The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-03-22
A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL.
THE RIGGS LIBRARY OF GEORGE
TOWN COLLEGE.
The Large Library Hall Fitted Up and
Decorated in tie Most Artistic Man
ner-A Description of the Handsome
Hall.

books belonging to Georgetown College is
about to be removed to the library just pre-
pared for their reception in the new
building. This library is the gift of Mr. E.
Francis Riggs, and is q memorial of his father
and brother, George w. Riggs and I.
Laurason Riggs. The history of this
library will bear telling, as the story has
never appeared in print. 1t was during the
period that Father Healy was president Of
the college that the magnificent building that
now gladdens the eye was planned and
erected. Father Realy selected the large room
in the southeast corner of the building, occu-
pying the third aud fourth stories, as the one
most fitting for the library, as it afforded
more light and seemed to be better adapted
for the purpose than any of the rest. 1t also
gives one of the finest views of the city, the
panorama which travellers have pronounced
to be as fine as any in the world. The
building proper has been gradually brought
to a state approaching completion, but the
library-room remained with nothing but the
rough stone walls, because there wasn't Just
at the time enough money on hand to meet
the necessary expense Of finishing 1t. 1t
remained in this rough state for quite
period. In the mean time the valuable and in
many instances rare books that could not be
replaced, to the number of $4,000, were
scattered around the building in various rooms.
During the centennial the library was used
as temporary dormitory for the hundreds of
former students who came on to visit their
Alma Mater. Every one remembers this CEN
tennial OF the college 1t was glorious time
for old Georgetown, and for while the eyes
of literary America were centred on the seat
of 1aar tha pto oft tba
centennial were received with great eclat, the
most welcome one was the surprise that the
rector. Father Richards, gave the assembly
during his speech. 1t was the information
that Mr.. E. Francis Riggs had generously
volunteered to furnish the sum sufficient
to fit up the library as memorial to his father
and brother. Father Richards said no more
fitting monument could be erected to the
memory of man than the endowment of
library, and in behalf of the faculty he ac-
cepted the gift. Plans were at once prepared
by the architect of the college, Mr.. Paul j.
Pelz, who entered heart and soul into the
work. The work was commenced about two
years ago, and after the many obstacles that
beset the finishing of such intricate and deli
cate instructions 1t was at last finished and is
now ready for the books.
reporter of THE HERALD, under the guild
ance of Father Harlin, inspected the magnif-
cent room last week. The library is a hall of
imposing dimensions, forty feet wide, by
sixty feet long, and has height of thirty-two
feet from floor to ceiling. The reading-room
is open and unobstructed, Offering view of
the full height of the sixteen column uprights
The space between the free centre portion and
the walls is subdivided into twelve alcoye
spaces by doubIe-faced book-stacks ex-
tending from the column uprghts to-
ward the wall, and the twelve spaces
are subdvided IN heights of four stories
by three galleries, thus creating forty
eight alcoves. These galleries are reached by
spiral stairways, and above the top alcove
there is cornice which terminates with a
glass ceiling. Two large skylights in the roof
supply the light for the upper tier of shelly
ing, and they diffuse the light 30 admirably as
to give an excellent light on that side of the
room which has no side windows. There are
eight side windows and they are divided up in
sashes by transons and mullions in geometri-
cal designs. All of the posts and uprights are
of iron, as well as the gallery floor supports
the floors being Of slate slabs The shelves
are of California redwood, fitting into steel
Z-shaped irons, which rest on the rachet teeth
of the uprights, thus making them adjustable.
Between the slate floors and the book stacks
there is space for the transmission of light,
which is covered with wire netting, so that a
book accidentally dropped cannot fall to the
BallcIg bcucdGu IIlSHIlnS anu Y6nIllaIlOD are
subseryed by this arrangement The galleries
are ofpipe railing, the beautifully nodded posts
being striking feature. The post uprights are
paneled in the centre portion of faces and
side, forming cruciform and semi-circuar-
headed figures, while the corners are provided
with elegantly designed colonettes, which give
the post a particularly light and graceful ap-
pearance diminishing the idea OF bulk and
weight to minimum. Above the fourth tier
in the cornice portion eight of the column
uprights carry coats of arms. Foremost in
beauty Of design is that of the Riggs family.
The leading feature of this escutcheon con-
sists OF three water spaniels carrying bird
bolts the colors being bright red and
silver. Then there is the college shield,
an eagle in national colors, with
globe in one claw and a cross in the
other, with glory Of stars and this inscrip-
tion, "Utraque Unum." Next is the famous
shield of the Order OF Jesus, a crown of thorns
in natural colors, with a glory in gold and
three iron spikes, and, last but not least, the
shield of the United States sE Pluribus
Unum." These shields were designed by the
architect Mr. Pelz, and were modelled by that
skillful artist, Mr.. Seltman. The embiazon-
ing or painting in heraldic colors was done in
the most correct manner under the eye of an
expert in heraldry. That of the United States
is one Of the few perfect ones in existence,
and was made according to authentic informa-
ton given by Chief Clerk SeYellon III. Brown,
OF the State Department. The artistic
arrangement Of the window mullion, de-
signs OF the animal kingdom, is the work of
that fine artist, Mr. Harry j. Ellieott, while
Mr.. Morean has placed some fine modelling on
the upright posts. A feature, and decided