The morning call., 1892-12-26
NATIONAL BOOKS.
rIarvels of the Library of
Congress.
AN UNDERGROUND RAILWAY.
Clever Mechanical Devices -Machinery
as an Aid to Literary Progress
at the Capitol.

The new library OF Congress with the Cap
.ol. says the New York Sun. 1t will be on
liliputian scale, and the little cars run
upon it will carry only books as passengers.
So rapid and effective will this method Of
communication be that Congressman will
be able TO procure at the briefest notice
volumes that are needed off-hand for
reference or for use in debate. From
a station situated midway between House
and Senate orders will be telegraphed
or otherwise swiftly sent. and the
books on arrival be distributed by messen-
gers. This will be a very different affair
from the famous 'hole in the ground
which was made seventeen years ago to
connect the Capitol with the Government
Printing Office by gigantic pneumatic tube
big enough for man 10 be whisked through.
Il was intended for conveying public docu-
ments, but the $4,000 spent on is was
wasted. inasmuch as IL never worked, and
IL is now used merely as conduit for tele-
phone wires.
There Is 40 library building ia the world
that at all compares with the one now
being erected by Uncle Sam. Novel me-
chanical devices will constitute one of its
most interesting features. improvements Of
the kind have never been thought of abroad.
where the great book collections are usually
SO managed that their treasures are to a
great extent unavailable. In the library
Of Congress the volumes will be handled
almost entirely by machinery. Orders
will be Sent to the book stacks and
books brought from them to the
desk for distribution by trays sus-
pended from endless chains, the latter be-
ing made 10 travel by means OF an en-
CINE In the basement. The mechanism will
be noiseess and invisible also. the carriers
going beneath the floor Of the great central
reading-room to and fro between the IL
braian's desk and the book stacks. Every
arriving tray will dump itself auto
matically at the desk Likewise in
taking volumes back each tray will spill
its contents OF It's own accord at cer-
tain tier. For example, If q book belongs
on tier the disk attendant waits until the
carrier marked Z comes along and puts the
volume on it as it passes. When it gets TO
tier the book Is spilled out by the action of
peg and catch, and the person in charge
of that Tier puts il away on its proper shelf.
When one learns that there are 600, 900
bound volumes liz the library of Congress,
the mind does not grasp the fact with very
clear comprehension. 1t Is easier 10
absorb the idea when 1t is explained
that this number Of books. placed side
by side as on shelf, would stretch
eleven miles. But the new building
was not planned to accommodate only so
the great collection will grow enormously
through centuries to come. Adjoining the
central rOtunda are two structures which
might be compared TO gigantic h0neycombs.
made wholly OF iron instead of wax.
and designed to hold not nectar,
stacks" and each of the pair will contain
100000 volumes. Each Of them is 65 feet
high, III feet long, As feet wide. and
has nine stories. On the iron shelves,
made grldiTon-iashicn, the books will be
placed back TO back with Just enough
room between the bookcases to afford narrow
plssagewayS. Thus they will have plenty
OF fresh air, which Is as necessary to books
as 1t is to human beings. Books must have
ventilation, else they will rot. and they
have to be kept cool Heat makes them
decay, and bad air causes mould. Books
stored by this stack system, which is
comparatively new invention, cannot pos
sibly be burned. If set affre, nothing else
eombustible being at hand. they merely
shoulder.
However, 100000 volumes do not by any
means represent the capacity OF the build
ing. Ii is anticipated that the library OF
Congress will be the biggest In the world
some day. and provision has been made in
the construction of the edifce for ac-
eommodating 100000 books. All bind
ing will be done on the premises
an item which costs $1,000 anuu-
ally. There Will be plenty of room
also for the copyright division, which
requires great space for the filing away of
"Aa pohAfNohbhcs ClC', VI WHICH
are granted. Copyrights are issued for
good many things besides books. periodicals
and pamphlets. They are given for new
pieces OF music, engravings, ehromos, and
even puzzles and games. The games and
puzzles are not themselves subject to copy
light, but the directions for them are so, be-
ing printed matter. Very commonly the
manufacturers, though there Is no need that
they should do so, send in the playthings
together with the descriptions-building
blocks, chopped-up animals, parlor biliord
tables. or what not-and they are duly
stored. Uncle sam has enough of such
articles In the capitol at present to stock
several toy shops for next Christmas.
The plan of the new Library of Congress
Is copied alter that of the British Museum,
in respect TO having the reading room in the
middle, with the book stacks around IT,
Mr.. Spofford will SIT at an elevated desk In
the center of the big rotunda, so as to
overlook everything and keep an eye on
the readers. There will be space for 5000
people, seated at desks arranged in con-
centric circles. From behind ring-shaped
counter surrounding the librarian his as
sissants will give out and receive books,
the endless chains of travelling trays dump
ing and taking on their loads Inside of this
ring,