Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
HOUSE OF THE sAGEs.
The Central Hall of the New Library
Building is Nearly Finished.

building Is Nearly Finished.
The wonderful circular room, which is
the central feature of the new building for
the Library Of Congress. is nearly finished.
For some time past Workmen perched on
scaffoldings at dizzy heights have been en-
gagged in lining the dome which serves for
it's ceiling with carvings in stucco relief.
The stucce is put on in, sections. which are
held in place by wires run through them.
Eventually the whole Will be painted so as
to have a tone agreeable to the eye instead
of its present blank wilderness. and gliding
will be literally employed to bring out the
high lights. Some of the work, executed
by the artist modeler in charge. is extreme
ly f1ne-notably certain nude babies from
original designs.
The composition used for the stucco Is a
secret, but 1t Is largely composed of plaster
of paris. To make 1t strong Australian
hemp is mixed with the plaster while the
latter is yet moist. The hemp gives the
mixture consistency, so that the casts made
from it can hardly be broken. The stucco
is similar to the material called staff,
which was utilized so largely at the world
fair in Chicago. 1t was employed there for
the outer facings of the buildings If these
structures had been permitted to stand for
any length of time the staff would not
have stood the exposure to weather, but 1t
served admirably for the brief period re-
uuired. The stucco for the library dome
would not do for an architectural exterior,
but 1t Is excellently suited to the present
purpose.
MANY thousands of square feet having to
be covered with the Stucco the work OF
making the models and castings has been
very great Nevertheless. 1t has been &C
complished in a wonderfully short time by
a few skilled men, with the help Of devices
unknown to old-time architects. Most of
the designs-many of them derived from
classical sources-Were sent to this city
from New York by Gen. Casey's son, who
has had charge Of the whole business. The
saving Of labor by the mere use of gelatine
molds has been enormous. Molds of this
material, being quite elastic, are employed
for casting the most ella borate and intricate
patterns and figures. The latter, too, are
reproduced over and over again so as to
cover space. a single mold serving for thir-
ty or more casts.
beautiful room in the world. Its walls are
of exquisite marbles while for a ceiling 1t
has the magnificent dome Of the building,
lined with sculptures In relief. In the CEN
ter and somewhat elevated above the floor
will be the desk of Librarian Spofford.
around which in concentric circles will be
arranged desks for readers. From the GEN.
trail desk trolleys will run to the book
Quired and returning others to the shelves.
Mr.. Spofford told writer for The Star
that in the new library book will be OBJ
tailable in far less time than in any other
library in the world.
Modern art makes use of labor-saving
methods which would have caused Michael
Angelo to stare Sculpture is made easy
at the National Museum by taking casts
from actual human beings. employees of the
establishment being selected by preference.
During the last few days Dr. Palmer has
been putting together in this way a group
which is designed to represent a cannibai
ceremony among certain Indians of Van
couvers Island. Most commonly the arms
and legs of a man are cast separately from
the trunk. to be subsequently attached.
For the abdominal parts some modelling Is
apt to be required, because the subject can
not help breathing and SO cracks the mold
as it hardens. Tow Is mixed with the plas-
ter to give it consistency, the result being
material of great hardness and very
light. which will not break, though it may
be cracked.