The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-30
THE CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY.
Progress of the work-The Final Cost.

Progress of the WOrk-The Final Cost.
From the New York Erening Post
Work on the hew congressional library
building is making strides that seem marvel
Gus by contrast with what was done, or
left undone, under the old triumvirate
management. Gen. Casey, the chief of en-
glneers. who is at the head of the under
taxing, has already made his reputation, but
that uoes not il the least dampen his entuu-
siasm. Under him are the architect, Paul
j. Pelz, who draws the plans and details,
and the supervising engineer, b. r. Green,
who sees tnat the design OF Mr. Pelz is car
ried Uui. Thanks t. tae perfect discipline
Of Mr.. Green, the 800 men engaged on the
work move almost as one, without lar or
friction, nobody getting into his neigh or's
way, and Tue various parts of the building
bang pushed forward III such an order that
all ere continually employed.
Although the law sets the limit of time
for completion at seven years, it would no.
be surprising to SEQ everything finished at
least year earlier. The present manage
ment took mold OcJ. last, when there was
nothing but huge hole IN the ground to
show for the laborS of their predecessors.
To-day three-quarters OF the foundations
have been carried up to the level of the
ground floor, and by the end of the seas IN
<,
Contracting for material is going forward
rapid y, and by Nov. it is probable tuat
the material for all the exterior of the build
ing Will be under contract. Considerable
criticism has been passed upon the preseat
management for contracting for English
glazed brick instead of American. The ex-
PLANTATION offered, however, is that there is
nothing made in America of the kind
wanJed. These bricks have an ivory-wnite
fupia1 nd oh
pecial reference 20 their power of rejecting
light. They will be used for the
facings of the courts; and it is ex-
pected that, by their aid, the titles of
books on the shelves, which will run nine
teen or twenty feet inward from the light,
will be quite easily read by the Librarians
in search of tlem. The bricks chosen are
white, or nearly white, all the way through,
so that II tue enamei becomes broxeA i'll
places the light viii still be reflected fir IN
them, and tueir artistic effect will not be
destroyed by arevelation OF inharmonious
colors. No American enameled brick mas
this white DodY; tie white enamel is laid
on a red body, and every caipping makes
an ugly blotcn on the surface.
the granite which will be used for
facIngs, and for which 81, 200, 900 contract
has been awarded to a New Hampshire
quarry, IS the lightest granite, per. aps, IN
the world. 1t resembles in tone white
marble, with the faintest wash of India ink
over IL; 50 that the building will be, 10 all
intents, white one. The generosity which
congress suddenly manifested when it was
finally settled that Gen. Casey was TO handle
the work aud funds for the future has
done a great deal for the management
in this matter of material cJutraols.
Under the usual rule, which forblds enter
ing into agreements Involving more than
the actual appropriation available, it would
have been impossible to insure tue absolute
integrity of the stouework 10 tint, because
the stone procured under piecemeal con-
tracts might have come from different
querries or parts of quarries. AS it is,
however, Gen. Casey is empowered to make
Lis contract for tAls important feature
quite Independently OF the regular appro-
priation, and congress has bound itself to
foot the bills.
Congress, it will be remembered, chose
the $6,0OO,OO0 plan when the final struggle
came. AS matter of fact there will be
about $6,500,000 available, as something
like 100000 unexpended balance was
turned over by the old management to the
new. 1t is believed that the expense will
be kept easily within the estimates, and
that there may even be saving to restore
to the treasury.
The new library, when finished, will be of
ninety years. 1t would be possible, how
ever, by building small additions in the
courts, to extend the term to 800 years.
That" said Architect Pelz, to whom the
question of its practicability was referred
By your correspondent, will, in my opin-
ion, never be done. There is probably in a
library, as in hotel, fixed lint to its
capacity for usefulness. In hotel we cal
culate that the limit is reached at 500 rooms
When you get beyond that you find it I'M
wieldy, and the effort expended in manage
ment is not compensated by the returns,
while some part of so huge an affair is
likely to be always in trouble, causing dis
comfort and Inconvenience in the other
parts. Possibly, when the ninety years
have elapsed, if the books still continue
pouring in, it will be deemed wise to divide
them into special classes and ind room for
those classes elsewhere. There might be,
for instance, scientific annex and an ar
tistic annex, and SO forth, the main build
ing being used for general library purposes,
aud students of particular topics going to
the places where the works they wish TO
consult can be found. At any rate that is
something which, think, after having
taken care of three generations, we can af-
ford to leave posterity to work out for it.
SELF