| Show THE NEW LIBRARY Undo Sams Book PAlaoo and lla Wondorful Foaturos Its Coldon Domo and Glass WarehousesRailroads for Window Win-dow Washors and Cloctrlo Linos for Carry Ins Books A I Chat Wllh Mr Spotford = = = = c > wI I tI III 1 ipenl nn afternoon this w eek In go lag through Ihe new National Ibrary i building 1 cant begin to describe It Il wilt bo the finest public building In the United States and It will be the most beautiful library In the world It coven nearly four acres and It ll I already under root Ill walli ate u high as those ol the Illicit New York flit and you can loie younelf In lu Ions corrldon and winding passages It has dome plated with the pureit of gold lirger than the largeit circus tent and the golden torch which flames over lu top though It looks not bigger around thin our fi1 ai viewed from the capitol liln reality I u big as a hogshead and It may be een from Alexandria and far down the Potomac Poto-mac Thli new library building U I a work of wonderful art lu exterior If I made of drab granite cut In plceto imoolh that It looks like marble and ornamented here and there withwonder ful caning The building has about 1800 window and the four fide ol the main gallery have thirty three great arches the keyilone of uhlch are Images representing the head of all the races of the world Every type of man known to ethnology has a place In one ol these arches and the laces are mar I vclous In their execution and character Over the main entrance are the types of the highest order of men such as the I Greek and Latin and the Saxon while at the back of the building you find Hie lowest types such as you find In Africa and In the South Sea litands leant describe the wonderful execution of these figures They are the moll lifelike pictures In atone I have ever seen and they seem to almost talk to you as their stern stony eyes look down at you from over the windows This building covers nearly ai much space as the Capitol Its dome U not so large but lu plate of gold mikes It Infinitely more consplclous II you will tike five city lots and carpet them with 34carat gold you Hill get an Idea of the golden omit which covers this l Immense l hlW dome There Is no room In the United o largo that It would fit this great golden carpet and It Is I the largest golden dome In the United SUIe II his been called the largest golden dome In the world Hut this II a mistake The dome lof St Isaacs In St fcters has a smaller diameter but It covers more ipace and It cmt J Infinitely more thin this ceI II I took aoo pounds of solid i cold to cotr II I and when you remember remem-ber i that lca at the mlnufs worth Ifa1 an ounce you will see that even at that low rate the Su Ietenburg dome cut f 10 ooo to gild I The gold I on the dome at Washington did not cost one tenth of Ihit amount ill was put on In little sheen = rui I I which was about four Inches xjuare I nnd one hundred and fiftythousandths of an Inch thick U takes iwo thousand men sheets to make one ounce of gold and Ilili amount will cover a space about as Urge as that of the avenge hall vest l I lule I ho gold nude In that form costs Ji7 dollars an ounce an1 I at that rate U must have cost oer pQJO to gild 1 SL Isaac Russia hai many cathedral domes plated willl gold and the got I plated 10111 tes of the world l are many In Ilurmah and Slam Ihere are pagoda and temples covered with gold and at Rangoon I sw a paioda about two thirds as high as the ttashlngtonmnn iiment hlcn ll I great round mountain juit plastered with gold leaf The dome ol the captlol at Uoston II gold plated as are alia those of the Connecticut I eh lhnf a l state haute at Ilirlford and the Hotel IJes Invalids at Paris I went up tu the I top of thli golden dome yesterday and took a look at It The gol I Is laid upon copper and II Is polished so lint It U I as bright I as a new wedding I ring Ills Mldtobcery durable i an I rron the I whole I doubt not cheaper than Ilio white lead wllh which the Capital dome U painted nearly I every ear The gold wisput on by specialists ioT worked under canvas and one ol whom nearly lost his life at Iho l work The ton of the dome Is fi I j judge about one third the height of the Washington monument from the earth This nun was working on the smooth surface when lilt fool slipped and ho slid It a < though It Here a mountain of Ice lie came to Ibo edge at a Hying velocity and shot over It on to Ihe railing of the granite fence which rum around lu bate Ills foot fortunately caught on the Imlde of this railing and < he tumbled down In a heap I on the Iron patemcnt which runs around Ihe dome CI Jlbe struck the I topoflheralllni half an Inch highertw uould have slid over and Hould hive fallen a sheer I jo feet onto the granite I Ing In the court below Tills it the mly really dangerous accident that has jccurrcd In the building I I and though I hundreds of men have been employed upon II for several years no lite have been lost I cant describe the wonders of Ihe Interior In-terior of the National Ibrary 1 My head bulled as I walked through 1 I the many rooms and tried I to understand leI It I all r You could low yourself In Its basement as In the catacombs of Rome an I wander wan-der for hours trying to find your way out The grand stalrcaie which likes up a space equal almost to that of a quirterof an acre to be finished In while marble and the great marble I columns uhlch lisa one abote another I are already In place and surrounded wllh wooden boards to keep them from In jury The reading room will be In the rotunda In the center of the building and It will be covered I with the dome This room will be as Urge as the rotunda ol the Capitol and Its area will be about a quarter of an acr II will hive tcali for I i lers ami the disks of the e run in on n trie rows around the centra d k In u hlch the manager of the red I room u III nil and from which lie nil II have nneciions with all part of Ihe III r ry by pneumatic lubes or other modern invertions which will enable him to lend t menage < < In the twinkling of in eye to any part of this great hook palace and by the touching of a button bring back Ihe book he wants Flee trldty and everything that Ihe I modern mind can think of has come to the aid In adding to the conveniences of the library and lr It Is now thought that an electric railroad I will l be l fll1 carry the book from the old library of I Lon Rr In Ihe Capitol over lo this new Ere uilding Irom 1 this great central dome run out like arms rrwMlve buildings In which nre to be housed our national library of the future These are known as bonk sack but the word conveys no ld a of their character Inisglne a great rnIb f1 = alf lone warehouse with glass wall as lilsfi as one of Ihe largest New York Hats and hundred of feet in length Let tlie tide of these be walled wllh glaisiellno squire column of Hhlle enameled brick and h ve the plate gills uedked Into thine columns without framework as Is the case In windows Make the interior lo ranslsl of one mass ol Iron network running from the lloor to Iho roof no that when you stand within It you set nothing but Iron frame rlilng one above the other and filling the whole vast high room tlfil 11 This may give you ionic Idea of Ihe book slack Theiron network cnnilsl 01 book helvea and these are reached by stairs uhlch run from one tier of iron to another and by walks of iron paved rre f L div with marble which are suspended between be-tween the tiers at regular Intervals from the lloor to the root There are several of these ul book warehouses In the building The one I have ust descrilied will I contain HOOOIO books or more thin are now In Ihe National sJ I Ibrary The walls of glass give perfect light ami the books 1 are so arranged that the greatest number can be packed Into Ihe smallest compass nuking every pamphlet Ihor uughly accesilble I hae ipnken of the Hoo windows of this building Those ol the Interior and of these tucks are set Intothe walls ma < slve > le es of plate glais as Rreat F lsl i el i trge as goodslaed store t fronts II U not possible lo raise or lower them and J 11 Isfor they are made so for Ihe protection rf Ihe book In order that no dust may enter The ventilation Is all done from Ihe roof and these windows ur washed on the outside by means of a little railroad rail-road which runs around them fn in slur lu iloryon which the washers can Hand ami scrub them clean The acres of Hoar In this great book J > AtC will be of marble The wills of the rotunda are of colored mirble from all puts of the United btates and In Ihe uholeat 1 high lour acres of wonderful roams not a splinter of wood has been used AllIs I All-Is composed of Iron slone remtnt and 11 and as Mr Green the engineer In charge told me there Hill not be enough wood In the building when It ii I completed to make ea match This building Is tocosl6 000001 The State War and Navy coot fiooouuoo and upon the Capitol has been ex landed all told omelhlnglikefilooj CXM Unclo bam will gel more for uo31 money out of this than out of either ol the others All of Ihe work Is being done under Ihe government and every t I a e and 01 thing is bul t t U the very I t 1 r rooms I i an Ie ilnorttlu work nn iiterior and idorn tl efticnor Rnu which arc I throughou I Iele I i Idlng every nlketh lIurk ol an army thing wen 0111 I 1111 ln Ptfet under coo perlert 1ler The be cOlllplel Ulli o I vetrt l b lnlOl io Jf thorough operjtlw From here I It1 er lo tne Cap itol and lk troll h lhe IIhrary of Congress lveo avsiubly I room oJ3 the 1 building U p ed with books and the library pripiri u lull thai you have tu nvarcMhro h IIIIKIII file > n order to lei fnw P11 01 ll Io Ibo other 1 pushed m > 1 Iast I a nioun tain of boun I KM P ul > ir1p r3 main deik 7 an I aked Spoliord I the librarian to tell mW thing about the t condition of the hbNry today and as tn IMIW I ill t Aim ncan brain was I adlne PveryoitalWellington know f i1 i ZI hn Mr SpvDbnl lie l wllh the library for mot ito a KlIerallofl and he knows mori about > ooks and llttlr conies than any other man In the 11 I There are in Hie National Ibrary I naerty 700000 vol imn jnd In add lion to this there nro > pamphlets rrh81 nr Mr Spoflords ham is uch that he know just where uc i one of the 700 oao volume si ui l < and he cin tell you In nn Instant ju twli h ol them ought to help you on an > ubiecl you are studying It i ibe same uith the pamphlets pam-phlets and the uk l I boll one little Ironfray head < an h il 1 it all 1 le I I a curlou looklntt > < dlt a < a Sannlinl lie hn blirk lulr and whtoken now mxd wnh gray Ills eyes are bright I II rime Is short lithe and wiry n 1 it ry atom of ll Is i mldo III of mil < I II Ihe busiest man lu the Copllol hllbhnll I and he know how lo 10 w ok uckly He dictates all ol hi mtrcip ndence and hi ordinary conieruiio i whkli Is I cliln cut and exact It I as cla k as the mass of books uhlch lIflOIIIIII 1 him 1 always feel afraid lo rei > rthim He says Just what he means olld If > ou misplace n word or a figure i leel thil it will Cause his I black I if i lo I stand I on end in Indignation whim lit reads It 1 He 1 i wllh all this n very ncrniiblr man and to people who hue business wllh him there Is I no one more ready to talk I told him whit I uanle I anil he look me Into a little cubby hole In one corner o the library and then rattled nil answers to my questions at the rate of loo words a rnlnuie I asked Mm as to the story of the librtrt and as to the new building 11 I aid rTI llefore Congrns came to WashIngton Wash-Ington It had access for a time to the books l In Ihe 1 Loganlan Library In 1 hlla dtlphla Die I little I city contained number of scholars and there was not much I trouble In getting I Information 1t1Inwt et oJW i Uienthecapilalwasmoved 1 to Wath I Ington however Congress found Itself In Iho woodland there were no book of reference or general libraries I U he I lefferson became President the librar uas firit established and an approprli lion of f 1000 a year was derated to it In 1814 u a hid here nhoul jooo vu umes Then the llrlllili came olld burned Ihe Capitol and the books wen up I In smoke A short time after Ihli I resident efftrran who had gotten Int financhl units tOi Montlccllo I offerr his library for sile to Congress lie had all told between six anil seve n thousand olumes many ol which wee aluablu Hnd ran C ngr a paid I him 3 n uoa for them w IK h was It li Hi d mt about lull uf wl at they coil him nil thty were 10111 I 1 in w KUM Ir mi lonticello to Unihmcton 1jrlon eflenon hlographer I says they made lhUI IxtMiiuagon loads of books and that flerson was ery sorry to lose them n iHst the library lial increisfd lo S5n > volumes Then another Ille t oc urred and 15000 of these were burned Deluding many uf Ihe most valuil leThe le-The fire took place from defective linn and only mooo olum were IlAvtU rom Ihe ruins Dythl lime Cungr ss rh I en r i rrouihly appreciated the need of a ood library and the > ear lotlowing jooowereapproprlatedfornewbookii nu tlw approprlatom hate gone on rim that time lo this until we now have 680 ooo volumes ami iioooopamphleln jil year wr added about tScnu vol mes to the library and the copt rights ore now increasing our stock at tha rale o f jo oou and upuard per I year 1 Tell me something about the new II brory it u III be one of the finest libraries of the world and It will be as perfect as modern Invention and modem science can make II The three grcit enemies I ul f books are dust heat and moinure to lieit nnd fire we Ime pretented liol 8 rf Ills by putting 1 the heating arrangements way front Ihe main structure and there will be no poslnle chance for anthing 10 catch fltc There will be nothing In he building that would burn except the books and 1 hope to have Ihe heat so rranged that the whole building will neer bet a higher temperature than 68 The windows are no lied thit the building will be dust proof Ills situated situ-ated In a park and surrounded by streets which are not much used The windows nave those of the top will lever l opened and It will I be one of U he cleanest buildups In Ihe Jnee 10 moisture we uent down filly feel lo get the foundations In order that there night be no dampness connected with hem and our heating arrangements ate such that there will be no poisible danger dan-ger I rom dampness Another great advantage ad-vantage uill be the hiving of all 1 the I work connected wllh the librar I under i one roof As ll Is now we send valuable I book every day from here lo the government i gov-ernment printing I ollm to be bound The danger of IMS Is eI In I nuny wa > < great and I tremble when I let them 1 ° goM How about Ibo bnding of books Mr bnolford It Is a science In Itself and all libra rlan lhould alth very carelully Ihe binding of Ihelr volumes It II only a mall of books who knows how a book hould be bound I examine and piss I upon every book that comes from the 1I17 bindery and this Is now a great ta k I begin I U when the library was innll and keep It up today There Is greit dinger that r a title I uill be misspelled 1 or that the book will be Improperly stitchedpr covered cov-ered I am strongly In I fat or of the binding of 1 books In leather rather than calf and III pay to use the bell of material mater-ial Leather bound books are hrst laced lo the boards by IlIlne or cord to uhlch the leave are leun The leather Is patted over this and it makes a strong and durable covering I here liaatt dllTeren e In the qualities of leather and the best covering U a gen IU vtIFo ulne I evant morocco I do not like calfskin It Is I Ion brittle and It bail at Ihe joints Tin avuagc morocco > often colored sheepskin This H soft and easily worn out Itusila leather also breaks at the joints while as lor the shoddy sutililuta for leather am l Iti hl x vel t br As to color I I am itn ugly In favor of red II doe riot fade and It livens up the dark colored book This question of binding books however is one that will admit of a reat deal 1 of discussion I As for myself I believe that the very best 1 binding Is the cheapest In the eml I think thai magailnei ought I alwat to be bound with I the covers and advertisements as ihetc are sometimes very aluable as historical material giving the date and mce of each number and as time goes on matter 11 hleh becornes very Interest iIlK RANK G CA UNTEK |
