Show Tilo 1119 Wonders of America By T. T T. T MAXEY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS A LIBRARY for congress was an on unquestioned unquestioned un un- questioned necessity Consequently Consequent ly Iy the congressional library was founded found found- ed about the le same time the government was first established 01 or in 1800 It If wa was entirely destroyed ed by fire In the war of 1812 nn and also suffered serious I h ly from fire at nt a later Inter date So congress con con- gress giess authorized ed the construction ofa ofa of of- a n building that could not be bc burned Result Heult the present re eIlt structure completed com com- In 1807 said to to tobe be the most perfectly n adapted for the I use and storage tora e of hooks books h of ot Rn any large I In the theod V od odd likewise the lar largest larg larg- largest est cst costliest rand and safest It con consists of three stories a basement basement base hase ment and a n dome covens eis CO IS I'S almost three and one one half acres and has his a R total floor space ue of about out eight acres acre Youcan You Yuu Youcan can cun better hetter grasp the magnitude of this this' building IJ when I tell you th that it It if contains brick to say nothIng nothIng noth noth- Ing ipg of the tho o other othe le materials and nd has siJ shelves cliches with a n total length of about forty fort miles I It now houses considerably more than one million books and lets which h Is the largest single le collection collection tion on tho the western hemisphere Its estimated total rapacity opacity Is about 1 i- publications Its more than 2000 windows g under 1 It the best lighted light fight ed cd library In the world Tune flu colorings of or the reading room are soft sort quiet rich and warm being heing conducive conduct e to t the e greatest comfort The The walls aUs carr carry many helpful and Inspiring inspiring In in- Inscriptions Its conspicuous beauty be or charm however howe Is In ht the wonderful mural decorative scheme It being unquestionably the most gorgeously gor- gor d decorated public building InAm In Am America rica |