NATIONAL MU!=!ELTM BUILDINGS. 201 



suggestion, have been made; and for the propriety of these I am responsible. They 

 are [.lincipally, however, those of simplification, and in themselves add nothing to 

 the cost of the edifice. An increased expense, however, will arise out of the furnish- 

 ing of new rooms which have been acquired by the alterations. 



1850. 



The operations during- 1850, as shown hy the bniklincr committee's 

 report, were mainly directed toward the completion of the exterior. 

 The central buildino- was roofed and slated, and inclosed in such man- 

 ner as to he perfectly protected from the weatliei-. The principal 

 front tower was carried up to a height of 122 feet and covered in 

 temporarily for the winter. The lower central tower was completed. 

 The campanile and northeast corner towers were roofed in. The cen- 

 tral south tower was carried to a height of 40 feet, and the southeast 

 and southwest corner towers were l)uilt to the height of the cornice of 

 the cell of the main building. 



At this time Secretary Henry reported on the general state of the 

 finances as follows: 



After all the expenditures which have 1>een made on the building, grounds, publi- 

 cations, researches, purchase of books and apparatus, not oidy is the original bequest 

 untouched, but there is now on hand upward of $200,000 of accrued interest. This 

 will be sufficient to finish the exterior of the building, including all the towers, the 

 interior of the wings, ranges, and a part of the interior of the main edifice; which 

 will afford sufficient accommodation for some years to come, and leave $150,000 to 

 be added to the principal. 



On February 26, 1850, a portion of the interior framing and floors 

 of that part of the main building intended to contain the museum of 

 apparatus, fell into the basement, and a meeting of the building com- 

 mittee was immediately called to examine into the conditions. This 

 accident also led to a meeting of the Regents on March 2, at which the 

 following resolution was adopted: 



Resolved, That the building committee be requested to take under consideration the 

 reports of the architect, superintendent, and contractor, on the suljject of the late 

 accident; that they associate with them Professor Bache, General Totten, the Secre- 

 tary of the Institution, and some competent and entirely impartial architect or archi- 

 tects; that they make a survey of the whole building, report the manner, faithful- 

 ness, and security in which the l)uilding contract has hitherto been executed, and 

 upon the i)lan most i)roper, in their estimation, to repair the damages and finish that 

 portion of thi' Imildiiig in whii-h the acci.lent happened and other unfinished por- 

 tions thereof. 



The committee so d(?signated reported on July 3, 1850, its principal 

 conclusions and reconunendations being as follows: 



1. That the workmanship of the cut stone of tlie exterior is good, and the masonry 

 generally, tliougii in some respects not of the best <iuality, is of a passable character 

 with reference to the terms of the contract. 



2. That the interior of the main building is defec^tive in the kind of materials orig- 

 inally adopted, and to a considerable degree in the quality of the materials employeil. 



