78 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1914. 



The power plant was closed down as usual during July and August, 

 and the electric current required during that period was purchased 

 from a local producing company at the low summer rate of 2^ cents 

 a kilowatt hour. This arrangement, which was an exceedingly 

 economical one, gave opportunity for oA^erhauling and cleaning the 

 plant and putting it in good condition for the remainder of the year, 

 but no actual repairs of great moment were called for. During this 

 time the employees connected with the operation of the plant were 

 also given the greater part of their annual leave. Owing to an in- 

 crease of about 80 cents a ton in the cost of coal, there W' as a distinct 

 increase during the year in the relative cost of heating and of gen- 

 erating electric current, as also in the minor operations connected 

 with the plant, but, on the other hand, much less current was required 

 to be generated than during either of the two previous years. The 

 amount of coal, entirely bituminous, consumed in the boilers was 

 2,936 tons, and steam was generated for heating purposes from Octo- 

 ber 13 to May 5, inclusive. Further changes have been made and are 

 still in progress in connection with the distribution of steam to the 

 older main buildings and the outlying buildings, whereby greater 

 economy and more satisfactory results are certain to be obtained. 

 The ice plant continues to give satisfaction, and its capacity is fully 

 equal to the needs of the Museum. The output of ice for the year was 

 346.8 tons, at a total cost of $867.92, or a rate of $2.55 a ton. 



The watch clock system in the two older buildings, which had been 

 in use for nearly- a third of a century and had in many respects be- 

 come unreliable, was replaced by one similar to that recently installed 

 in the new building. The clock records cover a period of 24 hours 

 with spacings at 5-minute intervals ; there are 24 magneto generator 

 stations and connections with 2 Mutual District Messenger Co.'s 

 turn-in boxes, 1 in each building. All of the stations are required 

 to be visited and a call sent in from each at regular intervals during 

 the night rounds of the watchmen, Avhich insures a positive record 

 that all parts of the buildings have been inspected at the times fixed by 

 the regulations. The fire alarm system used in the older Museum 

 building was extended to the Smithsonian building by establishing 

 3 turn-in stations, 1 in the middle of the building and 1 at each 

 end, and installing a fire alarm gong at the north entrance. The sys- 

 tems in the two buildings are connected. The addition of automatic 

 elevator door controls to the passenger elevators, referred to in the 

 last report, was completed for both the north and south elevators. 



The principal articles of furniture obtained during the year con- 

 sisted of 230 exhibition cases, 278 storage cases and pieces of labora- 

 tory furniture, 124 pieces of office and miscellaneous furniture, 2,396 

 unit specimen drawers of wood, 600 insect drawers, and 2,175 miscel- 

 laneous specimen drawers. The greater part of this furniture was 



