NATIONAL MUSEUM BUILDINGS. 213 



The first meeting of the Regents after the fire was hold on -lanuar}^ 

 1^8, 1865, liaving been caUcHl principally in consiMiiuMU'O ol" that event. 

 The Secretary' presented a brief account of the lire, and of the stejw 

 immediately taken, through the Secretary of War, to place a tempo- 

 rary roof over the main building. This work was done under the 

 Quartermaster's Department of the Army, which furnished the neces- 

 sary materials and men, the expense being subsetj-uentl}^ refunded by 

 the Institution. This roof w^as adequate to protect the building fioni 

 storms without interfering with the construction of a permaniMit 

 covering. 



It was announced that the committees on Public Buildings and 

 Grounds of both the Senate and House had already been directed to 

 inquire into the origin of the lire, the approximate loss to the Gov- 

 ernment and to private persons, the means necessary to preserve the 

 remaining portions, etc. In anticipation of the work of these com- 

 mittees it was thought advisable that a special committee be appointed 

 to report directly to the Board, Mr. R. Wallach, a Regent, and Pro- 

 fessor Henry, the Secretary, being designated as such committee, 

 under the following resolution : 



That a committee be appointed to inquire into the origin of the fire, to ascertain 

 the extent and character of the loss sustained, and to make suggestions as to what 

 measures should be adopted for the. repair and improvement of the building. 



The report of this committee, submitted at a Board meeting on 

 February 2, 1865, after reciting the origin of the fire and explaining 

 the losses sustained (amounting, besides the damage to the building, 

 to about $20,000 for the Institution and $26,000 for individuals), as 

 well as the parts saved from injury, all of which have been sufliciently 

 described above, made the following suggestions as to what they con- 

 sidered should be done. 



There can be no hesitation in adopting the conclusion that steps should be imme- 

 diately taken not only to repair the injury, but to improve the condition of the 

 building. 



1. The main edifice should be provided with a metallic roof. 



2. For the wooden conical terminations of the towers should be substituted metallic 

 coverings. 



.3. All valuable articles belonging to the Institution or deposited in it, including 

 the library, should be placed in the main building, which should 1)e cut off from the 

 wings by iron doors. 



4. Provision sliould l)o ma<le for a thorough heating of tlie whoie building by steam 

 or hot water. 



5. Suggestions should be requested from competent arcliitects and engineers as to 

 work to be done, and those which are adopted should be eml)odied in working i)lans 

 and drawings. 



6. A building committee of the Board should be appointed to have charge of the 

 work. 



No very exact estimate can as yet be made as to the cost of the repairs, etc., for it 

 has not been possible, without erecting a scaffolding, to determine whether it will be 



