REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 39 



Naval Observatory. — The lustitutioii is indebted to the courtesy of the 

 SuperiutendeDt ot the United States iN^aval Observatory for in(;hiding 

 its building and that of the Kational JMusenni in the series of public 

 establishments which receive telegraphic time at noon on each succes- 

 sive day, and a clock, fitted up under the direction of the Observatory, 

 with an arrangement by which tlic observatory itself corrects any aber- 

 ration in time, has been supplied, and although the money expense has 

 been borne by the Institution, yet no charge has been made for the time 

 service. 



War Department. — The Signal Service has continued during the year 

 that co-operation wliich has heretofore been found ver^' serviceable, 

 especially through its agencies in Labrador and Alaska. More par- 

 ticular reference will bo made to this subject in the chapter on Explora- 

 tions, but it may be well here to particularize the work of Mr. Lucien 

 M. Turner at Fort Chimo, Ungava Bay, Northern Labrador ; of Messrs. 

 Murdoch and Smith, at Point Barrow ; Dr. Stejneger, at the Commander 

 Islands, &c. 



By the kindness of the Signal OfiBce, Mr. John J. McLean, who has 

 rendered very much aid to the institution in its w^ork while resident in 

 Alaska, was again ordered to that country by the chief signal ofiicer. 

 The lamented death, by drowning, of Mr. O. L. McKay, in the vicinity 

 of IsTushagak, Bristol Bay, was mentioned in the preceding report. The 

 vacancy thus effected was filled by the Signal Office by the appoint- 

 ment of Mr. J. W. Johnson, of East Kockport, Ohio. This gentleman 

 is a naturalist of considerable experience, and will continue Mr. McKay's 

 work of securing such specimens of natural history as he can find time 

 to prepare in the intervals of his regular official work for the Signal 

 Service. 



By the courtesy of Colonel Eockwell, Superintendent of Public Build- 

 ings and Grounds, the Institution was enabled to make connection with 

 the underground telephone laid by his authority through the public 

 grounds by the Waring Company. A special advantage in this wa.^. 

 the ojiportunity of making a more satisfactory connection between the 

 National Museum building and the United States carp ponds, a service 

 that previously had been much interrupted. Connection was also mad( 

 through the same trench with the Fire-Alarm Telegraph Company, and 

 the necessary permission to open North B street was promptly granted 

 by the District Commissioners. 



Treaanry Department. — The Director of the Mint, at the request of 

 the Institution, has furnished for display in the National Museum tw«> 

 sets, in bronze, of all the medals struck at the United States miutF. 

 These are of great historical value, and when properly installed will 

 doubtless be very attractive to the public. 



Lifjht'House Board. — The usual courtesies of the Light House Board 

 have been extended in the way of co-cperation in obtaining data by 

 which to determine the temperatures of the waters of the Atlantic 



