Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
Progress Made on the Big Building
On Capitol Hill.
TWO STORIES NOW BUILT.
Immense Amount Of Brick and stone Tn
he Employcd-someth About the
General PIan-There Will He an
Abundance Of Daylight.


These to the outside world, that sees nothing but
the mechanism visible above the great fence,
are the only evidences of the magnificent struc-
ture which shall soon shelter the contents Of
the Congressional Library. Few people real
lie how rapidly the construction Of that build
ing is going on and the number of those per-
Sons who have any conception of the magnitude
If the work is amazingly small
THE MEN EMPLOYED.
Not fewer than go men toll daily (weather
rermitting) within the Enclosure bounded by
st and I'd and Eas: Capitol and streets Half
tlat number are mechanics, the other half are
hborers. More :han fifty of the former class
Se bricklayers. and but a little while ago that
c'aft had seventy representatives engaged in
manufacturing walls and arches from the raw
Materials of brick and cement. But this force
q go men Is not all, for there are 400
oilers engaged in preparing building
Material at .wo other points. The stone for
tie court yard walls comes from Woodstock.
Nd, and there $50 workmen are saving and
clipping the great blue-gray blocks into shape.
Garries at Concord, y. H.. supply the stone
fG the fronts of the building. and MP in the
ganIte state $50 cunning workmen are making
rady that which shall, when properly assem-
bed, be thing of beauty and Joy forever.
WAITING FOR THE GRANITE.
II the granite could only be supplied in
duble the present quantity building could
pogress twice as rapidly. but the authorities
a. satisfied with the ratio of speed with which
ntters are moving along, because they are
MT an hour behind time. Careful calculation
VS. made as to the capacity of the quarries, and
III contractors have been kept right up to all
N requirements of their obligations. III a
Contractor falls short his contract is vitiated
an some other man Is given an opportunity to
dohe things which are needful and TO receive
instrumentation which
full,
Wen the granite arrives here il is ready to
be Rced in the walls. The contractor has
POSSESSION Of specifications which render un-
necehry even the least amount Of trimming
vhenthe stone has been delivered. Each
stonet cut to the size called for by the specifi-
cahonRnd when the stonecutter has COM
pletedlhis work it is inspected by govern
ment tficer engaged for that purpose. No
materlt with flaws in it is accepted and instant
rejectit is the fate of any block that does not
conforrfn every particular to the measure
ments 81 ed for. When the scrutiny of the in
spector tls to reveal any defect the stone has
Its numfr and weight painted upon it, is
packed ~ crate and shipped with others to
this city. 1lIsfits are unheard of.
Ta GREAT MASS OF BRICK USED.
The greet mass of masonry in the library
building till be of brick. Frequently an irate
individl5 will threaten to fall upon some
offendn9One like thousand of brick with
out ha-i1e the slightest idea as to the force
which iei in the motion of ten hundred of the
rectangular Jumps of baked clay so commonly
used DR. building purposes. One thousand
brickyill weigh two and a half tons-quite suf-
tclen to spoil the harmony of outline in any
huma form they might strike. One thousand
brlcbwould be lost even in SO much of the
structure as has gone up. At tho present time
the rowel-wieldiug mechanics have put in
plac, nearly 7.000.OO1 of brick about
1850 tons. When the building is complete the
brici work will weigh not less than 20, 900 TONS
Tor ne estimates have it that at least IS 600 900
Of nose Jumps Of aubu.n-hued clay will be
necssary.
THOUSANDS OF TONS OF STONE.
he stone used up to date would turn the
male at $500 tons. Three hundred tons of iron
work also adds little to the weight, to say
rothing Of the solid avoirdupois of 1000 bar
res OF cement
No one can realize the progress Of the great
ssrk unless he or she walks all through and
al over the building as IL now is. Escorted by
Mr.. Bernard Green, who Is general superin-
tendent and Gen. Casey's right-hand man at
one and the same time, STAR reporter wan
6ered through corridors, up ladders, over
pals and everywhere else the other after
boon.
The most apparent feature to even a casual
observer Is the solidity of construction and the
precautions which seem to have been taken
Everywhere to make the whole thing fireproof
At present the building stands two stories
bboye ground
THE BASEMENT STORY.
| The first Of these, known as the basement
btory. was built last season, and the second
which will be called the first, is the result Of
BOIL during the season of 1890. 1t was no small
amount Of work, for a walk around the exterior
y several feet more than one-third of mile.
Prom central point on the upper floor the
plan OF the building is not difficult to see. and
eith the aid of a little lucid explanation by Mr.
Preen Is easily understood. 1t is not at all in
Elcate IN Its comprehensiveness and was SO
klllfully contrived that much might be added
without disturbing In any particular the ar
Engagements which will be in force when the
eorary Is first opened to the public. bewil-
aerlng myriad of things had to be borne in
nlnd to make the plan a success. but SO far
very contingency and every fitting seems to
vave been provided for.
WILL HAVE PLENTY OF DAYLIGHT.
Mainly there seems to be a striving after a
nfficiency OF daylight and unless the signs fail
he suns rays will have no difficulty in pene-
fating all portions of the building where nat
raj illumination is necessary OF course
nere are some spots where gas or electricity
sill have to be put in operation, but they will
Dt be numerous The walls of the basement
Drridors will be faced with white marble up to
Ne base OF the arched ceiling and from thence
Yward the bricks will be hidden by white
plaster. In the reading room there will be al
nost as much daylight as there would be on
ne outside. Enormous institutions are the
book stacks, yet these will be brilliantly lighted
b. nature on every fine day. There are to be
no great stacks, each of them with a capacity
fG 100000 volumes and every opportunity that
thnt could be taken possession OF to secure the
mfroduction of daylight was attended to. Be-
hlnd the books. above them and on either side
gll be profusion of the best polished plate
GAS, through which the light will enter
here Is to be a smaller stack on the east side
81 the building, and this, too will be plentifully
bewindowed.
ROOM FOR TWO MILLION BOOKS.
These three stacks and the alcoves will have
seOmbined capacity Of 1900, 900 books-nearIy
thfee times the bulkof the presentCongresslonal
Lhrary-and vet there will be daylight enough
Enc 70 spare. The book racks will occu py the
esst possible amount OF space. They are to be
srlusiyely ofiron and have been so geniOusly
slammed that where there may one day be a
- OF books there may tomorrow be an
rSe; any arrangement or disarrangement
sens 10 be possible with a minimum OF
EonOle- The big stacks will extend heaven
sHd sixty-three feet.
p obyIate tine possibility Of the court var DIS
be1g gloomy there has been lavish use
1enameled brick. The beautiful effects pro-
mod by Its combination with the blue gray
H2yland granite must be seen to be appre-
desed The colors harmonic perfectly and the
rseected hight Is Of very satisfactory descrip-
Hon when lt rains the bricks are more highly
besned and have greater refractive overs.
MACHINERY NOW Used.
Machinery plays an important part the