m [ 120 ] 



fiam Tunibull, of the United States tnpogrnphical engineers; Edward 

 B. White, esq., of Charleston, Sonth Carolina; and John R. Niernsee, 

 €sq., of IJaltiniore, Maryland. These gentlemen were higlily recommended 

 as practical arcliitects and engineers, of established reputation, and the 

 committee have full confidence in their experience, judgment and integrity. 



The committee are indebted to the Hon. Alexander Evans, of Mary- 

 land, for an examination of the building, with reference to a comparison 

 of the different reports; and to Mr. Joel Downer, for an additional inspec- 

 tion and opinion as to the character of the timber and wood-work. In 

 accordance with the second resolution of Mr. Fitch, they hav^e also taken 

 legal advice as to several points of the contract. 



After a careful study of the reports of the contractor, superintendent, Mr. 

 Renwick, the commission of architects, and of Mr. Evans, also the written 

 opinion of their legal adviser, the committee have unaniinou.sly arrived at 

 the following conclusions, which they respectfidly submit for the con- 

 sideration and action of the board. 



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

 the masonry generally, though in some respects not of the best quality, is 

 of a passable character with reference to the terms of the contract. 



2. That the interior of the main building is defective in the kind of 

 materials originally adopted, and to a considerable degree in the quality 

 of the materials employed. These consist principally of wood, and are 

 «ot of a proper character for a building intended to contain valuable de- 

 posites, many of which will be donations to the institution, presented with 

 the impRed condition that they are to be properly secured against danger 

 from fire. This mode of construction was probably adopted by the origi- 

 nal Building Committee, in order to lessen the coat of the edifice, and to 

 bring it within the sum appropriated by the board. 



3. Although the committee are anxious to save the accrued interest, 

 and to devote it to objects more in accordance with the spirit of the be- 

 quest than the erection of a costly building; yet, they would recommend 

 that the interior work of the centre building, as now existing, be removed, 

 and that there be substituted for it a fire-proof structure, in accordance 

 with the plan reeommended in the reports of Mr. Renwick and of the 

 commission of architects. 



4. The completion of the building on this plan, according to the esti- 

 mate of the cominission, requires an additional outlay of about $44,000. 

 To meet this additional expense, the committee reconmiend the adoption 

 >of the suggestion of their chairman, Col. Davis, that the exterior of die 

 l)uilding and the interior of the towers be completed in accordance with 

 the plan, and within the time specified by the contract, and that the re- 

 mainder of the interior be finisiied agreeably to the new plan, in the course 

 of a nusiiber of years, and in such portions as can be paid for out of the 

 annual interest of the Stnithsouian fund, not otherwise appropriated. The 

 object of tliis part of the proposition is to prevent the derangement of the 

 plan of fenance ori,«inalw proposed by Dr. Bache, and adopted by the 

 Board of Regents., viz: of saving out of the accrued and accrning mter- 

 est, after paying for the buildiHg, the sum of .^^150,000, to be added to 

 the principal. 



5. By the addendum to the contract, the Regents have the power of 

 stopping the building at any stage of its progress, on paying the contract- 

 fir Jrora^a for the work done, according to the prices specified m the con- 



