Evening star., 1933-08-20
ONG-DELAYED protection against

destructive forces Will be pro-
vided for by the Federal Govern
IL ment's archives here which date
from Colonial times. The con-
struction of massive vault building
at a point midway between the White
House and the Capitol, is rapidly ad-
vancing. As the work progresses in the
assembling Of marble and steel to form
the Archives Building, which will have
no counterpart in the world, details
Of the system developed to guard docu-
mentary treasures are being revealed.
Occupancy of the structure, scheduled
for next year, will mark the fulfllment
of a desire held by historians, scholars
and Government officials since the
founding of the Nation. Several fires
have destroyed invaluable state pa
pers, and futile searches for impor-
tant documents in dark and musty
storage areas periodically have produced
demands for a place where a uniform
system might govern the country's ar
chives. Hands of autograph and. SOU
venir hunters also have done their
share of damage. Excessive moisture
and sunlight also have hastened the
destruction Of the Governments valued
records
No scientific or architectural aid
which can lend itself to the work OF
affording protection to the manuscript
history of the United States" has been
overlooked in the planning and con-
struction of the building. While the
topmost pieces of structural steel are
being placed, many of the protective
features are being built into the giant
safe" Many more will be added as
work on the interior progresses.
Precaution to Be Ultimate.
In addition to the usual protective
measures, extreme precautions against
the insidious destroyers of paper and
buildings, such as uncontrolled light and
impure and improperly tempered air,
are being provided.
The defense was planned long before
the laying of the unusually heavy foun-
dation was begun last year. Members
of the staff of the Bureau Of Stand
ards, with the assistance of funds OBJ
tanned from quasioficial sources, did
the research upon which scientific sug-
gestions were based. The Treasury De-
partment sent representative OF the
supervising architects Office to Eu-
rope to study the various archival es-
Establishments on the continent, and an
Advisory Committee comprised Of Gov
eminent officials, who now have Gus
tody of the main groups of archives,
was appointed.
The massive exterior walls are well
advanced toward completion. They
show comparatively few openings for
windows and doors. Daylight will be
entirely excluded from the storage
areas. Small incandescent lamps, to be
lighted only when needed, will supply
the necessary illumination.
An air-treating system, capable OF
handling 100000 cubic feet of air a
minute, will insure the purity and prop
er tempering of the atmosphere
ture will be the washing of the air
with an alkaline solution to remove
completely any acid contamination
which otherwise might find its way into
the storage spaces. Investigations by
experts at the Bureau of Standards
have shown conclusively that acid gases.
especially the sulphuric dioxide con-
tanned in smoke which pours from
chimneys and stacks in metropolitan
areas, hasten the deterioration of pa
pers. It is planned to maintain rela-
tive humidity of SIS per cent in the
storage spaces and of As per cent in
the work rooms. The temperature
throughout the entire building will be
maintained at 10 degrees during the
Winter and 80 degrees during the Sum-
mer.
Another Measure Observed.
Another interesting precaution is be-
ing observed through the use of glazed
tile and the incasing of concrete COL
umns in non-ferrous metal to remove
so far as possible the presence of abra-
sive dust within the building. Coated
or non-ferrous metals are being util-
lied where metal is required in the
storage spaces. in order to eliminate
the necessity Of repainting, an opera
ton which would be hazardous to the
stored records.
Heavy, removable partitions, ex-
tending from floor to ceiling and to
fire walls, will be placed in the stack
space" at proper intervals to safe
guard the papers.
Among the facilities will be many OF
special development to be used in ar
ranging, cleaning, repairing. mount
ing and copying papers. Other equip
ment will be provided for the use of
workers employed in various types of
copying and duplicating activities,
cataloguing and indexing, with par
ticular attention being given to pro-
vision of ample quarters and equip
ment for Photographic work.