110 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1913 



4 inches on the ground floor and 7 feet 6 inches on the mezzanine floor, 

 wliile 4 alternating ones have been carried only to a height of 3 feet 

 6 inches, in order that their tops may serve the purpose of tables in 

 arranging and consulting books. On the ground floor the main 

 passageway, 4 feet 8 inches wide, is on the window side of the room, 

 the main stacks extending thence to join those along the south wall, 

 but the lower staclcs are much shorter. Above the mezzanine the 

 general passageway, reduced to 2 feet 9 inches in width, is on the other 

 or south side of the room, the main stacks extending against the piers 

 between the windows and the rails in front of them. 



The stacks have a 3-inch base and 4-inch cornice. The uprights, 

 spaced for shelves 2 feet 11 inches long, are slotted at 1-inch intervals. 

 Besides the fixed sheK at the base, the full height stacks are estimated 

 to carry 6 adjustable shelves, and the lower ones proportionally fewer. 

 On this basis, the shelf capacity of the room amounts to about 3,500 

 lineal feet. The shelves are 12 inches wide, of No. 16 gauge steel, 

 stiffened at front and back by smoothly turned f-inch rolls shaped to 

 receive book supports. The exposed ends of all stacks have label 

 holders, 7f by 4 inches, finished in statuary bronze. The surfaces are 

 japanned and of a dark green color. The entire construction is of 

 the best material adapted to the purpose and the workmanship has 

 been thorough. 



In one of the alcoves is a flight of stairs and nearby it is a lift for 

 carrying books to the upper story. The latter is operated by hand, 

 is self-retammg and has a lifting capacity of 75 to 100 pomids. Meas- 

 uring 17^ inches square inside and 26 inches high, it is constructed of 

 brass wire mesh on the sides and back, with wood floor and wood 

 frame top. The shaft is enclosed with iron wire mesh. The mezza- 

 nme floor consists of steel framing covered with wired hammered 

 glass, having the smooth side up and sand blasted to give good footing 

 and reduce the transparency. The glass rests on angle iron which 

 projects above it at the sides to the extent of f inch to form a curb, 

 between which and all stacks there is an opening 2 inches wide for 

 the circulation of air. All other and larger openings, as at the windows 

 and the galleries in the other rooms, are protected by pipe railing. 



The smaller reading room, which adjoms the stack room and is 

 designed for special study purposes, is mostly Imed, both above and 

 below the gallery, with single wall stacks of the pattern before de- 

 scribed. The gallery, of the same construction as the mezzanine 

 floor, is 2 feet wide beyond the cases and is reached by iron stairs. 

 In one corner on the lower floor is a steel manuscript case, 6 feet 

 wide, 3 feet deep and 7 feet 6 mches high, divided vertically into two 

 compartments, each with solid steel double doors secured by means 

 of rod locks. The other furniture of this room includes a large table. 



