76 CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. 



-'This group consisted of a very large edifice, in the form of a cross, 

 erected by the Tinted States Government at a cost of $60,000, and, in 

 addition, a laboratory, for illustrations of arsenal work, and a model 

 military hospital, which was of great practical utility during the exhi- 

 bition. Within the chief building was displayed most interesting and 

 instructive collections, illustrative of the work of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution, and the general and geological surveys of the States, the mine- 

 ral, zoological, and botanical collections conuected with those surveys, 

 and also most important ethnological and prehistoric collections. The 

 great collection of food-fishes of America, made for the fishery commis- 

 sion by Professor Baird, with the appliances for catching and preserv- 

 ing fish; also series illustrating the various naval and military weapons 

 and engines, and machinery for arsenal work ; and, lastly, a complete 

 display of all the applications in the postal department of the States. 

 The general arrangement of the contents of this large building, cover- 

 ing about two acres, was most satisfactory, and had been carried out 

 under the most competent scientific supervision ; hence it was felt to be 

 the most instructive portion of the Centennial Exhibition. It brought 

 into full view a great mass of the intellectual work of some of the great- 

 est of American workers in the fields of science/' — Journal of the Society 

 of Arts, December 22, 1876. 



These suggestions were based upon the exhibit as actually made and 

 which closed with the expiration of the Centennial Exhibition, on the 

 loth of November. 



DONATIONS TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 



After the close of the Exhibition a new element was introduced into 

 the question of the transfer of the Government collections to Washing- 

 ton and their arrangement for inspection and study, namely, the dona- 

 tion to the United States of many objects or entire collections, that had 

 been displayed elsewhere in the Exhibition than in the Government 

 building. These were derived from two sources : 



1st. From American State commissions and private exhibitors, by 

 whom much material of great value was presented and tending to fill 

 up important blanks. 



2d. From the commissions of the several foreign governments parti- 

 cipating in the International Exhibition of 1876. 



The experience of previous expositions had indicated the probability 

 of contributions from the latter source, and to meet the expected emer- 

 gency Congress at its last session granted the Armory building to the 

 National Museum, and made an appropriation for the purpose in the 

 following words : 



" For repairing and fitting up the so-called Armory building, on the 

 mall, between Sixth and Seventh streets, and to enable the Smith- 

 sonian Institution to store therein, and to take care of specimens 

 of the extensive series of the ores of the precious metals, marbles, 



