Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30
THE LlBRARY BUILDING.
Details Of the Plan Approved BY the
House Committee.

THE LlBRARY BUILDING.
Details Of the Plan Approved BY the
House Committee.
HOW IT Is PROPOSED TO Provide ron rHx
GROWTH OF THE ABRAHAM ART GALLnRY
AND HALL FOB SHOWING MAPs-THE SITE
RECOMMENDED AND IT'S ADVANTAGES.
The report prepared by Mr.. Singleton, Of the
library committee, and submitted to the House,
urging the adoption of the bill providing for the
purchase of ground adjoining the Capitol
grounds on the east, and the erection thereon
Of the library building, according to the plans
OF Mr.. Smithmeyer, the architect, is the same
In substance as was made 10 the last Congress.
After describing the present crowded condition
OF the library, and giving figures as to its rapid
growth, the report argues against providing for
the library by building an extension to the
Capitol, on the ground that such an extension
would not make suitable provision The esti-
mated cost OF AN extension of the west front is
"a - 600 while the progosed separate build
contemplate an extension of the Capitol build
Ing, the report says, would relieve the library
for very few years at most.
THE PLAN OF THE BUILDING.
Referring to the proposed plan of a separate
building, the report says: ''It proposes a build
ing of ample dimensions, to hold ultimately
three million books, measuring $50 feet by 800
aud covering about 20 acres of ground. The
sance ORDER carefully and economically adapt.
ed In al Its parts to the purposes of a govern
ment library, and with interior arrangements
signed to be of stone in the exterior and of iron
ana concrete In the interior; entirely fre-proof
IN al, Its . parts is pleasing and sufficiently
be entirely in harmony with the Capitol. That
this proposed building 10 none too large for the
Qestlned wants OF the collection is proven by @
lew 0gureS which follow. Tho bxy
the building of the British Museum is 5 acres |;
area Of the National library of France at Paris
area Of the proposed National library, - acres
The proposed building, as stated, will contain
3,OOO,OOO volumes, with suitable economy OF
storage Its not designed to fit up the whole in
Terror at once with Iron shelving, but to introduce
1t gradually, finishing or the central portions,
extero4 strnctr aneS hg rooms and the entire
In the iron alcoves of the interior, and in a
building SO extensive these may be finished in
successive years, as wanted for the increase of
books. The most carefully guarded estimates
OF cost contemplate an expenditure of only
;b aeod,
complete the building for occupancy in all its
parts sufficient for sheving1 900, 600 books and
leaving space for the gradual introduction OF ad-
ditional iron alcoves In the coming fifty wears.
the ultimate gross cost of which Will not exceed
$7Oo,o40; or an average Of less than S14, 900 a
fees paid into the Treasury amount to over
$4,000 q year, while the pecuniary value of
copyright publications. received annually is
very much greater than this the expenditure
will appear moderate In com parfson with the
great resulting benefits and the national i'm
portance OF the work.
THE SITE
As to the site provided for in the Senate bill.
the committee have given to the subject careful
| consideration, and have compared it with other
proposed locations. They find that it com hines
the requisites of vicinity to the Capitol, salu-
DIRTY, elevation OF Site, and desirable surround
1ngS. TO q greater degree than N ut np 20
perfectly level, requiring no expenditure for
grading, or extra cost in preparing foundations,
which is cardinal point in providing for q great
national library to last for centuries. The pro
posed site Is the nearest eligible ground to the
north or south of the Capitol are at all suitable
for building SO large and massive as the
tectual edifce of such magnitude, besides the
serious objection that they are on q side hill
thus greatly increasing the cost of the build
Regarding the question of removal of the
library, and the convenience of supplying
books from its proposed site to the Capitol the
committee report that wherever 1t be located
| It Is proposed to retain the existing central
library room, containing about 10000 volumes
such as experience has shown to be most needed
as library for daily use and reference. ANY
calls for authorities beyond these can be sun
piled from the main library, through the use OF
about the time now occupied by the pages in
procuring books for members of the Senate or
the House, respectively. Additional force is
given to the arguments for a new library build
ing in the fact that the removal of the library
from the two wings would vacate space which
would give to the Senate and House from fif
teen to twenty new committee rooms, now SO
urgently needed; or the document and folding
rooms as we'll as the file rooms of both houses
might be removed to these WINGS already fitted
with iron hre-proOf shelving, thus vacatine for
committee rooms all the spaces occupied by
these offices.
THE READING ROOM.
The present library, the report says, has no
reading room worthy of the name. The pro
posed building would have a reading room as
large as the rotunda of the Capitol, from which
the alcOves OF books would radiate in all direc-
tlOns, thus reducing the waste of time and
space In the library to a minimum. By the use
OF numerous lifts or elevators the different sto-
close and quick connection. By abundant sky
the fact that the four exterior walls of the
library would be pierced with numerous win.
dOws, there would be secured the best lighted
library building In the world. BY the most i'm
proved interior ventilation system an eouable
temperature could be secured in the upper and
lower stories alike, while long experience has
demonstrated that neither proper light nor
wholesome ventilation are attainable in the
Capitol building. The plan of the new building
provides an art gallery on the second floor, 800
feet by 20, in which the collection OF art objects
in the library can be arranged and utilized. II
is proposed, also, to have a special hall for the
exhibition of maps.
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