Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-08-28
Building in Mount Vernon
Square Nearly Completed,
MASSIVE STRUCTURE
CLASSED AS ONE OF WASHING
TONS ARCHITECTURAL GEMS.
Capacity and Adaptability Equal to
Best of Its Glass in This
Country.

| "lliIiiI dDOul Two WeehS the new puDlIC
library in Mt. Vernon Square will be ready
| for occupancy and those who are to have
| charge of the institution, if they desire.
may assume their duties at that time. The
! building is practically completed, about all
| that remains to make it a finished struc-
| ture being the completion of the handsome
! white marble stairway leading from the
main entrance hall to the second floor 1t
| was at first expected that the structure
| would be ready for occupancy by the list
I of September, but the fitting of the marble
! into the staircase and other intricate and
I tedious work has occasioned some little de-
/ lay. For all practical purposes however,
/ the new library will be ready for use by the
! middle of September, and it is thought that
the main staircase will be entirely finished
| by the 1st of October.
/ Workmen are engaged in putting in the
! mosaic floor in the main entrance hall,
| which will be used the delivery room,
| and the woodwork in several of the rooms
! is being painted. The walls of the rooms
| will be tinted with a light grayish- green
. and all the apartments are finished with
/ the exception of this tinting. The book
stacks are receiving the touches of the
! painters brush and finishing touches are
I being given to different parts of the build
/ ing. The machinery for heating and Ven
/ tlating is all installed and test of the APP
paratus will be made within a few days.
Rubbish Removed.
Already considerable of the rubbish Incl
dent to the construction has been cleared
away and in a short time the contractors
/ will remove the fence inclosing the park.
/ The ground is, of course in a rough con-
dition and will be taken in hand by the super
/ intendent of public buildings and grounds
/ to be graded and laid out in harmony with
/ the architecture of the library. An appro-
priation of 10000 has been made by Con-
gress for the carrying out of this work.
, The sidewalk on the south side of the park,
next to the tracks, will be removed and
/ placed along the line of trees which eX-
/ tend the whole length of the park. The
/ space between the curbing along the south
J side and the railway tracks is only about
/ II inches and the removal of the sidewalk
to the line of trees will allow sufficient space
/ for carriage to pass between the curb and
the tracks.
! The main entrance of the building will
! face the south. The approach will consist
/ of three series of platforms and steps, eX-
/ tending from the pavement to the doorway.
/ The immediate approach to the front en-
/ trance has been completed and forms
/ part of the building. Just before the steps
/ leading to the doorway are reached there is
/ a large semi-circular stone bench, or ex-
! hedra where visitors may rest if they de-
| sire. On the back of this bench are carved
! the words: "A University for the People
| In the rear of the building is an inclined
circular driveway with retaining walls.
/ where the wagons conveying books to and
from the substation of the library may
! pass The substations Will be conducted on
| a plan similar TO that of postal substations,
/ and after the style III vogue in other large
/ cities.
| Mr.. Green's Views of Building.
/ Mr. Bernard R. Green of the Library of
/ Congress, who is superintendent of con-
/ struction of the Carnegie institution, when
! seen today by Evening Star reporter,
said of the new library:
/ II think this building will be regarded as
/ one of the architectural gems of the city. 1t
/ has a splendid location In beautiful park,
! empowered in a small forest of some of
! the finest trees we have in the city. When
/ the whole work is completed, the building
: uncovered by the removal of the inclosinS
/ fence, and the park is laid out and graded,
! it will be found that the space of the park
! has not been seriously encroached upon by
/ the building. In fact, l believe the park
| will be vastly more attractive with the
| building in 1t than 1t was before
! The capacity. arrangement and adapta-
| bility of the building for its purposes will
/ be equal to the best municipal public libra
/ ries of the country. 1t has been designer
( with a great deal of care with this object
In view. The building will have a capacity
I for as many volumes of books as will ever
! be required Of it in this city. where ready
/ access can be had at any time to the Lii
| brary of Congress for those rare and sell
| dom used books which are less frequently
| called for. AS now arranged the new struc-
| ture will accommodate 100000 books, while
in the stack room there IS space for two
| more tiers Of shelving, which will accom-
! modate 100000 volumes more. This is all
! accomplished in the most compact way, and
/ the book space will not encroach upon that
! necessary for other purposes OF the institu-
! ton.
! Public Reading Rooms.
The public reading room will be in the
! east end on the main floor, W nile the chill
| dren's reading room Will be In the west
! The newspaper room will be in the east end
| on the second floor. and the large room
| opposite will be used a lecture hall In
| addition to these large rooms there will
+ be rooms for private study, for offices of
| librarian and trustees, and q sufficient
/ space for cataloguing acceSSions.
The building is massive and strong, as
! BELTS a monumental design for a permanent
/ building in tbs nations capital. No at
! tempt has been made a ornamentation but
| the library will be a handsome and imposing
| structure"
A large room in the basement will be
| used for bicycles, while other spaces in
/ that section of the building will be used for
| store rooms and various purposes. The en-
| CINE and boiler room is located in sub
! basement Everything about the structure
| Is modern and convenient and special care
has been taken to fit the building for it's
| particular purpose.
Furniture and furnishings.
All the furniture, Snch as tables, chairs,
| racks. etc, has arrived and Is stored at
| the library awaiting distribution to the va
| rious rooms when the workment have fin
| shed their part. The wood trimmings on
| the interior are of oak and are finished in
| dark old English shade.
! The committee In charge Of the new
| library has not definitely decided upon the
| date for the formal dedication of the struc-
| ture. but Ii Is stated that ceremony will
/ occur some time during the month Of Octo-
Der. when Mr.. Carnegie. the donor will be
| present and participate in the exercises.
The Final Payment.
| The library commission received yesterday
q draft for $4,000. being the final payment
| of the $3.50 900 donated by Mr.. Andrew Car
| negie for the magnificent new building The
fund has been handled by the Carnegie steel
| works at Pittsburg and the commission has
drawn upon the corporation for insta!Inents
| from time to time as the state Of work de-
| manded.
lit Means