53D CONGRESS, 2 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mis. Doo.

3d Session. f - { No. 4.

BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

REPORT UPON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING FOR THE

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DURING THE YEAR ENDING DECEM-
BER 1, 1894, SUBMITTED BY THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS.

DECEMBER 3, 1894.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be

printed.

OFFICE OF BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,

145 EAST CAPITOL STREET,
Wash8ington, D. C., )December 3, 1894.
SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report upon the con-
struction of the building for the Library of Congress during the year
ending December 1, 1894.
At the date of the last annual report, December 4, 1893, the general
condition of the building was as follows:
The court walls and dome had been finished, while the exterior or
front walls, which areentirely of granite, had reached the general height
of the main entablature. The interior trims and casings of doors and
windows from the cellar upward, and well into the second story, had
been finished. The ironwork alld roofs of the three book stacks, the
boiler house and chimney, the apparatus for heating and ventilation,
including much of that for elevator service and light power, and all of
the floors except those of the attics, had been constructed. The marble
work of the main stair hall, and rotunda or main reading room, had been
commenced, and many contracts for various kinds of material and work
were in force.
From that time to the present there has been no cessation in the
active prosecution of the work of construction in nearly every part of
the building, and no very serious delay has occurred in the services of
contractors. The progress made during the year is contained in the
following statement:
The last stone of the superstructure was laid on July 7, thus com-
pleting all of the walls of the building proper. Since that time the
stonework of the porte-cochere, porch, and main entrance steps on the
west front, has been nearly finished and the coping of the area walls
laid entirely around the building. The few reniaining stones needed
to be set in the porch, and platform railing, are at hand on the ground.
All of the roofs and skylights, excepting those of the book stacks
and dome, which were completed last year, as above stated, have since
been constructed.
The remainder of the interior trims and casings of windows and
doors and also the washboards, all in cast iron, have been supplied and
put in place, excepting a few pieces in the attic of the west main
pavilion.
 2 BUILDING FOR-LTBARY OF CONGRESS.
The winding iron stairways from the basement to the gallery and
attic floor have been built in the eight wells of the main piers of the
rotunda.
All of the windows are glazed, and the building is now completely
closed in, so that the interior finish may proceed continuously and with-
out interruption from the weather.
The exterior walls of the whole building, including the courts, have
been cleaned down and pointed.
Two-thirds of the marble decks of the book stacks are laid; the plas-
tering of the stack-walls and ceilings has been finished, and the manu-
facture of the movable shelves is well in hand under contract.
The marble wainscoting of the basement halls and corridors, also
that of the two first-story corridors, and the marble work of the rotunda,
or main reading room, have been finished, while about three-fourths of
that for the stair hall is completed and the remainder is expected to
be done during the present winter.
Nearly all of the sheet-iron flue connections and leaders in the cellar
and in the roofs and dome for the completion of the ventilating flues
have been constructed and put in place, and the iron furring and lath-
ing of most of the ceiling under the roofs and about the ceiling lights
has also been made ready for plastering.
Most of the floors of the basement and first story have been leveled
up with concrete and otherwise prepared to receive the final floor cover
ing when the plastering of the rooms shall have been done.
All of the gas piping and about two-thirds of the electric wire con-
duits and cables for lighting and communication have been laid.
The plastering of the building, excepting that of the book stacks,
which was completed April 30, was begun in the basement story on
September 17, and about one-half of that story is now plastered.
On the 16th of August the stucco ornamental work was begun in the
vault of the dome and is now nearly finished.
Operations are still active throughout the building, some 400 work-
men being steadily employed therein, while there are several contracts
in force which employ many workmen elsewhere. During the whole
year the working force at the building has been nearly the same as now.
The photographs of the building, made November 20, 1894, are sub-
mitted herewith, the one a near view from a point opposite the south-
west corner, the other taken from the Dome of the Capitol. A com-
parison of these with the prints which accompanied the last annual
report will show what changes have taken place in the exterior of the
building and that the exterior is practically completed.
The following table shows the formal contracts that have been in
force at any time during the year, and also those which are still in force:
Date. Name of contractor. Subject of contract. ro condition.
1889.
July 29 New England Granite Works. Cut granite for front walls... $1,221,600.72 Completed.
Nov. 80 Tacony Iron and Metal Co Iron door and window frames,
... 54,513.00 Do.
casings, etc.
Dec. 29 Batterson. See & risele ...... Marble work 279, 111.90
................. Do.
29 W. H. Evans & Son ...............do 325, 700.00 In force.
.......................

29 Vermont Marble Co ...... do 17, 828.00

...................... Do.
29 Chaa. E. Hall & Co .................do 2,260.00 Completed
......................

29 ......do ....................... ......do 2, 261.00

...................... Do.
29 ......do....................... do-8 6, 690.00 Do.
29 Kenesaw Marble Co
. ......do .5,500.00
......... Do.
29 W.H. Evans & Son ................do 8,104.00
................... Do.
 BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 3
Date. Name bjricePreontract.
of contractor.. or I
conditi.n.
amount.
-

1893.
Jan. 27 Tacony Iron and Metal Co.... Ironwork in dome ............ $11,050.00 Completed.
Mar. 20 Pneumatic and Electric Tool Hire of tools and machinery 2,023.00 In force.
Co. (approximate).
Apr. 11 Davidson Sons Marble Co .... Marble work ................. 3, 750.00 Completed.
June 8 Washington Brick Machine Bricks................ per M.. 6. 23 In force.
Co.
24 John B. Lord ................. Sand ........per cubic yard.. 1.00 Do.
Aug. 1 Clark Bros ................... bbls .perbbl ..
.Cement...inin bags..
Cement.. .per bag.. .88, Completed.
18 Brown.Ketcham Iron Works.. Iron roofs, etc ................ 35,276.19 Do.
18 Empire Fireproofing Co ...... Rooting tile, per running foot. .11 Do.-
18 Hallowell Granite Works.... Cut granite for steps, copings, 29, 253.40 Do.
etc.
27 Tacony Iron and Metal Co.... Iron door and window frames. / 8,900.00 Do.
27 Clarence N. Boyd ............. Glass ......................... 6,573.00 Do.
27 Jackson & Sharp Co ........ Mahogany sash. etc........... 8,651.00 Do.
27 Brown-Ketcham Iron Works.. Traveling scaffolds .......... 2 239.90 Do.
28 Pickel Marble and Granite Co. Marble deck fags, ete......... 35,'890.40 In force.
Oct. 3
Nov. 9
W. B. Morgan ............
Chas. Werner............
Pipe covering................. 5, 522. 00
4.53
Conpleted.
Do.
Coal, per ton..................
14 Yale & Towne Manufactur. Bronze hardware ............. 2,639.01 Do.
1894
ing Co.
Feb. 1 Snead & Co. Iron Works..... Boolr shelves ............... 67,214.00 In force.
21 .....do...................... Iron frameworkand lathing.. 2,407.00 Completed.
21 Francis Miller ............... Glass ......................... 7.720. 00 Do.
21 McDaniel & Harvey Co ...... Galvanized sheet iron, etc.... 1,370. 00 Do.
21 James Clendenin ......... Sheet copper ................. 8. 4:17.79 Do.
27 L. Schreiber & Sons Co ....... Iron stairways, etca ........... 10,527. 70 Do.
Apr. 27 Evans Marble Co ............. Marble-worlk ............ 38, 95. 0(0 In force.
May 12 Ph(rnix Iron Co............... Iron roofs, skylights, etc...-. 13, 281. 88 Do.
June 19 Church & Stephenson ........Lumber, etc. (estirmaled) .... 7, 394. 50 Do.
19 Jas. H. McGill ............... Plaster and hair (estimated).. 1,873. 00 Do.
July 2 Frank M. Lee ............... Lime, per barrel ............. 0.48 Do.
14 Simplex Electrical Co......... Electric wire.. ......... 3,045. 73 Do.
Atg. 9 Expanded Metal Fireproofing Iron furring and lathing...... 10,100.00 Completed.
Co.
Sept. 1
Oct. 1
Builders' Iron Foundry ...... Iron and marble stairways
Norcross Bros ................ Cut granite tfor approaches
... 9, 000. no0 In force.
... 47, 2(0. 00 1)o.
16 Clins. Werner.............. Coal, per ton (estimated)...... 3,121.25 Do.
Nov. 9 Mather Electric Co ........... Dynamos ..................... 6,400. 00 Do.

In addition to the contracts above enumerated orders are in force for

the architectural figures, alto-relievos, and bronze doors, required for
the ornamentation of tile building, chiefly in the rotunda and stair
hall, amounting to $190,200.
As shown by this report, the construction of the building is now
advancing toward completion. Estimates have been carefully made
to see that the cost of construction should not overrun the limit fixed
in the act of March 2, 1889, and there is now no reason to ar.ticipate
that either this limit of cost or the estimated time of coinpletion in the
original project will be exceeded. It is therefore confidently stated
that in the event of sufficient appropriations, the building will be
finished early in 1897, and that the total cost will be within the limit
fixed by law.

PROBABLE OPERATIONS DURING THE NEXT YEAR, 1895.

During the coming year the marble-work, plastering, stuccowork,
woodwork, flooring, electric installation, corner-tower stairs, shelving
for the reading-room alcoves, elevators, machinery for transmission,
plumbing, painting, approaches to the west front, and work on the
grading and arrangement of the grounds will be carried on and many
of these pieces of work finished.
 4 BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
STATEMENT OF FUNDS.
Amount appropriated since October 2, 188' ........................... $4,550,000.00
Balance of appropriation of April 15, 1886 ........................... 245,567.94
4,795,567. 94
Amount expended prior t' last report .................. $3, 066,502. 21
Amount expended since last report .................... 1, 270, 936.23
Total expended since October 2, 1888 ..........................
4, 337, 438.44
Unexpended (December 1, 1894) .....................................

Amount of outstanding liabilities including incouipleted contracts

458,129.50
and other indebtedness ................. ........................ 5. 66,817.55
Estimate of appropriation required for fiscal year ending June 30,
1898 .............................................................. 1, 100, 000. O0

UNDERtROUND COMMUNICATION WITH THE CAPITOL.

The act approved August 18, 1894, making appropriations for sundry
civil expenses of the Government, contains the following provision rel-
ative to this building (Stat. L., vol. 28, p. 419):
* * *
the officer in charge of said building is hereby directed to report to Con-
gress its next session plans and estimates of cost for a tunnel, with suitable
at
conveying apparatus for the rapid transmission of books, papers, and messages at all
times between the said building and the Senate and House wings of the Capitol.
In compliance with this law I have the honor to submit the following
description of a tunnel or subway, with the apparatus needed, to accom-
plish the purpose set forth.
The location, general dimensions, and conveying apparatus of the
proposed tunnel are shown in drawing No. 612 accompanying this
report. The tunnel is to run about 3 to 5 feet below the surface of the
park and pavements in a straight line from the main entrance of the
Library building to a point of the Capitol immediately south of tlhe cen-
tral colonnade on the east front, where it will enter the subbasement
from whence the conveying apparatus will extend vertically to a smali
storeroom, on the main floor of the Capitol, which is in rear of the
room now occupied by the House Committee on Enrolled Bills.
The other terminal will be in the basement story of the Library
building immediately under the main reading room and close by the
internal delivery apparatus of the Library itself.
The tunnel conveyor is to consist of a small endless wire cable, car-
rying book holders, running nearly on the lines shown in the drawing,
and driven by an electric motor in the Library building. It is intended
that the carrier will not occupy more than two minutes in transit
between the terminals, which will be about 1,275 feet or nearly one-
fourth of a mile apart.
The tunnel will contain one small pneumatic tube for transmission
of written messages between the delivery room in the Capitol and the
Library, and also the necessary wires for direct telephonic communica-
tion between the two halls of Congress and the Library. The book
carrier, pneumatic tube, and telephones, arranged and operated as
described, will largely do away with the necessity/,f going in person,
or sending by messenger to the Library when books or information from
that building are wanted.
The tunnel will be large enough to permit a workman to pass through
to care for the cable line, wires, etc., when necessary, and will be water-
proof and inaccessible except at the two ends.
The cost of the tunnel and apparatus complete will not exceed
 BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRES. 5
$35 000, but no appropriation specially for this feature of the Library
building will be required.
The tunnel may be constructed during next summer while Congress
is not in session. It will be under ground entirely, and the present
condition of the park and paved esplanade will be restored, so that
when completed, no feature of the tunnel will be visible between the
two buildings.
It is recommended that the officer in charge of the Library building
be authorized to construct a tunnel with suitable conveying apparatus
for the rapid transmission of books, papers, and messages at all times
between the said Library building and the Capitol for the convenience
of the Congress, the terminal of said apparatus in the Capitol to occupy
the room in rear of that now occupied by the House Committee on
Enrolled Bills.
Very respectfully,
THOS. LINCOLN OASEY,
Brigadier- General United States Army.
The SPEAKEB OF ,1H HOUSE OFIREPRESENTATIVES.
0
 -- ..··-L ·L - - -I · " ·-
I
1*
/

1*

I.

1'

. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.....

I;

V A
t
/!
N~~~~~~~~~~~~7 k%. \tr
ml ,. 4Jv <hi:-

.-' ,*i

BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, NOVEMBER 20, 1894. VIEW FROM SOUTHWEST.
._ _i i _

' ' X

1 ' 0 F ..... .. . .... i . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~'ZI.:J -

_1894. VIEW FROM DOME OF CAPITOL.

BUILDING FOR LIBRARY OF CONGRESS,