The Washington herald., 1907-06-02


York Times. That. In a sentence. gives
the latest development regarding the great
white structure that has been in process
Of erection during the past eight years
in Bryant park This final estimate Of the
cost Of the building was made last week
by Mayor Mcclellan in connection with
the giving cut Of "a contract for $4,000
for the interior work. the estimate Of the
time that is needed 20 finish the library
is based on the opinion OF The various Of
fcials Sho are taking an active part in
its construction
This final development of the work on
the public library is in startling contrast
with the original plans. Just ten wears
ago the Legislature at Albany passed an
act authorizing the city of New York T.,
build "a library In Bryant Park for a sum
not 20 exceed S250.ea Following the
passage OF this act tho trustees IF the
library invited the architects Of the city
TO compete for plans. According % the
method adopted the first competition was
an open one and was engaged in by eighty
architects. From these the best six we're
trustees. three architects. and the direc-
tor of the library. A second competition
was then held between the six architects
selected by the committee and six other
architects named by the trustees As
result Of this doubt competition ths
award FOR the building OF the library was
given to the firm 0f CarreTe d Hastings
Cost over Limit.
II was not until the architects and plans
were thus determined that the discovery
was made that the cost Of the library
would probably exceed the limit c0ntem-
plated by the act Of the legislature. As
this difference in the preliminary c3lcu-
lations is explained to-day. tho sum OF
N50o0 was merely an estimate for a
plain brick building about the size re-
Quired for the library. the erection az
which was roughly figured at a rate OF 90
cents "a cubic foot Tie city authorities.
however. taking the matter up after the
architects competition, decided that a
building ~ the character implied i'm n
great public library called for the best
material to Doe used in IT'S construction.
This view seemed Co meet with The raru-
lar approval and Lt was rhereupon de-
teruined that the library should De built
throughout with tho best white marble.
M The same time. the original plans were
somewhat enlarged. This made necessary
a greater expenditure of money than was
at first intended. An amendment To- the
original act authorizing the building Of
the library was passed I'm lan. leaving
the whole question of cost % the disrre-
ti0n of the board Of estimate. II was still
asserted. hoUeveI-sud the idea was
maintained until "a year aco-that the cost
of the library would not exceed E.mwa.
just half the amount that is now said %
be- required
With the removal ot the legislative re-
striction as % the cost the city has taken
up the work of building the library step
by step In Awards To various contractors.
As The library is situated in one Of the
city parks the park commissioner is tho
official having this work particularly in
charge.
Red Tape to BIumc.
"A year ago the trustees appointed n rrz-
c.al commission. with John T. Cadpa.-
ader as chairman. 90 inquire into tie
delay in the completion of the library.
Nothing came of the inquiry excert the
statement that red tage i'm the citv de-
partments WAS largely 90 blame. and that
from the outlook at that tine 10 was not
likely the library would be- finished -ur
four or five gears. This red tape has
also been the subject of complaint on the
part 0f the architects. who nave added
10 this cause for delay the fact that the
work has several times been imuaded hv
labor troubles as well as the slow process
ot getting the requisite marble from the
Vermont quarries.
The library when completed will he Tie
largest marble building En- the world with
the exception. of course of the C4rstol
at Washington. Il is also said to rep
resent The second greatest single contra-t
for building that was ever given ont In
the United States. the New York Coun-
y courthouse, erected during the Tweed
regime az cost of Sl241Uh. being the
1rst. Taking the mayors estimate as a
basis FOR comparison. the New York IL
hrary Will cost &.f55olo more than the
Library Of Congress and N5l4.m0 mora
than the Boston public library Neither
of the last-named buildings is Of mar
the New York librarv-i0n0 000 rubi, feat
five times as much as that used i'm the
stock exchange buildings advanced AS
the main reason for is great cost Tp
size the New York library is ss6 feet i7
length by -i5 feet in depth. incIosing two
interior courts. The Congressional liz
rary is 40 feet in length and $40 feet i'm
depth, incloSing four courts and a con-
tral rotunda surmounted by a dome. The
Boston library is ~ feet I'm length and
% feet in depth, inclosing a central
court
Unique Library.
As a working library" the BRYANT Parl,
building when completed viii boast Of
features that will make it unique among
the libraries Of the world Chief Of these
is the giant steel bookstac5. occupying
ali but the top floor Of the back part OF
the building This book-stack is by far
the largest ever constructed. and with
its eighty miles of shelves Is capable Of
holding 3.5r0cQ0 books. other bookstacks
in the building bring the total book ca
pacitv Of the library 10 4,5foo10 volumes
nearly 5c0.oo more than the public
library has AT present. Another unique
feature i'm the interior construction Of the
new building is the main TeadHg-To0m.
built directly over the main hoOk-stlct
This room is quite the largest in any pub
lie library. providing seats for about 500
persons. which is almost twice as much
as the seating capacity of the famous cir
cular reading groom of the British museum
built fifty years ago.
why He Got Degrees.