Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-20
The New Congressional Library.


the entire western projection of the present
Capitol. The main room, which is the
part of the design now being finished, is
ninety-one feet long, thirty four feet wide,
and thirty light feet high. 1t occupies the
centre of the western projection, and con-
meets at each end with room of CORES
ponding height, twenty mine feet six inches
wide, and seventy feet two inches long -
These rooms are fitted up with iron cases,
and iron ceilings, similar to those of the
main library. They are also rooted with
copper laid on iron rafters, and lighted by
ornamental skylights. The connexion be-
tween the centre and the end rooms is made
by openings of ten feet in width by twenty
eight feet six inches in height. crowned by
elliptical arches. There are also two addi
tional apartments, each eighteen feet six
inches by thirty-fve feet, one of which is
now temporarily occupied by the library;
thus forming suite of flee rooms, embra-
cling an extent Of three hundred and two
feet. These smaller apartments will be
appropriated to the use Of Senators and
members of the House of Representatives
as private reading rooms.
The entire plan cannot, however, be
carried out until accommodations are pro-
vided in the new wings for the officers of
Congress, and the committees now occupy
ing the north and the south rooms of the
western projection.
The main library room, which is now
completed, embraces the space occupied by
the old library before the fire. On both
sides Of the room are three stories of iron
cases, each nine feet six inches in height
The lower story consists of alcoves project
ing eight feet six inches into the room, with
cases on each side Of the projections. The
second story has similar alcoves, excepting
that their projection is but five feet, which
leaves platform of three feet six inches in
width, resting on the cases below, and
which constitute commodious gallery. A
similar platform is constructed on the al
coves of the second story, forming gallery
to approach the upper cases; thus making
three stories, receding as they ascend.
These galleries are continued across the
ends of the room, where they are supported
by massive brackets.
The alcoves are nine feet eight inches in
width, from centre to centre, with an orna-
mental pier forming the head of each pro-
lection. The architraves which cross the
alcoves are finished with shields, browning
bands and corner ornaments. The shields
are designed as tablets to receive the names
of the general subjects on which the books
in the respective alcoves treat.
The galleries are all foored with cast iron
plates, and protected by pedestals and rail-
ings; they are approached by two semicir-
cular stairways of cast iron, recessed in the
end walls of the room
The ceiling is wholly composed of iron !;
it is suspended from strong iron trusses,
which likewise constitute the support of the
roof; it rests on tscenty -four massy consoles
ornamented with foliage, frnits, and scrolls.
Each of these consoles weighs nearly ton.
Their projection from the face of the walls
is five feet six inches, their height five feet
four inches, and their width twenty-one
inches The entire ceiling is divided into
deeply sunken panels, and embellished with
ornate inouldings and foliated pendants.
The room is lighted. in addition to the
.fve ndows in the western front, by eight
sky-lights in the ceiling, each sir feet square
in the clear, filled in with ornamented glass,
and protected by an upper sky-light of sew
enty seven feet in length by ten feet six
inches in width, placed on corresponding
angle with the roof, and covered with thick
plates of glass. The roof is covered with
copper, secured by copper wire to the iron
rafters.
The furnaces for warming this portion of
the building are completed, and in operation
They consist of hot water pipes enclosed
in chambers erected in the old furnace room
in the cellar, and connected with boilers for