The times., 1897-08-22

sition TO the spaces between the teeth OF
the carrier When an attendant on any
! floor has received through the pneumatic
tube from the rotunda the book-slip, he
/ places the book on the tray and dips the
latter down until all the weight Of the
book rests upon the curved ends Then
the first ascending carrier, whose teeth
| fit in between these ends, picks up the
book and carries it up and down again
until it reaches the rotnnda, where another
| tray of Stats receives It and tosses it
automatically on TO table. II one
curves and separates the fingers of both
hands, aud draws the finger OF one hand
| through those of the other, the principle
Of the arrangement becomes clear.
When the officer at the distributing desk
wishes to return a book to the stack he
sets a lever on dial at the number cor
responding to that of the floor. As the
carrier containing the book iii Its descent
reaches the proper floor the tray auto
nIatically slides out, receives tie book,
| and deposits it on table.
But there is another unique feature of
this system. 1t happens frequently that
| Senators or Representatives want books
| for immediate use in committee rooms
| VI lit tIoOiS VI bht lO hhtiii- tS
bate. 1t became necessary, therefore, 60
devise q method of speedy delivery OF
books to the Capitol itself. For this pur
| pose a tdnnel has been constructed from
| beneath the rotunda OF the Library to A de-
| livery station in the Capitol, a distance
| OF 1850 feet.
a Senator or Representative writes an
| order for O book and sends it by tube
h. Al
| The first part of the processis the same as
| that already described, exceptin the case Of
| big books: for example, bound volumes of
| newspapers, which must be carried hyhand
down the ordinary elevator, with which
each stack is provided. When the book
| has reached the table beneath the rotunda
another operation begins.
| An attendant takes the book, places 1t
in case, and puts it in a carrier, much
| larger than the others, that runs on an
endless chain from the Library TO the
| Capitol. These carriers go around the
wheel at each end OF the tunnel in which
| the enGless chain runs. Great speed is
necessary in the Transmission Of the car
/ riers, but il is also necessary that the car
| riers shall be propelled slowly around these
| wheels. To me ct this requirement the two
| carriers used have been placed at exactly
| equal distances on the chain, so that both
| make The tlnn uf the W heel at each end OF
! the tunnel at the same time. A mechanism
| has been devised whereby they make this
| turn slowly, and then dash away at high
| speed. when the book reaches the central
station in the Capitol 1t is removed and
| sent by messenger to the Senator, Repre-
! sentative, or other official who has order
| ed it
| The motive power throughout is sup
| piled by an electric dynamo, and the
endless cables are keptcontinually moving
| those in the Library at a rate of about
one hundred feet, that III the tunnel at a
| speed of nearly six hundred feet, min
ute 1t is estimated that under the new
| arrangement a Congressman Will be able
| to obtain book in a shorter space OF
time than when the Library was in the
! Capitol itself.
A trip through the tunnel is only q
| privilege given rarely. Mr.. Pillow started
down the grade at the opening in the
| earth. The declivity was very steep, SO
| that it required some acrobatic skill to
| keep ones feet or not TO make the trip
| on Kelly slide. There are two or three
| terraces OF this kind, and each succeeding
one more steep than the other before you
! get to the level.
| From here there is the prettiest sight
| in or under the whole town. At close inter
walls there are incandescent lamps. AS You
| look toward the Capitol all of these lamps
| are on tie right, and although there is
room in the tunnel for only one person to
| pass at time, bein & bout six feet high
| and four feet in diameter, the long line
I OF lamps for about LOO feet is visible,
! sparkling and scintillating. 1t reminds one
| of very far off birds eye view of
| city. or at least the endless line OF lights
on some grand avenue reduced TO minia-
| ture.
| One might suppose that brick walls, little
metallic carriers, old books in transit, the
| whir Of an endless chain, and electriclight
in Indian file, so long that it almost dips
below the horizon, would become uninter-
esting after a while.
But there are some surprises ell route.