Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-07
EVERY PART IN USE
EXPANSION OF sERvISE IN THE
CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY.
Visitors Daily Average Nearly $500
Condition Of Building and Grounds
Good-Increased Supplies Needed.

Mr.. Bernard r. Greene. Superintendent of
the Congressional Library building and
| grounds, has submitted to the House his
| annual report Mr.. Green states that the
| scope and duties of the office have remain
| ed essentially the same as described in
previous reports, but the quantities of the
| services rendered and materials consumed
| have continued materially to increase with
| the growth and expansion of the library,
! which are constantly going on.
| Spacious as the building Is and far-reach-
| ing as originally seemed to be the provis-
Ion made for the future in its construction,
every part is already in active use from
cellar to attic. excepting only two or three
attic rooms. 1t is even now evident. Super
intendent Green declares, that the original
estimate that something like century's
growth had been provided for, based on the
conditions and data of the day, must be dis
counted 70 or 50 per cent. Prior to Septem-
Der IA, 1902, the building was open to the
public during week days only. Since that
date it has been open every day and every
evening of the year excepting Christmas,
the Fourth of July and the Saturday even
ings of July and August.
Daily Visitors Average 2,2es.
careful count of the daily visitors shows
undated interest in both the library proper
and the building which houses it. From
December /, 1902, to November 80, 1908, the
grand total of visitors was sS4, POI, daily
average for 1863 days of 2,20S. OF the total
number of visitors, 477790 were in the
building from O. clock until pm. while
900, All came during the evening hours from
@ to 10 o'clock
These figures were normal throughout the
year being unaffected by any unusual gath
ering of visitors to the city like that OF the
Grand Army of the Republic, which took
place in October, 1902. and which alone In
one week raised the daily average for the
whole year some % per cent; that is. to
3,O42 per day instead of 2.29S as in the past
wear.
Continuing, Mr.. Green says
'Such constant and unremitting use or
the building especially at night when, as
shown, it is used by the public nearly as
much by day. keeps all the mechanical
plant under constant strain and affords but
limited and brief opportunities for repair
or readjnStment OF the apparatus. 1t re-
quires also from the men IN charge uncom-
n only watchful and skillful attention to
pI event stoppages in the service and conss-
quent serious interruption or inconvenience
to the work and the users of the library.
mo serious failure of the machinery has
thus far occurred, but the use Of the build
ing having now reached all its parts, more
power and illumination than the generating
plant can supply are already beginning to
be demanded. The present electric plant
was originally provided for only about two
thirds Of the building in the belief that 1t
would be ample for many years, but 1t Is
already taxed to its full capacity, and often
overloaded. Its capacity must soon be in
creased.
Increased Supplies Needed.
For the reasons given more labor has
now to be perforne ed and more supplies
consumed to keep the interior Of the build
ing in good order and condition. The esti-
mate for the years appropriation is there
fore increased from $30.OOO to $4,000 to
cover this class of expenses and also the
increased price of coal, commodity which
consumes about one-half of the whole ap-
preparation. ~
1.-The condition of the building and its
mechanical apparatus and grounds through
out is very good.
with the aid Of the professional advice
and skilled assistance of the office of public
buildings and grounds, provided for by the
sundry civil act of March 3, 1908, the shrub
berry of the grounds has already been par
TALLY rearranged and renewed after the de-
cay of the rather temporary or quick grow
ing character of the original planting seven
years ago. The good results of this work
are already in evidence, although only be-
gun in July of the present fiscal year. but
they will be more apparent next summer.
plans have been devised and drawn out
for the installation Of the mechanical sys-
tenn of translucent sun shades for the book
stacks provided for by the appropriation
act for the present fiscal year. and these
will be constructed during the next few
months"