, 1860-04-24
Correspondence Of the IreS4 and Tribune. I

Tr1s,ees,. made his first official trim to Europe
and procured $40. 600 worth of valuable works.
By his two subsequent visits abroad the amount
IF volumes reached ;o, 900. end on January 9Th,
1854 the Library was opened to the public.
For while DR.. Corsre1l vas engaged in col
}ectiue its treasures the trustees had bscn erect
ing tho Library edlfice. After choosing the
present plan, Mr.. ". 4. Saeltzer, by whom it
was drawn. was appointed superinteuding archi~
tect: the cornerstone was laid on March 14th,
1850, md the structure completed in July, 1858.
The books were arranged, classified and placed
m the shelves by the close of that yenr, The
ed;6ca ;s If e,ecant nronortions. 80 designed as
ia he canable Of LONGITUDINAL additions, without
the production of IN unpleasant effect. It is
bull. in tue BYZANTINE style of architecture, of
fine brick ornamented with brown stone mould
mrs and entab!aturc: is 10 feet iu height and
corh of The fvo Library Rooms measures 100
feet in length. c4 in with, and is so feet high
These rooms are reached by Sc broad marble
stcns Uu}r of The building. as it now stands.
;ns erected by Mr., IT, D. Asto-, and completed
in the Sprinc of last year: md, being connect
ed with and corresponding in style to the origi-
nal structure was opened to the public on
the asth Of last August. Thus enlarged, the
cntirc building presents an imposing appear
ancc, measuring 1SV feet in Nidth BY 10 in
depth, hr. ". i. Astor, in addition to the Gift
of the new edificc aud the lot o. which stands,
has made several larre donations Of books to
The marvellous collection Of costly aud yalu-
able works. accumulated here within decade
Of Years, has been accomplished By the untir-
/, iuc industry and literary skill Of Dr. CosswcI,
the honored Superintendent. Enshrincd with
the memory Of tie founders Of the Astor Lib
,ary, his name, like those of Archbishop Usher
k and Sir Thoma. Bodley, will endure through all
time. He bad curly prepared Il prospective
catalogue, forming 44C pages syo., containing
abbreviated titles of works III all departments
Of literature and science. This. the result Of
two ycars' patent toll, proved Of esscutiul value
to tue acquisition Of truly cosmopolitan liter
| arr collection.
Aud now as to the intellectual wealth Of our
magnificent library, which ut present exceeds
10000 volumes, distributed through sc alcoyes,
| containing 1900 presses. The original, or
south building is devoted to all the great foua-
dution works in science and art; the north
building to literature in all its branches and
| languages, Inecd not saw that the library is
beyond all question the great national collection
| Of the country; that it is to the United States
whit the British Museum Libray is to Great
Eritain. And I would hero remark. that for
uscfu1 library nurnoses t,,cre is hardly n co1.
/
;nasmuch ~ t1,e great libraries Of Paris Berlin,
Vienna Rome kc.. hare been co1lected during
hundreds of Years and are full of dup]icates
uncata.oeued namnb1ets &c. ..wh1lenot q cent 1ps
becn wasted in making nm The Astor Library
There are few. if any. dunlicates among its ro,.
umes the most valuable. the fame autheutica
ted works. hare been procurcd: every book is
cndurinc1y bound all arc systematically ar
r,poed md con be fonnd at n momcnt,s warn.
;nr. Furthermore. the collection is 50 vel
nrnnor,;ored hctwee, the different branches nj
t,;o.,, ,;t.r,4.-o ,,1 or+ That r. all ,bo ,+bc,
=, ~. r..,a 49,, ~ l., dos,rorad l., q,
;.s.aat h.ra,r nor+;c,a of b;,harto oc,,rei
,vn.n ,-non.;,ao .ro,,d In 1ost n ,n,nt;rd
IT,. ,;,... t. asxa.;ol,- .;,,, =, n;,,;oar,,,,,.
r..h.a,.... 1;na,,;e,;os S,ond;n.,;s, an
iechholoss' 'AnsaasI'es' ocano'na'1an ant
oriental Literature II also contains 'o.l oe
par'mcnts Of 1hcoiogs-seholasnc' Po'e"''
anu doema''c; jurisprudence Aasnema''cs
tnrc amcr;ran rn1onean and ss;a,ic History
and los, mt least nanv works Of cnrious ant
rare ;nte,sst and ;rnorta,cc. Amonc the Int
la'e interest III" An''o' '".e. 1>"o"s soe 4At
ter may DC seen the hrs' eot'on Of onaSspeafe
lo-o' procured, VIII olner eos''S "olhs'
tue sale ot Inc library OF 'ne MARQUIS o. enaa
dos; numerous specimeos ol Inc E1eslr LAS
scs' o'eefo' ls'''ea =, 1aas1 ~ 4'foo-o''l' ~
& Sea,s 4..Sr a ,as .a "asa ~ ca.,en a.s,rs ~,