El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-10

Entire Boston Library Gould
Be Put in One Room of
Building.
IS PRACTICALLY RUN
BY ELECTRIC METHOD
y FrederIe ]. Haskin.

----- E1--A-- EE44A D44AA4LEs lOGdAgQ on one
OF the most beautiful and desirable
sites in New York city, built in the
style OF French Renaissance yet show
ing a tang OF the classic Greek, It's
decoration the most beautiful that ar
list and sculptor could desire, and you
nave some faint conception Of the ap-
pearance Of the New York public IL
oraty Inc fittings and furnishings Of
this building are the best that money
could buy The arrangements for ven
t--auons neaLng and lighting are the
best known to modern science. No
detail has been overlooked which would
80 70 make this great library the most
perfect building Of the kind in the
The New York public library has
oeen open 70 the public only q few
months 1t stands on the site OF the
Old reservoir in Bryant Park. New
York city 1t fronts on Fifth avenue
and its northern and southern expos
ures are on EOrueth and Forty-second
streets The rear of the building, with
Its formal terraces, faces Bryant Park.
On all sides, II IS beautiful to look
upon, while the spacious windows let
IN sunlight in an abundance seldom
possible IN city building.
Has Imposing Front
The front is most imposing. Six huge
figures by Paul Bartlett representing
philosophy. religion, drama. history,
romance and poetry suggest the pur-
Of the main entrance stands a figure
by Frederick Mc1ianus, representing
wisdom and knowledge. There is also
q group of carvings by George Barn
ard representing science and art. The
main pediments north and south of
the main entrance are decorated by l.
G. Potter Three magnificent bronze
doors in she main entrance give admis-
sion to the rotunda, which IS the most
perfect large marble hall in this coun-
try The rOtunda gives the impression
OF gigantic size and its decorati ons
are in keeping, yet the artistic spirit Of
the whole appeals to every visitor. It
extends through the first and second
floor and its vaulted ceiling IS 60 feet
high.
To the right and left of the rotun-
"a are grand stafrways OF white mar
bic, upheld By great marble arches I
with a span of II feet between their /
burtresses- These arches we're a prob I
lem to the architect and several GU0r- Z
ries Of marbles were taxed to furnish 4
the material They required 5000 Gu /
bic feet Of perfect marble, the slightest ]
flaw or blemish causing a block to be 4
rejected 1t was chiefly the difficulty I
Of securing sufficient marble Of the I
quality desired which caused the de- /
lay IN the completion OF the building, 4
but those who view It now IN its per T
lection agree that the wait was well
worth while.
Floors and walls OF Marble.
Electric elevators are provided, but !
rev use LLEII- LlE me LaaEDAH SUITS
have an easy incline Each flight gives Z
access TO long lines OF marble CORR /
doris The floors and walls are OF
marble, beautifully polished. The
ceiling give the only touch OF cOloring {
These are hand painted plaster IN neu-
tral tints Illuminated in metallic
bronze luster- Standing In the mar
bic corridor Of the logEia. one looks
through three marble arches into the (
rotunda and across the rOtunda into ]
Fifth avenue, through large glass win 7
dOws set in frame Of ornamental F.
bronze
The New York library is IN the I
shape Of the letter z. The back Of the {
= gives the long corridors on all floors; /
the arms Of TIE = are the marble halls I
along FOrtieth and Forty-second /
streets. In the tongue Of the z is the
exhibition room on the first floor. the Z
Oriental department and special study /
room and the electric book lift on the
second floor and on the third floor the
public catalog room This last leads I
into the main reading room. which I
stands directly above the gigantic 1
stacks. which occupy three floors;
namely, the basement the first and
second doors
The public catalog room contains
5000 boxes Of card catalOEs fitted IN
shelf drawers on three sides Of the
room As a provision for future addf-
tons, there is gallery above pro
tected by an ornate bronze railing The
method by which This great library 4
should handle the crowds Of readers
was for years the subject OF careful
consideration on the part OF the most
EkiIlful Librarians in the world 1t Is
believed that the plan adopted ap-
proaches the maximum Of speed and
facility
Little Difficulty IN Finding Books.
The reader enters the catalog room Z
and because or its simplicity or az
rangement has little difficulty in find
ing the book he desires. he makes
rFTe slim and gives IL TO or the
attendants in charge and then passes
into the main reading room HIS sip
IS sent by pneumatic tube into the /
service bureau Of the reading room I
from which Il Is forwarded quickly 20 I
the stack The book Is found IN ]
rev minutes II 1t is in the building 4
and IN an incredibly short time the /
eleclrlc annunclatOr In the main read /
ing room announces the number OF the I
book and the reader goes no TO the I
huge screen mat separates the dellV- /
cry department from the reading room 1
and receives his book.
This main reading room IS one Of /
the largest In the world and is mag /
nificent in every way II IS 295 feet I
are 80 feet high These are decora ted /
with the same lustrOus hand decora ton /
OF the marble corridors. but their de-
sign gives the effect OF the sun. sky 4
and clouds on 2 June day The fur
nishinEs are oak and the floor Is COW
cred with compressed cork tiles The
entire Boston library could be placed /
inside OF this one room. The high I
arched windows look out on Bryant
park. and their heighth prevents the
possibility Of any obstruction Of light.
The screen behind the delivery desk IS
~ hand carved oak and. is s. feet long
This room contains 48 tables arranged
70 provide three square feet Of space
for each reader
Stack Rooms Greatest In World
The stack rooms Of this wonderful 4
hbrarv are the greatest ever built for
any library in the world. They viii
house 5000. ono booiCs. Their are 80
miles Of shelves The stack rooms
have 900 electric lights ard the
windows provide light and ventilation.
Tor the old theory that sunlight and
fresh air are bad for books Is just
as erroneous as that they are bad for
human beings
The circulation department or this
-c----.----.-- -