The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-11
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY.
It viii Be the Finest Building of
It's Kind.
when Completed 1t VIII Represent an
Outlay of at Lessst Six Million Dol
l"rs-Tae Great Rotnndn-
Hugo Book Shelves.
Especial Washington Letter.

II Two more years will clapsc before
1.-THE new building for the congressional
&library can be completed. Two wears
Bhavc already passed since the work was
dactivciy begun, and no portion of the
leditica is yet under roof. Bnt, standing
aupon either of thc three porticos of the
capitol, the visitor may see the walls Of
d the new building arising over the tree
4 tops Of the capitol grounds. Two entire
blocks of ground are being covered with
1 this palace of tangible intelligence
Switch, when completed, will not only
3rival, but excel in all points, the celc-
bratcd temples of literature in the old
4 world. The entire cellar has been COM
3pletod and its roof is pierced everywhere
awith holes big ana holes littlc holes
Rbig enough to cntrap sparrow, and
holes big enough to let Il horse tumble
4 through. Visitors must be careful
where they step, or they may suddenly
find themselves trcading on space which
built in the roof of the cellar of the
structure TO make room for the passage
of pipes and ilucs for heating and ven
tilating the building which is gradually
growing SO synmetricully sliywards.
OF the entire four acres covered by this
cellar, nearly onc-half OF the space will
| be o$tApied by the machinery for heat
ing and vcntilating.
Moreover, all along the east front Of
the building, away out under the pave
mcnt and beneath the middle of the
street, there are coal vaults which will
accommodate II portion of the boilers
and engines in addition to the space oc-
cupied for this purpose within the
boundaries of the building proper The
other half of the cellar is to he left
available for the drycst kind of storage
for books and papers, pamphlets and
documents of all kinds, seldom called
for, but valuable to preserve. Over the
coal and boiler vaults layer of rich
soil is spread, and there will be a YER
durc bordercd driveway, adorned by
floral designs prepared by the sllillful
landscape gardener of the capitol But
until the structure is completed no ex-
tcrnal manifestations of Il love for the
beautiful in vegetation can be made
There is no buster place in Washing
ton, and yet it is as comparatively quiet
and undcmonstrativc IL place as one can
find anywhere. There is very little
loud talking or shouting, such rs we
generally hear from the worlimen when
large buildings are being erected. The
orderly procedure and absence of any
unnecessary noise to-day reminded me
very forcihly of that building upon
which there was not the sound of a
hammer-thc temple of Solomon at
Jcrusalosn-Soiomon, the man who was
SO gifted with wisdom in all things
else but who unwiscly surrounded him.
self with wives and concubincs galore.
Ten gigantic dcrricks are constantly at
work hosting cut stones TO the positions
designed for them hy the architect and
builder. Some of the granite stones
weigh ten tons, bat they have been
handled with case and placed in posi-
ton accurately, SO that now upon them
rest other tons of stone and mortar.
Portions Of the magnificent pillars
which are being lifted to the third
story, weigh six tons; but they reach
their destination quickly, ana are
dropped exactly into line, Us easily as
brcklayor lays his red quadrangular
blocks. These derriclis are one hundred
feet high, and powerful enough for
their heavy work. The accuracy with
which heavy cut stones are handled is
marvellous. But it is necessary that
they should be handled with dclicacy,
because the slightest Jar might chip
off corner here or there and destroy
them.
The rotuuda is well outlined and
nearly complete. If you have ever seen
the rotunda Ct the capitol, you know
how large it is and how roomy. Well,
In a L., Al