placed the inside line of the
wall forming deep recesses, in order to secure the
same effect These consist primarily Of six, occu-
| pying the central portion and admitting light TO
| the library hall, placed three above and three be
| low a given point-the upper connected with the
| lower by columns, supported by figures represent
ing the Genii Of Literature Between these sets Of
windows is inscribed castor Library, ls49." The
| remaining windows two in number, one ON
either side Of the entrance, and connected with the
\ lecture
The amount authorized to be expended in the
erection of this building is S75,OOO-of course
elusive Of furniture and shelving The latter will
cost, probably $1,000. Two years, IL is expected,
will BE- required TO complete Il. The architect Is
Mr. Alex Saeltzer, from Berlin a pupil of the cele-
brated Schinkol. The entire appropriation for
| the library and building is 5000, Of which
about oneha Is 10 be funded FOR the benefit Of the
hbrsry-thus ensuring to i perpctuity such a.
similar institutions but seldom possess Through
the efforts of Mr. J. G.. Cogswell, in England and
on the Continent about 200 volumes have been
collected, and now in his keeping ut No. 32
Bond street, where They are accessible to visters
though the public are not generally Of the
fact. We are informed that Mr.. Cogswcil contcm-
plates making a second trip TO Europe, ere long,
for the purpose Of making additions-we may say,
as soon convenient and safe places Of deposit can
be procured for them, when purchased. The H.
brary Is designed 20 be valuable library Of ref
ercncc, and TO contain volumes that scicntif-
cally important and 20 voluminous and Of such q
costly character az place them beyond the reac
, ! of individuals The fact that Prof Agassiz was
} Obliged 10 suspend the publication Of of his
works for lack Of a library Of reference such a.
this, may be cited as illustrating its importance
Mr.. Prescott, also, in writing his histories, found
the libraries in this country defective, that be-
was nccesststed TO import library ON his own
count.
: OF the more rarc Of the volumes constituting
the Astor Library note the following:
: The Antiquities of Mexico comprising fac sim
lies Of ancient Mexican paintings and hieroglyphcs
preserved in the royal libreries Of Paris, Berlin
D Dresden, Vienna, &C. by Lord kingsborough, in
D volumes, imperial folio.
= Piranesi's Antiquities Of Rome, in q volumes
imperial folio.
Gould's Birds Of Europe, in volumes
4 sbthorps Flora Greca, in 10 volumes, royal folio
Bloch's Natural History Of Fishes, IL volumes
: bound In o.
complete collection Of the Oriental Translation
G Fund, comprising original documents relative q
history and literature Of the East so volumes, quartz
= and octave.
Archeoogia, valuable work 70 antiquarian'
and historians, 30 volumes
e Alexander Humboldt's and Bonplsnd's works, u
o ~ volumes, folio
e Ismbert's Genus Pinus, 3 vols, imp. folio.
) /. The Orchedecew Of Mexico and Guatemala, By
Jas Batemsn, esq, y. Rs