DEPARTMENT OF TERRESTRIAL MAGNETISM. 267 



DETAILS OF WORK IN WASHINGTON. 

 ERECTION OF RESEARCH BUILDING. 



The regular office work during the fiscal year had to be curtailed 

 somewhat because of the time and attention required in connection 

 with the erection of the research building to contain office, laboratory, 

 and instrument shop, for which a grant of $100,000 was made by the 

 Trustees of the Institution on December 13, 1912. Considerable 

 time was devoted to the study of various laboratories in and outside 

 of Washington. The data secured were summarized and such detail 

 as seemed suitable for the building of the Department was incor- 

 porated in the preliminary plans. Mr. Waddy B. Wood was selected 

 as architect for the building, and the final plans, with the cooperation 

 of Mr. Fleming, were completed by him on March 27. The plans and 

 specifications were submitted to eight first-class builders on March 

 29, and the competitive bids were received April 15. On April 29 the 

 contract was awarded to the Davis Construction Company, of Wash- 

 ington, D. C, who were the lowest bidders. The bids, rejecting one 

 which was manifestly in error, had an extreme range of but 10 per 

 cent. For views of the building, see plates 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. 



The only change made in the original plans of the building was the 

 substitution of reinforced concrete floors for structural steel con- 

 struction. After a topographical survey of the site had been made, 

 the necessary grading and the construction of a road on our grounds 

 to the adopted site of the building was completed, under Mr. Flem- 

 ing's supervision, by the Department. The Davis Construction Com- 

 pany began with the erection of the building on May 5; by the end 

 of the present fiscal year the building was about two-thirds completed 

 and it is expected that it will be ready for occupancy early in 1914. 



INVESTIGATIONAL AND PUBLICATION WORK. 



The proof of the first volume of the researches of the Department, 

 "Land Magnetic Observations 1905-1910," was revised and the 

 publication was completed, being No. 175 of the pubHcations of the 

 Institution. The material for the second volume of Researches, 

 "Land Magnetic Observations 1911-1912," has been prepared and 

 the manuscript will be ready for the printer at the end of 1913. The 

 final computations of the data secured on the Galilee have been made 

 and the preparation of the manuscript is under way. The prelimi- 

 nary reductions and discussions in connection with the work on board 

 the Carnegie have been continued. The magnetic declinations ob- 

 tained by the ocean party have been published for the cruise as far 

 as St. Helena. The publication of the magnetic intensities and 

 inclinations is deferred, pending the complete discussion of the instru- 

 mental constants at the conclusion of the present cruise. 



