Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-09
GIVES $4,000 MORE
Andrew Carnegie's Donation for Ii
brary swelled to S350,000.
LETTER RECEIVED FROM HIM TODAY
Increase Was Made Necessary by
the Rise in Material.
CORR ESPONDENCE IN CASE

COX Is ES1ON l)ENOt In NASE
The Washington public library commits
sion, having in charge the erection on
Mount Vernon Square of the new library
building, today received word from MIR.
Andrew Carnegie that he has decided to
sill further increase his donations by the
, sum of $4,000 making in all $350,o00 donat-
cd by him for the construction and equip
,rent of the building
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Carnegie
last winter notified the library authorities
that he would donate the sum of $3.50, 900
for new library building, provided the
United States or the District provided a
site for the building. His very generous
offer was accepted and Congress finally
| set apart Mount Vernon Square the site
| of the building. In doing SO Congress pro-
| hibted either the District or the United
| States from mourning any liability on ac-
| count of the new building or its equipment
| beyond the amount of $2JoGD donated by
| MIR. Carnegie. and also provided that the
building should be commenced within one
year from the passage OF the act, March },
| 1889, and completed within three years from
| that date. Later Mr.. Carnegie increased
| his donation by $4,000. the understanding
| of the commission being that this amount
| was to cover the furnishing and equipment
| of the building. architects and Superinten-
| dents commissions and other Incidental ex
| The library commission, consisting of the
District Commissioners, Colonel Theo A.
| Bingham. the officer in charge of the pub
| lie bu idingS and grounds, and Mr.. Theo.
! ". Noyes, president of the board of trus-
| tees of the library, invited plans for the
| building from ten architects, and also re-
ceiVed plans from fourteen architects not
| specially invited.
Commission Selects a Design.
After much deliberat:on the commission
finally selected the design submitted by
Messrs. Ackerman & Ross of New York
city. Mr.. Carnegie advised of the Sc
lection and also of the fact that the price
of building materials had greatly ad-
vanced that the commission found 1T
self unable to erect the building which
it had contemplated with the sum Of
$2.st.nO dOnated by him for that purpose
TneIeupon Mr.. Carnegie ind Gated to the
commission his intention that the building
itself should cost S3oO,Uoo, suggesting that
the increase of $JU.UpD was made with the
rise N the price of building materials IN
View
| The design of the architects having been
modified by them at the request of the
commission, Mr.. Carnegie was informed
that pleasing and practicable building
coud be erected with the sum of 100000,
but thai to furnish and equip it and 10
meet other incidental expenses a larger
amount would be necessary. This infor-
nation was conveyed To Mr.. Carnegie in a
letter written by the president of the com
mission, District Commissioner Ross, Sep
tember IA, and Mr.. Carnegie almost lmfne-
diate.y upon its receipt in Scotland, wrote
Mr. Ross that he had decided to give to
the public library another S'pNO, MS let
ter dated -ember -, being received
here this morning. THIS gives the COM
mission the sum OF $:s5oo'0 with which to
erect the building, furn sh and equip II ana
meet the other incidental eX 4ses. rms
he commission believes Will be
ample for the purposes, and IT Is expected
that the work of construction will be com
menced as soon the necessary working
| plans have been provided by the architects
| and the contracts awarded
| The following correspondence between the
| commission and Mr.. Carnegie Will explain
| the position of the commission IN the
| matter:
Correspondence in the Matter.
| The library commission wrote Mr.. Car
negie July % follows:>
The members of the commission having
| in charge the erection at the national capt.
| tai of the new library building to be paid
| for by the funds so generously contributed
| by you for that purpose have thought that
| YOU may be interested to know what pro-
| gress has thus far been made.
| In accordance with the procedure out.
| lined in the accompanying program or
| competition for the design Of the Washing
| ton Public Library building, the plans of
| tWCntN-1Ouf dTcfnltclS "tlt submitted VIZ
| July IT, 1899, for the consideration of the
| members of the commission and of the eX-
| perts provided for In the act OF Congress
| said experts having been selected by the
| unanimous vote of the architects invited by
| the commission to compete They were
| Henry Van Brunt of Kansas City and Geo.
! B. Post of New York. The first named is
| the president of the American Institute or
| Architects. and the second was a former
| president of the same association.
| THE commission met with the experts on
July Il and Is, and all of the plans pre-
| sented were carefully studied Late on the
| afternoon of the nth an informal ballot
| was had. and each member of the commits
| sion and each expert, seven In ali, MADE
list of five of the most meritori0us designs.
| on this preliminary ballot the design num-
| bered II, was the only one which received
| six votes. On the following day, after more
| careful consideration of the elevations and
| the interior plans of all designs submitted,
| No. IL received the unanimous vote of the
| experts and Of the commission. 1t was
| then ascertained that the number so Sc
| lected represented the design of MesSrs.
| Ackerman & Ross of New York city, and
| they We're accordingly employed as archi-
toctS of the building
The design adopted presents a most
pleasing exterior. and Its interior plan is
| quite acceptable to those of the commission
! who are most familiar with the needs of a
| public library, but, unfortunately, even
since the printing of the program, In May,
| 1891, there have been such advances in the
| prices of all kinds of building material
| that. after a conference with Mr.. Bernard
| r. Green. the superintendent of construc-
ton, the members of the commission have
| had grave doubts whether your splendid
| contribution for the erection of our library
| will enable US to erect such a building as
You had contemplated when you so gen.
| crously gave to your capital city what the
| Congress of the United States had so long
| neglected to provide. namely. the adequate
means for its proper equipment in that re-
| gard as educational center.
Utmost Economy Employed.
| .'Messrs Ackerman & Ross have been in
| structed to revise their plans and use every
| economy short of nigga rdliness in order to
bring the cost within the sum of S2J0,OOO
With your permission, the commission will
further advise you of the result of their
| architects endeavor in that regard"
In reply to Mr. Carnegie's note stating
his idea that the building itself should cost
$500 600 the commission, on September IA,
wrote him as follows:
| 1--WE note your statement that the build
ing was expected to cost S300OOO The
| act of Congress providing for the use of
Mount Vernon Square for the Washington
| Public Library contained this provision:
And provided further. That no liability