Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-22
DESGRACErUT. CONDITION OF THE
St.kESSa0NAL LIBRARY.

From the Providence Press
Several very important measures will c,me
before Congress for action, but not one in which
the necessity of doing something Immediately is
more pressing than that of providing adequate
and suitable accommodations for the congress
siOnal library. This is matter which has been
repeatedly brought to the attention of Congress
in the course of the last dozen years. during
which it has been criminally neglected until the
present condition Of the most comprehensive
and valuable collection of books and other lite
rary treasures in the country is a public re-
proach and scandal, and would disgrace any ma
ton which pretends to be civilized and enlight-
ened. Somewhat more than one-half of the
library is bestowed in three lofty rooms which,
according to the notions of the architect who
superintendent their construction. are fire-proof
They might have been so before every inch of
space that could be used was fitted with pine
shelving dry as finder, and before cords
OF unbound books and pamphlets were neces-
sariy arranged IN these improvised finder
boxes, or piled in heaps upon the main floors
and in the alcoves and galleries. In these three
rooms, with their kindling fixtures. per-
haps three-fourths of the possessions of the
library are contained. Where is the remainder?
Senators and Congressman know, unless they
are criminaliy Ignorant, that the librarys collec
ton of documents published by the general gov
eminent, is stored in a loft whichis by no means
fire-proof and which is SO small that of neces-
sity thousands Of volumes are piled on the floor
in great heaps like cord wood. The garnet in
which they are thus imprisoned by the ineffi-
cheney. neglect and parsmony of Congress is
dark and ill-smelling. and affords secure har-
Dor for dust, rats, mice and other vermn which
prey upon books While this collection of pub
lie documents is not complete. it is more nearly
so than any other in the world except that de-
posted in the British museum. If destroyed,
as it is now liable to be at any hour through
accident or carelessness, it could never be re-
placed except at enormous expense Besides, a
great portion of the books are virtually mac
cessible for purposes of study or reference.
Senators and Congressman also know or
ought to know, that the priceless collection of
bound newspaper files, more than 5000 in num-
Der, which furnish an unbrOken diary Of events
from colonial days down to the present. are
packed in garnet adjoining that in which the
public documents are stored, and where they
are exposed to the same dangers of destruction
from fire and from vermin. Should these inyal-
liable records of contemporary events be de-
StrOyed no expenditure of money would replace
Them The two garrets mentioned are thirty or
forty feet above the main floor and can be
reached only by three narrow. steep flights of
winding stairs. A fire kindled in either garnet
would Immediately spread to the main library.
where the pine cases and shelves before men,
toned would furnish fuel enoughtO cause great,
if not irretrievable damage to the 800, 900 vol
umes therein contained.
All this is disgraceful enough, but worse re-
mains to be told. In the basement and SUBJ
basement of the Capitol are four dark. damp,
dungeon-lke rooms, unfit for any purpose eX-
cept as places to store fuel. They cannot be
heated, and no ray of daylight penetrates them
For six or seven months Of the year person
cannot remain in either of them any length of
time without imminent risk to health and life
In one of these dungeons. where dampness and
mldew prevail and verInin hold carnival, are
stored the copyright files of the library the
records of title to literary property, in the
preservation of which every American author
and publisher is personally and pecuniarily in
terested. Into another dungeon are crammed
the government publications Of foreign coun-
tries. a file of which certainly ought to be suit
ably arranged for reference; now they are prac-
tically as worthless as though they had never
left the printing press. Two other dungeons
serve also as literary mausoleums, and are filled
with valuable volumes which appear destined
never again to see the light Of day.
But there is worse even than this to be told.
The congressional library possesses one of the
most complete and valuable pictorial and carto-
graphic collections in the United States. mainly
accumulated without expense under the opera
ton OF the copyright law. This collection is
valuable, not only intrinsicaly but as furnishing
an Illustration of the rise, progress and present
condition OF the arts of engraving, photography
cartOgraphy and photography in the United
States. By requiring the deposit of these arti-
Giles. as well as of books. the government has
assumed trust and made itself responsible
not only for their preservation, but for their
proper arrangement and display for pur-
poses of public study and instruction. How
has that trust been fulfilled? If any Senator or
Congressman is curious to know, and can spare
half-hOur from his engrosSing duties to his
''deestrick' and from the opportunities of
Office-seeking constituents, let him make a pill
grlmage to certain sllbterranean recess under
the crypt in the Capitol. He will there find
dark archway, section of which has been
roughly inclosed and into the black, damp hole
thus created he will find crammed packed and
squeezed-wthOut arrangement or order be-
cause either is thus impossbe-tens of thOus-
ands of maps and charts and other treasures
belonging to the congressional library. Then let
him blush as he asks himself what share OF re-
SpOnsibility rests upon him for this disgraceful
condition Of affairs.
The attendants in the library are crowded
about as badly as are the books; the rooms are
wretchedly ventilated; there is no elevator or
dumb waiter and when book is wanted from
the uppermoSt gallery an attendant is compelled
to climb three steep flights OF stairs and make a
Journey of 100 to 500 feet going and returning;
the toilet arrangements are in remote Out-Of-
the-way corner! People who desire to consult
the books in the library are furnished no suita-
bic accommodations. half dozen small tables
are provided for their use. These are at all
times crowded with readers during library hours.
but they are necessarily placed in the most pub
lie part OF the library that anything like prof
liable and continuous study and investigation
OF any subject is practically forbidden. In fine,
owing wholly to the incapacity, neglect and mig
gardliness OF Congress, which has steadily dis
regarded the appeals and protests of Mr.. Spot
ford, the able and accomplished librarian. and of
the more enlightened portion of the American
people, the Congressional library is practically
useless.
Some Congressman whose acquaintance with
literature is chiefly confined to the daily news
papers and Congressional Record have deigned
to express an interest in the library to the ex-
tent of suggesting that it contains too many
books, and that three-fOurths or nine-tenths of
them might better be sold! One of these mod
ern disciples of Omar coolIy declared that half
the library might as well be burned and expressed
a willingness to serve as a member Of a select
committee to decide which books should be
saved and which destroyed. By purchase and
by the operation of the copyright law the yearly
accessions to the library exceed $4,000 books,
pamphlets, maps, engravings, etc. The ratio Of
actessions, of course, increases, yearly; and the
architect Of the Capitol has estimated
that if the Senate chamber, the Rep
resentatives hall, the Supreme Court room