Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-29

TEEN HUNDRED wINDows-F1NE WORK on
| THE oRASITE-coNrRAcrs TO BE CARRIED
OUT.
ssNILL You PLEASE SHOW NE THE
| w way ont of here"
1t was STAR reporter who said it, and he
meant it thoroughly. For considerable time
he had been wandering around the lower or
cellar floor OF the new Congressional Library
| building and had commenced to feel all the
horrors Of being lost slowly creeping over him.
The workman whom he had finally found had
a broken nose and wheeling q wheel
barrow, but just at that particular stage OF the
game he had all the appearance of an angel Of
| light, because instead of giving impossible
directions he said with classic brevity, Come
wild me-" On the long journey to the open air
he told the reporter that there were ivan
hundred and sivinty" men working that day on
the building.
Where are the other 1G9?
The gentleman with the broken nose sat
down the wheelbarrow, pointed to the four
points of the compass, took up the handles
| again and trundled gravely on for fifteen or
twenty minutes. Then he paused again, sat
| down on the barrow and said, meditatively:
"Begob, it's the lonesome life we lade Some
day vi say wan man. some day Oh say two me n.
Today vi say two men and you. There's Din
| mis-, me brother, and devil have met for two
wakes. Oi say, is Clavelan' 'naug' rated? He
is! Hooray." and not another word spake he
until doorway glimmered down a long vista
and the reporter escaped.
HUGE STRUCTURE.
1t is an immense affair that is slowly but
surely assuming the form Of one of the hand
soonest buildings in Washington on the in
% A. TT.
walked around the outside and found it good
training for a six days match. Everywhere
we're blocks Of stone brought in cut and
dressed from the quarries and encased in
wooden slabs to protect them from the fury of
the baggage smasher. In row Of sheds were
a number of men chipping away at artistic de-
signs for the granite capstones and cornice
work, while outside we're large number of
these carvings. all showing remarkable skill in
execution and design. The outer walls of the
now, but the interior is greatly in advance of
| the exterior. The iron work of the dome is
pretty well in place and during the last week
| the lantern on the dome has taken form.
In rear room of building left on the
square when other structures were cleared away
| to make room for library was found one of
| the few men who will not require a map to find
| their way around the new library building. 1t
was Mr.. Bernard r. Green, the superintendent
OF construction. who has practically followed
every stOne ana Drlck as IL was put In place and
has watched the growth since the first shovel
| full OF earth WAS started with the close watch
full attention that astronomer gives to the
appearance of a new star.
The STAR reporter drew Mr. Green away
from a calculation Oh extra strong girder to
be placed under the Howells and James shelf of
books long enough to say something about the
progress of the building. The information
given below ali came from Mr.. Green in one
way or another, although it is not in quotation
marks. The reporter discovered only that
mighty big building was going up and that a
gentleman with broken nose had not met his
brother "Dinnis'' for two weeks
THE PROGRESS OF THE WORK
The contract for the front stonework on the
library has until next winter to run and has
been going on now for four years and a half
There is practically little delay now in getting
the store, although it has in the past DELAYED
proceedings somewhat. and right here it NAV
be mentioned that with a building like this
with many contracts dovetailing together, the
failure Of one contractor will throw the whole
| machinery out OF gear and entail delay and
| stoppage all along the line. The walls of the
building are all pretty well in hand. the exte-
| rior walls presenting little ragged appear
ance; but the interior walls have all been fin
ished since last fall. BY this fall all the walls
| OF the building will be practically finished
Next spring will be devoted to a large extent to
building the steps. driveways and entrance to
the main front. after which the masonry work
| will be practically finished.
| There a number Of contracts in hand
now ready to be started off. These are mainly
for interior work and fo- work on the dome
other than the iron skeleton contract which Is
now running
| THE DOME.
| The dome is and will be prominent feature
Of the building. The iron skeleton, both for
the dome proper and the lantern which will
| - I. Il. mn
| feet In diameter and will consist Of an interior
| and exterior structure. The outer surface will
be OF copper. The base of the lantern and Of
tho dome will be surrounded by a balustrade
for visitors. The bslustrade around the Ian
tern will be about high as the base Of the
dome proper Of the Capitol, and by this is not
meant the top Of the main buildings of the Cap
ltol, but the point where what is commonly
known as the dome rounds off into an actual
dome. Tie dome Of the library will have radi-
ating panels of copper. which will be gilded,
and the crown of the lantern will ais o
be gilded. Just glanced at in
casual way the first impression
would be that in gaudiness a 35-cent necktie
would blush for shame before this dome; but
this will not be the case and the necktie can
still hold its head up. The dome, to use
vulgar expression, will be rich, but not gaudy
Its fatness will prevent its catching any amount
Of the suns rays and casting them back into the
dazzled ewes Of a bewildered visitor. while the
|
brilliancy to a still greater degree. Altogether
the dome, while contrasting entirely with that of
| the Capitol, from present appearances will be
well worthy to stand in such close proximity to
1t. The dome will be finished this summer
Returning to contracts, there are some ten or
twelve out now, extending over period Of sew
eral years and comprising in a large degree
marble. coloring, woodwork. &C., for the in
terror. The cellar Of the building is entirely
completed and the heating apparatus is all in
| place In this and other parts of the building
the window and door frames are all in place
and the glass in the panes.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED wINDows
Speaking Of windows, il there is any truth in
the adage Of living in glass houses the librarian
Of Congress has got to be mighty careful how
he throws q stone at stray cat On each tier
Of the exterior OF the building there are 100
Window, and taking exterior and court windows
there viii be something like l.500 windows in
the structure. This does not count the tre-
mendous skylights, which 60 over the top, but
then one Of the fundamental principles Of the
library building is that no American citizen
shall hurt his eyes porting over folioe in the ono
library run by Uncle Sam himself. There will
be one or two dark corners for foreigners.
There are, ~ has been said. although ON
poorer authority, about ITO men working ON
the building now under the government This
does not include the mon employed under con-