The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-04-22

lege of freely using the books inside The
halls, and every day the rooms are filled
with readers, many of whom come from
various sections of the country to avail
themselves of the use of these literary
stores, in their researches upon different
subjects. This library, gathered primarily
for the use of the Legislative and judicial
branches of the goSernment, has now
grown 50 entirely beyond the wants of
congress. that its use and benefits should
not be confined within the original limits.
When the new building is erected an effort
will be made to have it open every day
and every evening of the week, as a free
public library.
There is little doubt that the president
will sign the house bill, and that work
upon the new structure will be speedily
begun. The building is to be located on
capitol hill, just east of the capitol. The
material will probably be stone. 1t is to
be in modified Gothic style of architec-
ture. $50 by 300 feet, two stories high,
with two central spires and corner payil-
ions and numerous arched windows in the
facade. 1t will have an alcove capacity of
| 3.554, $50 volumes, exclusive of newspaper
files music in Sheets unbound pamphlets,
ETC., for all of which ample provisions
are made, together with circular reading
rooms 100 feet in diameter, and exhibit
halls for "Washingtoniana," the graphic
fine arts ETC., in the second story. The
illustration given above is from photo
graph of the architects drawings as orig
nelly submitted, and only conveys an idea
of tho general contour of the structure.
The other illustrations give some idea of
the cramped quarters in which the library
| is now located
For comparison with the other large Ii
braries of the world, the following statls-
tics are compiled from the latest attaina-
BILE sources: The largest library in the
world is that of the French, at Paris,
which contains to-day upward of 100000
printed books and 100000 manuscripts.
Between the Imperial library, at st. Pc
tersburg, and the British museum it is
difficult to say which is the larger. Neither
will vary much from 100000 volumes.
The Royal library of Munich has now
something over 100000. but this in
cludes 100000 pamphlets; the Royal
library at Berlin contains 100000; the Ii
brary at Copenhagen 510,000 the library
at Dresden 100000; library at Vienna
100000; University library at Gottingen
Germany, 100000. The Vatican library al
Rome has about 10000 printed books
and commenced in 1873. There are abou
sixty other libraries in Europe larger thar
the Vatican library. The National li5rar.
of Paris is one of the very Oldest in Eu
rope, having been founded in 1850
although the University library at Prague
is reported founded the same year. Thu
British Museum dates its commencement
about four hundred years later-1753. o
the large libraries in the United States
the Boston Public library comes next t.
the Congressional, with about 325,OOO lin
GLIDING the duplicates in its sevel
branches); the Harvard university collec
ton comes next, with about 100000; tn
Astor and Mercantile, of New York, hav
each about 10000; Yale college has abou
: $4,000; Dartmouth about $4,000; Corne
university, with $4,000; the University
Virginia, $4,000; Bowdoin, with $4,000
the University of South Carolina, wit
10000; Michigan state, 10000; Amhers
44,5OO; Princeton, $4,000; Pennsylvani
Mercantile, 10000, and Columbia un
versity, South Carolina, $4,000. 1t wi
thus be seen that our National library, 6
it should be called, exceeds all but eigh
or possibly nine, of the ancient Ibrarle
of Europe, and all in America.