NATIONAL MUSEUM BUILDINGS. 289 



rooms were already tilled; by 1890 they were in a congested condition. Sinci; tlicn 

 it iias been necessary to lease temporary quarters for the incoming collections, these 

 (juarters being increased from year to year until they now hold as much in quantity 

 as the Museum building itself. In these places the collections are in constant dan- 

 ger from tire, and being stored in packing cases, are subject to deterioration. 



The National Museum is constantly in receipt of large and important collections 

 from private sources, which add to its wealth of treasures. The collections are 

 mainly, however, the product of the Government surveys, ol)tained at great cost and 

 constituting the material records of all national explorations. They are, therefore, 

 jjractically not replaceable. All collections from these sources were by Congressional 

 acts of 1846 and 1879 committed to the custody of the Smithsonian Institution, with 

 provision for their scientific classification and arrangement. Under the conditions 

 existing it becomes impossible to carry out either the spirit or the letter of the law. 

 It is recommended that the sum of $5,000 be appropriated for the preparation of 

 plans for a new Museum building. 



Certain tentative sketch plans had previously been prepared, in 

 order to indicate to the Eegents the general style and approximate size 

 of a building which it was thought would best meet the requirements. 

 The cost of such a building in stone was estimated at from $5,000,000 

 to $6,000,000. The matter was discussed with the Committees on 

 Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, the Secretary and others 

 appearing before them in support of the measure. A dehnite sum for 

 the cost of the building had not been fixed, nor were the tentative 

 plans considered as entirely appropriate to be followed. It was 

 explained that the amount named in the estimate was required to per- 

 mit of a inore careful study of the conditions, and that the plans to 

 be prepared would embod}" onl}' the actual needs. The item was not 

 reported by the House committee, but passed the Senate with a clause 

 limiting the cost of the building to $2,ot)0,0(M>. In conference, how- 

 ever, this limit was reduced to $1,500,000, the bill as passed, in con- 

 nection with the sundry civil act for 1908, ])eing as follows: 



Plans for additional building, National Museum: For the preparation, under the 

 direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, of preliminary plans for an 

 additional fireproof steel-frame brick and terra cotta building, to cost not exceeding 

 one million five hundred thousand dollars, for the United States National ]\Iuseum, 

 to be erected, when appropriated for, on the Mall, between Nintli and Twelfth 

 streets west, said plans when completed to be transmitted l)y the Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution to Congress, five thousand dollars. 



The i)reliminary plans called for by the above act were completed 

 during the following winter and on January 22, 1903, they Avere pre- 

 sented, together with an explanatory report, to a special committee of 

 the Board of Regents, appointed the previous year, "to represent to 

 Congress the pressing necessity of additional room for the proper 

 exhibition of specimens belonging to the National Museum." This 

 committee, consisting of the six Congressional Regents, namely, Sen- 

 ators O. II. Piatt, S. :\r. CnUlom, and F. :M. C^ockrell. and Representa- 

 tives R. R. Ilitt, Robert Adams, jr., and Hugh A. Dinsmore, after 



NAT MUS 1903 19 



