Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-07-20
THE ELECTRIC LIBRARIAN.
HOOKS Handled by Machinery In Boston'i
New Library.

Books Handled by Machinery In Boston's
New Library.
There are many remarkable things
about the new Boston library. Of which
the most novel Is the method Of con-
veying the books between the main
desk and tho book cases on the various
floors.
II was early In the work of building
the library that the problem Of book
transportation presented itself for So
luton. In the old library, now vacat-
ed, score or more of boys were EN-
ployed, their duty being to run to all
parts OF the building for the books re.
CURED. Under the new order of things
about five times more work would have
to be done. which meant an army of
boys, each one of whom might have to
tramp from eight to ten miles every
day. The impossibility, therefore, of
continuing such system was realized.
and n change decided upon.
A local company was called upon to
design and construct mechanical sys-
tenn suited to the requirements of the
service. They had no data to go by,
and so had TO devise something entirely
new, by means OF which the attend
ants would be able to secure book
from any part Of the vast building,
with its five acres OF book shelves, and
that with minimum of time and
labor. They designed system by
which an attendant on the floor has
only TO pick out the book wanted, put
1t in n railway car with cable attach
ment, push II off the side switch to the
main line, from whence 1t runs round
ut the rate of five hundred feet per
minute to a special elevator, which
drops automatically, as soon as the cur
Is in position. down to the delivery
room, waits till the empty car rolls
back, and then delivers 1t on return
track to the switch II started from.
For the accommodation of the bun
dreds of thousands of volumes there
are six stories or stacks, as they are
technically called, Of books. Accord
ing to this arrangement, the delivery
room. which opens on to the main
reading room, although on the second
floor front, occupies position between
the fourth and fifth stacks.
The aim of the designers was to
focus all the books towards this one
place, and rs first step they con-
structed IN elevator well, long and
narrow. This pierced the entire build
ing from basement to roof. running by
the stacks and delivery room. In this
way they set up shafts for three cle-
vators, one for each stack The deliv-
cry roof between the fifth and sixth
stacks, two distinct elevator motions
had to be provided for: the one from
the fifth and sixth stacks going down,
while the ones from the first, second,
third and fourth went up to the room.
In the basement the 10 horsepower
motor has been installed to haul the
elevators, which IL does very satisfac-
torily. Then there had to be con-
structed railway around the build
ing. A miniature track with an s.
inch gauge and following the lines of
the interior court yarl was built. This
track is over half n mile in length.
The cars are made of wire and travel
over five hundred feet minute, with
ten to thirty pounds weight of books in
them. At certain points are switches
working automatically, by which the
cars are diverted TO whatever part OF
the building or different floors they
may be required. There are eighteen
stations along the track. so arranged
that certain cars stop ut their Own as
signed depo;> and ut no other. The
same company constructed the pneu-
matte tube system by means
of which cards, tickets and other mes
sensers are dispatched to any desired
point and returned by the same route.
This apparatus is operated by the same
motor. Electrical Engineer.