The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-07-29

Paris coming first and st. Petersburg second,
| and first in rank in the building it occupies
| 1t has capacity for 4, 10000 volumes.
The building is in the style of the Italian
| Renaissance. By this is meant that the
architecture is the same as the notable
Italian buildings of the 15th century, when,
under the leadership of Michael Angelo and
other great sculptors, architects and painters
of the times, the long4neglected models of
| Greece and Rome wereS revived and recon-
bined in a Renaissance, or new birth. The
| Library, which faces west, looking toward
the east front of the Capitol, occupies three
and three-quarter acres of the l0-acre plat IN
which it is set, and is the keystone OF band
of parks stretching east and including the
Washington Monument, the Agricultural
Grounds, the Smithsonian Grounds, Armory
! Square, the Public Gardens, the Botanic
Gardens and Capitol Grounds.
The building, which is 40 feet long from
north to south and $40 feet deep from east
to west, has a main entrance pavilion, an
east pavilion and pavilion on each OF the
| four corners In the center is the rotunda,
or main reading room, rising from the flrst
floor and ending in a dome above. The dome
terminates in a lantern, surmounted by q
! great blazing torch with a gilded flame, which
|
and apex of the building, 1875 feet above the
ground.
The exterior walls of the Library form a
great rectangle, which incloses cross divid,
ing the open space within into four courts
the 1otunda, at the intersection of the arms
being an octagon in shape. The main en-
trance is through Ct porch of three arches tt
the main library floor the approaches to which
are extensive and imposing The arches
terminate with three massive bronze doors
richly sculptured in relief, the general sub
iect being the Art of Printing, ''Tradl
ton - occupying the left door and Writing
the right. The standing figures in the cen
trail door are Truth and Research" thu
former holding mirror and serpent, thu
latter the torch of knowledge.
Entering by one of the bronze doors ont
passes into the main entrance hall of CLEAN
ing white marble, in the center Of which is
great staircase well, with an arcade of TIVE
stories all around. One is in the heart OF al
ornamented mountain of marble pillars
pilasters, cornices carvings, stretching VI
and away, from the center OF which mounts
massive marble staircase, richly ornamente'
with garlands of fruits and flowers and Othe
allegorical designs
The ceilings of the arcades are heavil
paneled with finishings in white and gold
tie corridors bounded by piers of italian
marble, while beautiful NEUROLOGICAL figure
in white stucoo bear up the consoles o
brackets, which support the gilded beams @
the ceilings. The floorings are of whit
Italian marble, with bands and geometri
patterns OF brown Tennessee marble and ede
ings of yellow mosaic
On the easterly side of the staircase ha
there is commemorative arch leading to tn
rotunda, the inscriptions upon which const
tute the chief blemish upon the building
This is the names of the United States eng
neers and architects who had charge Of ii
! construction The inscription reads: > Ii
brary Of Congress. Erected under the acts {
Congress of April 10, 1886; Oct 2, 1888, an
March 2, 1880" Then follow the names G
Casey, Green, Smitbmeyer and Pelz, tn
whole fanked by lctor,s axes and eagles
Thus few obscure individuals, charged wit
a great trust, have presumed to inscribe thei
names on a commemorative arch which shoul
bear the names Of George Washington am
Thomas Jefferson and other founders OF tn
Library of Congress.
Some day Wisdom, /" sitting enthroned i
the United States Capitol, will erase thes
names, the accidents of an hour, and place ther
instead the names of those whose immorta
deeds are, in themselves, the commemorative