The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-24

Low. Since then criticism has been
abundant. not always we'll Informed
and often conflicting, In great meas
any true appreciation OF tue building
as a whole by the fragmentary and
ragged state OF its approaches. The
approaches have been cleared and tho
building stands free to the public gaze
as the architects planned.
The dimensions OF the building are
imposing in themselves, but much as
has been written about il there is sin
Gulariy hlittlo authoritative critical
comment on its architectural merits
or defects. lii exterior dignity. gen
eral opinion holds it nobiy adequate,
For Interior spaciousness and unity.
It Is felt, perhaps. to fall below the
! Boston Public Library as a pure mon
uinen OF beauty. but to exceed any
other building OF Its nature In tho
world for combined beauty and utility.
In general tho style ie a blend OF tho
Italian and French Renaissance, and
Gustave Kobbe has characterized this
made ~congruous, not merely congiom-
crate. The result" he says. lis arts
tic and dignihed."
built of White Marble.
The exterior is exclusively OF white
marble. Very little of anything else
has been used inside or out. although
colored m marbles. both native and for
eign, soft limestone and woodwork
have been freely employed as deco
rative accessories. The library stands
$50 feet long or Fifth Avenue and go
feet deep. Omitting the two interior
co~urtyards, carved out of the main
block for light and air. Il covers e
superficial area of $4,000 square feet.
and has a floor space OF $4,000 square
feet. II took 100000 tons OF white
Vermont marble to built e.. not count
Ing 10000 cubic feet rejected because
of haws. All the marble was exposed
to the elements for q year or more
TO test It's qualities of endurance.
When the builder took the contract
nc bought the quarry outright, rooted
1t over and worked IT night and day.
summer and winter.
The main entrance opens from Fifth
Avenue upon tho rotunda. a room
which. though impressive in Its purity
of outline and dignihed simplicity.
disappoints some critics as lacking In
spaciousness for the introductory TO
a structure OF such huge proportions.
The architects. on the contrary, felt
the room adequate In Itself. and every
where bore in mind the needs OF q
4 "a ilb VI 4 tS n.y. hHS boAA
way and corridors severe and simple.
They laid the floors in marble and TIL
Ing. 10 withstand the tread OF gener-
ations. They decorated the ceilings
richly, but they made no contracts for
mural paintings, a conspicuous con
trast from the example of the Boston
and the Congressional Libraries. In
this instance. It was felt wiser to
leave blank panels. which may be
filled as the artistic consciousness OF
the city, the commemorative needs of
the day and the private muniicence
of the hour may suggest.
Masterpiece of Convenience.
Aa a mechanism, as a masterpiece
OF convenience. the library Is believed
to be without equal In the world. II
has facilities both ordinary and ex-
traordinary never before attempted.
There is a reading room for the blind.
There is a charming little room for
children. with d~iminutive chairs and
low tables, quite In the manner OF a
nursery. over which a motherly super
~tntendent Will nave charge. There are
eight private rooms for the use OF
: scholars. 1t was remembered, for In
stance, that ~Rear-Admiral Mahar
wrote his monumental works on the
influence of sea power almost entirely
In tho public rooms of the Astor
|. Library.
But the browning glory OF the edince
is the great reading room, the largest
in the world, on the top floor at the
renr, surrounding the stack room. Il
i runs 295 feet in length, ~ feet In
width. and stand so feet high. Will
ceiling painted to imulat the cloud.
: drifted sky. Bisecting 1t is a double
re 81 feet wide and divided
G into arches, the purpose OF which Is
to serve the delivery staff, to eact
. ~, n i, NJ which ono of the q rcha 40 ts
apportioned.
The books themselves, the treasure
u around (which the rest OF the library
is built. are housed in a stack-room
: directly beneath the main reading
@ room, comprised of seven stories. eacf
seven feet high. They have an i'm
s pressive monotony OF perspective, reg.
a~septic. The framework is ~latticet
j steel and the shelves of bronze. Nc
reader, however privileged, will be al,
:. lowed Inside. His call slip will come
= down to the attendants through one
of many pneumatic tubes. and eleva
q tors will carry the book he wishe.
!. back NO him. There are sixty-thret
:. miles \pf shelves In the stack-roon
,r alone. and twcnty-seven miles moro II
other rooms devoted to special depart
g ments, making ninety miles Of shelf
y room in all.
n Unlike 30 many modern buildings
tho New York Public Library Is bull
as the ancients built, for eternity. TIL,
vault of the rotundn is a true vault
2 not n venee hung from support
* above. The walls arc solid masonry
" The roof Is masonry, Thing and meta
ID Steal has only been used where tn,
.e ancients would have used wood, Tn
y millions that went into 1t will endure
% and as tho library is enrich ed from