The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-07
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
To BE HOUSED IN THE FINEST IL
BRARY BUILDING IN THE WORLD.
Ii Can BE Made to Hold More Than
Six Million VOIumes-VentilatiO
without Dust or Dampness-Some
of Its Most Novel Features.

without Dust or Dampness-Some
of Its Most Novel Features.
From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Washington.-When William Mckinley
walks out upon the eastern approach of
the capitol to deliver his inaugural address
his vision will comprehend a scene that
was not offered to any of his predecessors.
Beyond the fringe of the vast throng over
flowing the plaza, the magnificent new
library of congress will present itself to
the new President. Beyond the sea of
faces will rise the granite facade, much
carved and many columned, with the
bronze doors shining like so many settings
of jewels, and topping all will be the gold
en- dome In the world there is no other
such home for books Mr.. Mckinley comes
just in time to see the finished work. Even
while the carpenters are placing the
planks in front of the capitol steps where
the new President will stand to speak TO
the thousands, the masons are chiselling
the place in the rocks before the main en-
trance to the library where the heroic
bronze cast of Neptune is to sit as part of
the audience on inauguration day
Ten Years after the United States of
America came into existence, the library
had its beginning. Congress was about
to move from Philadelphia. The seat of
government was to be transferred on two
sloops to the District of Columbia. There
was a fine collection of town lots but not
much else in Washington. So long as
they remained in Philadelphia, the sena-
tors and representatives made use of the
Loganian library. When they came to
consider the needs of the new location
they appropriated 5000 to buy books, and
ordered a room set apart for them in the
capitol. The grandfather of the present
Ambassador Bayard was one of the COM
mittee which carried out the provision.
Two years later congress employed a IL
brarian at 50 day to take care of the
books, but stipulated that the pay was
for only such time as he was actually at
work. The early appropriations for the
library were $3.50 year. 1t took fourteen
years to get together 5000 books. Then
came the British, under Gen. Ross, enter
ing Washington in 1S1A They burned the
capitol and the library went up in flames.
| The next year congress made another
| start by purchasing the $500 books of
| Thomas jefferson for $23.950, In 1851 the
! library of congress, as it is officially
| known, had grown to about $4,000 volumes.
| A fire on Christmas day destroyed $4,000
| books and part of the capitol. From 20
| 600 volumes in 1852 the library has reach
| ed its present collection of 100000, and
now takes possession of the finest library
| building in the world which cost $780,
eco. and was nine years in course of con-
struction.
A public building covering a block of
ground and without a dark corner is
| something novel in architecture. Yet that
is what the new library is. Such re-
suit is made possible by 1880 windows and
| by an arrangement Of courts within the
exterior rim of halls. The reading room
is in the very center but a flood of light
pours in on the cloudiest day. It is I'M
| der the golden dome. 1t is an eight-sided
room, with the elevated desk of the Ii
| brarian in the center and all of the appa-
ratus for communicating. with assistants
around and beneath. The desks for
readers are in circles facing the librarian.
The distance across this octagonal room is
! 100 feet. Rotunda is a better description