The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-12
BUILDING DESCRIBED.
Fine Specimen of italian
Renaissance Sytle-- In
terror Equipments.

GerlOr equipments.
The new Library building is considered
a very fine specimen of what is termed
the italian Renaissance style, several
examples of which may be found in New
York City. It is four stories in height.
The designers were Messrs. Brite &
Bacon, of No. Ill Fifth avenue who have
acquired an enviable reputation for ex
cellent work in their profession. On Jer
sey avenue the building measures exactly
191 feet in length, having a depth on
Montgomery and Mercer streets of 46 feet
inches In the rear of the building there
is a book stack extension 81 feetx34 feet.
From the sidewalk to the top of the prin-
cipal wall Of the structure it measures 6S
feet and stands so feet clear from the
ground to the roof. The entire building
covers a plo. measuring about 1880
square feet 1t is built of a buff hard
burned brick and trimmed with Stony
Creek granite. The cornice is also of
granite and the roof is steel, copper and
slate. There are four inches on the Jer-
sey avenue side in the centre of the build
ing, and these will receive statues. Over
these inches are smaller ones and those
are designated TO receive busts. The main
doorway is supported by caryatides
carved in stone and broad steps lead to
thanked by two handsome lamps lighted
by electricity; the tout ensemble pre-
senting facade not severe not over
elaborate but exceedingly graceful and
tasteful in effect. The elevation on the
Mercer street side and that facing on
Van Worst Park are in keeping with the
general architectural design of the front
on Jersey avenue.
The visitor on entering the building by
the main door on Jersey avenue will find
to the right the newspaper files and
newspaper reading rooms; the newspaper
reading room having an entrance from
Montgomery street To the left of the
entrance are the lunch, cloak and toilet
rooms, station delivery, check and book
binding rooms. On this floor begins
proper the stack room or wing. with an
area of 1900 square feet, extending up
through the building, provision being
made for 100000 volumes. These stacks
are lighted from windows placed opposite
each cross aisle, or 3 feet space between
the stacks. This stack room or wing is
separated raom the rest of the building
by solid brick walls. provided with fire
proof doors.
Opposite the Jersey avenue entrance on
the first floor is the main stairway lead
ing to the floors above. Arriving at the
head of the stairs on the second floor to
the left is the main reading room, 41x5S
feet, magnificent chamber wanscoted
in oak. Directly in front of the head of
the stairs is the ladies' room finished in
mahogany 1t covers space of $40 feet
To the right of this is delivery room,
65x24 feet. The children's room, librarians S
public room and card cataloguing rooms
are contiguous. The latter room COM
municates with the Librarians private
rooms and accessible from the hall and
convenient to the stairs and delivery desk
so as to be convenient for readers and at
tendants alike. The reading room on this
floor are conveniently near the stocks. The
delivery room communicates directly with
the stack room.
Ascending the third floor 10 reached and
here are the childrens reference and
reading rooms, assistant librarians rooms
trustees room, adults reference room,
studies and dictionary rooms The trus-
children and their rooms are large, light
and airy. They are placed away from the
reference room and are adjacent to special
toilet rooms for the children. In the
reference and dictionary rooms on this
floor there are alcoves, all of which are
well lighted. The children's reference
room is 37x33 feet, with tables suitable in
height for the small readers to occupy
them. There will be three of these tables,
80, n and 26 inches high. Nearby en- this
floor is the room for the trustees, all
furnished in California redwood the cell
ing being carved. There is a terra Gotta
open fire place and on the tiles are the
words. knowledge is Power Opposite
this room are five rooms for those who
desire to study away from the distraction
of a general reading room.
Finally ascending to the fourth and
last floor one finds here to the right on
coming up the stairs the lecture hall
This is a splendid chamber measuring
76 feet long by 35 feet in width. Here
from time to time there will be lectures
on scientific and other subjects, the trus-
tees announcing later some programme
for the use of the room. To the left of
the stairway is another fine room, the
art gallery, SO feet long by 80 feet in
width to be devoted, as its name mpl es,
to the display of paintings, sculpture,
and so forth. Here it is intended to dis
play many curious and valuable literary
documents and such other gifts as may.
from time to time be presented to the
trustees fo~ the library.
Descending by the elevator to the base
ment the visitor will see the heating ar
rangements, somewhat unpoetic but ex-
tremely important The library will be
heated by low pressure steam heat the
system being direct and indirect with a
fan for forced air for tempering the
atmosphere. There viii be radiators in
every room controlled by approved regu-
lators. The ventilation system, too, is as
complete as possible. In each room there
! are gratings near the floor and the CELL
ing, and with the fans before mentioned,
fresh currents Of air pass through every
part of the building every minute or two
Throughout the building for lighting pur-