The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-05
A BIG JOB.
The Moving of the Books in the Library
of Congress.

The Moving OF the Books In the Library
of Congress.
The new building for the library of Con-
gress is now nearly finished. By the end
of next year it will be ready to receive the
treasures of literature which now are
stored in the Capitol under Mr. Spofford s
care. Yet the problem of transporting the
volumes to their future abode remains to-
day unsolved.
1t seems most hkely-this being the
latest and apparently the best suggestion
that temporary elevated road will be
constructed to connect the Capitol with
the new library. Over this road cars will
be run swiftly by steam or electricity,
carrying loads of books. By such means
they could be transferred with great
rapidity and ease. The tramway on stills
would pass directly from the floor of the
rotunda to the main floor of the library
building.
Mr.. Green, superintendent of the new
| library building, has been disposed hitherto
to favor the plan of transporting the books
through the brick-lined conduit, three feet
below ground, which is to connect the
| library with the capitol. Through this
| tunnel q cable will pass and cars will be
run, after a fashion similar to that of the
| trolleys in dry-goods shops, though on a
much larger scale. The cars could be util-
lied for transporting the volumes when the
time arrives for the move. But objection
| is made to this suggestion On the ground
| that the books would have to be lowered
| into the conduit at the Capitol end and
| lifted again at the other end of the line
| from the basement of the library to the
main floor. Thus, much more, time would
be consumed and greater labor involved.
| On the other hand, the shift from the ro-
tunda by elevated road would be easy and
expeditions, and the volumes delivered in
| the great circular reading room NAV be
readily conveyed to the adjacent book
| stacks.
| Ever SO many schemes for accomplish
| ing the teansfer of the books have been
suggested. and very likely the one finally
adopted will be quite different from any
| thing so far thought of. The method
chosen by the Boston Public Library in its
recent move from Bovlston street to Cop
| ley square was the most primitive imagin-
| able. The collection, which numbers about
100000 volumes-a little more than half
| the size Of the library of Congress-was
| transported by means of carts and horses.
| OF course the labor involved was enormous.
! How great it was may be imagined when
| it is considered that 400, 900 volumes placed
| side by side would extend distance of
about seven miles.
| Equally primitive, however, was the
plan adopted not long ago for moving the
ROYAL Library of Prussia, which is the
third largest in the world, possessing
| GOO, 900 volumes. A regiment of soldiers
| was called out for the purpose, each man
being provided with basket. The men
formed line from the old building to the
new one, and the baskets of books were
passed from hand to hand, like buckets at
a fire. Maybe the National Guard will be
called on to do likewise here, but it does
not seem probable. The Library of Con-
gress, by the way, has 6S5, 600 bound VOL
umes and 100000 pamphlets, approx
MISUNDERSTANDING Star.