Evening star., 1935-09-01

TO HOUSE PRIZED PAPERS
Document Detectives Now Searching Dark Corners of Gov
ernment Buildings for Records of Forgotten
Chapters in Nations History.

from the Tidal Basin, functioning
through an enormous battery Of COM
pressors that I'LL practically al Of one
Of the Easements.
To this protection will be added rob-
Der and fire detection systems which
are the most modern the minds Of the
Nations best experts could devise,
methods almost human in intelligence,
but not handicapped by human fali-
hility.
The burglar system Is designed to
prevent not only the forcing Of en-
trance through doors leading into the
stack areas, where the priceless rec
ords Of the Government viii be stored,
but also will Immediately betray the
tread Of q mouse-any motion within
those areas-assuming any one might
conceal himself there when they are
operating with intent to abstract or
destroy papers during the night.
Use Of the photo-electric cell, or
electric eye, which has found so many
startling applications in recent years,
was considered but it was found not
adaptable to this particular and tre-
mendously important problem because
light rays either are visible or can be
initiated by flashlights. or special ap-
paratuS, to allow a passage past the
beam without actuating an alarm. 1t
also was discovered that the use Of so
many lights would cause many false
alarms due to bulb failure. Accord
ingly, after intense experimentation
with this and other systems, one was
worked out that combines several.
The vast stack areas are divided
into 13o zones-10 under the control
OF each section chief. Electric alarm
contacts were installed on all doors
TO each zone and within each were
placed microphones which pick up
and transmit to the control desk the
slightest sound. At the desk b an
annunciator and the button Of low
pitched buxzer which sounds inside
the zone. At any time the man on
duty there can push the button and
know whether the microphone Is func-
tioning. When he Is assured the sys-
TEN Is working he turns key which
places the entire network on master
control and the guards take charge.
Immediately upon receipt Of the
section chiefs signal sn automatic re-
corder prints Zone lilo, protection
established -" giving the hour
and date for q permanent log. But
should any contacts on the doors tndi-
cate improper closing. an alarm viii
sound Immediately. Thus II any noise
Is made In the stacks, or . door Is
opened when protection Is on, there
will be an automatic printed alarm
establishing the exact time and place.
Although the great building itself
Is fireproof because practically no
infiammable material has been used
In its construction, It's contents viii
not be. But problems were encountered
in establishing watch system because
of the burglar detection devices which
obviously bar watchmen's entrance to
the stacks. Accordingly. small lobhies
or alcoves were built in with doors
having small glass apertureS SO the
watchman can look in and down the
main aisles for evidences Of fire.
For automatic FIRE protection 1t was
found two systems were available, one
depending on thernostats or fusible
metals operating at a fixed preset
temperature to complete an electric
circuit and send in an alarm, and the
other on the rate Of rise Of tempera-
ture causing expansion Of air In q ball
or tube to actuate Q bellows, COM
pleting o circuit and sounding an
alarm. Air conditioning operates "a
hours all through the building and
this had to be taken into consideration
with the result than an adaptation Of
the tube-type rate-of-rise detection
was adopted. It parallels the burglar
detection system so the slightest FIRE
sounds its own alarm in the ONCE
of the captain Of the guard.
In addition to these precautions
an automatic sprinkler system has
been installed in the film vaults and
all vaults are provided with an auto
matte fire protection system using
carbon dioxide and both Of these
systems are tied in with the automatic
alarm.
The Archives Building is the last
Of the huge triangle the Government
has had under construction for sew
eral years.
It was on February 10. 1882, after
all those decades Of delay, that the
cornerstone of the Archives Build
ing was laid by President Hoover. In
his address he said:
Here will be preserved all the
records that bind State to State and
the hearts of all our people in an
indissoluble Union. The romance Of
our history will have living habitation
here in the writings of statesmen,
soldiers and all the others. both men
and women, who have builded the
great structure Of our national life.
This temple of our history will
appropriately be one of the most beau-
tiful buildings in America, an express
sion Of the American soul. 1t will be
one Of the most durable, an expression
of the American character.
"Devoutly the Nation will pray that
it may endure forever the depository
Of records Of yet more glorious progress
in the life Of our beloved country"