14 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1910. 



consisting of alarm boxes of essentially the same pattern as those 

 used by the city, and of fire extinguishers, and many lengths of hose 

 kept attached to fire plugs. There may also be mentioned a series of 

 call boxes throughout the building, from which the watchmen turn 

 in their signals to the central office during each of the night rounds, 

 and a comprehensive vacuum cleaning plant, with pipes leading to all 

 parts of the building. A very complete system of electric wire con- 

 duits was included in the building construction, and the more necessary 

 of these were wired in the same connection. Nearly all of the light- 

 ing fixtures required on the ground floor and third floor have been 

 installed, and the hanging of the ceiling fixtures in the exhibition halls 

 was well advanced before the close of the year. 



As explained in previous reports, the new building, erected for the 

 natural history collections, contains four full stories, in addition to 

 which a large part of the attic space is available for storage. The 

 two middle stories are designed wholly for the public exhibition of 

 specimens, while the lower story, with the exception of one exhibition 

 hall, and the third story are arranged for the laboratories, the storage 

 of the reserve collections, the offices, the mechanical plant, and the 

 workshops. 



In the matter of furnishing, preference has been given to the 

 ground and third stories over the exhibition stories, in order that the 

 laboratories and the mass of the collections might be moved as soon 

 as possible, and the scientific staff be established in the new building 

 where its members could more conveniently work out the somewhat 

 difficult problems which confront them in planning and arranging the 

 exhibition collections under the greatly improved conditions now 

 offered as to amount and character of space. The furniture for these 

 two floors, except the tables and chairs, will be almost wholly of steel 

 or steel covered. Excellent designs for the several patterns of cases 

 required were secured, and in view of an extensive competition the 

 prices have been kept at a relatively low figure. Some cases had been 

 constructed during the previous year, but the work was much more 

 actively continued during the past one, in view of the larger appropria- 

 tion available. On account of the special patterns and of the excel- 

 lent quality of work demanded, it was not to be expected that con- 

 tracts could be promptly filled, but the results have been extremely 

 satisfactory. The pains taken with this subject not only redounds 

 to the profit of this Museum, but will be helpful to museums generally 

 throughout the country, since the national establishment is looked 

 upon as a sort of central bureau for supplying information and advice 

 in matters of museum equipment and operation. As it was not 

 feasible to await the completion of all or of any considerable part of 

 the metal furniture, wooden cases from the older buildings were 

 largely made use of in the beginning, being replaced from time to 



