Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-18
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The gigantic palace for the mil
 lions of books of New York city's pub
 lie library is slowly reaching the half completed stage. that Is, the construc- ton of the steel frame and the mas sive six foot walls and the marble
 slab facing is nearly finished and
 ready for the contractors to begin the work of interior construction. But so extensive is the building. covering a ground space of 5000 square feet for 1t occupies an entire square, be- ing 394 feet long and 274 feet in depth. with height of 130 feet-that 1t Is expected that 1t will be three years before the building will be ready to receive the 2,700,000 volumes which comprise the vast aggregation of books at present catalogued, and there will be room in the seven storied steel stack room for S00,000 more volumes without crowding g bit.
 The exterior appearance of the building conveys something of the magnificence which the completed structure will possess. and 1t is doubt full whether the world has ever before seen so vast a library building, or one so complete in all It's appointments as this building will be when finished. Compared with it the library of Alex andria was only beginning. and the repositories for books which have been celebrated in the lore of the bibliophiles were like Carnegie mon uments.
 The treasures of scores of ordinary libraries could be placed on the first floor alone. Apartments which are intended only for special collections of books are large enough to house many thousands of volumes without appearing crowded. Among the spe- cial rooms, which in themselves are like commodious reception halls. are the newspaper room. the periodical room, the library for the blind. the ofice of the superintendents and numerous other smaller apartments connected with the administration of the institution.
 In the rear of the building Is the stack room. which is the feature of the structure. and Is the only arrange ment of the kind known. Those who look at the building from the rear will observe the long slitlike windows. 50 feet in height, which pierce the wall SO closely together that the effect is that of series of plain pilasters. These slits serve for the ventilation of the largest bookcase in the world.
 The stack room is filled now with a structure of steel beams joined to i'll space 297 feet long. 7S feet wide and 53 feet In height. It Is in reality a building of seven stories, each seven and a half feet in height. In its construction were required 4.500.- 900 pounds of iron and steel. The fab rio Is to sustain the weight of the 63 miles of shelves. which are to re- ceive 2,700.000 volumes. The weight of the thousands of tons of books which the case is designed to hold is to be sustained by the 704 cast iron columns which are bolted at their bases to the solid rock.
 The cost of the bookcase-for the stacks are. after all. one structure made of parts riveted together-will be s916.oOo. The cage of metal sup ports the floor of the large reading room above 1t, thus evolving a prin. ciple unique in library construction. Hitherto 1t has been considered best to either have the reading rooms sur round the stacks or on one side.
 The idea which the architects have worked out is that of Dr. John s. head of the New York public library. The reader gives his order to the person in charge of whatever reading room he Is visiting. The de- livery to the principal reading room on top of the stacks is vertical The books are brought up by small ele- vators as they are desired. and are delivered by the attendants to the desks where are seated the persons who have made application for them. Special reading rooms flank the stacks on all the floors. which make it possible for the repository to be en- tered from the sides.
 Permits will be issued to . very limited number of scholars. men who are we'll known to the director as be- Ing devoted to elaborate researches. 90 that they may enter the stack room and wander as they will among the miles of shelves. There vili be not more than co who VIII be permit ! ted to this special privilege. Near | the windows on every floor are small l alcoves, where there vili be tables, where the investigators may leave | the volumes they are using overnight | md return to their work to find them 1 
 The principal reading room. where