688 CONGKESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



Independent of injury to the building, the loss to the institution, as far 

 as it may be estimated and can be restored by money, may be stated at about 

 $20,000; and to individuals, $26,000, viz.: To Mr. J. M. Stanley, $20,000; 

 Mr. J. C. McGuire, $1,000 ; Prof. Joseph Henry, $1,500 ; Mr. W. J. Ehees, 

 $1,200; Mr. W. DeBeust, $1,300; and all others, $1,000. 



Although the loss which the institution and individuals have sustained is 

 much to be regretted, yet it is a source of consolation that by far the greater 

 part of the valuable contents of the building have escaped without injury. 

 The valuable library of the institution, the most extensive, in regard to the 

 transactions of learned societies and scientific books, in this country ; the 

 museum, including the collection of the exploring expedition and those of 

 the institution ; the large stock of many thousand duplicate specimens for 

 distribution to all parts of the world ; the records of the museum ; a large 

 portion of the correspondence relative to natural history ; nearly all the 

 records of meteorological observations which have been accumulated dur- 

 ing the last fifteen years ; the sets of Smithsonian publications (except the 

 annual reports) which have been reserved to supply new institutions, and 

 the stereotype plates of all the works which have been published during 

 the last four or five years, have been saved. All the original vouchers of 

 payments made by the institution, the ledger in which they were posted, 

 and the day-book trom 1858, were also preserved, having been deposited in 

 a safe in the regents' room. The contents of the connecting range between 

 the library and the museum are uninjured ; this includes a series of plaster 

 casts and portraits of distinguished men, among the latter a life-size por- 

 trait of Guizot, by Healy ; an original full-length figure of Washington, 

 by the elder Peale, and also a valuable series of rare engravings illlustrativo 

 of the history of art, purchased from the Hon. George P. Marsh. 



All the important acts of the regents from the beginning, and an account 

 of the operations of the institution, having been published from year to 

 year in the several reports to Congress, a continued record of the history of 

 the establi.?hment from the beginning is, therefore, still in existence. As 

 these reports have been widely distributed, they are generally accessible to 

 the public. 



The burning of the roof of the building can scarcely in itself be considered 

 a calamity, since it probably would have occurred at some future time when 

 a much larger accumulation of valuable articles might have been destroyed ; 

 and since it will now be replaced by one of fire-proof materials. The fire- 

 proofing, as far as it was carried, was well done, and it is to this circum- 

 stance that the preservation of the most valuable objects of the establish- 

 ment is due. 



III. — SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. 



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

 immediately taken not only to repair the injury, but to improve the condi- 

 tion 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 substitu- 

 ted 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 

 be cut off from the wings by iron doors. 



4. Provision should be made for a thorough heating of the whole building 

 by steam or hot water. 



5. Suggestions should be requested from competent architects and en- 

 gineers as to work to be done, and those which are adopted should be em- 

 bodied in working plans 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, 

 &c., for it has not been possible, without erecting a scafi'olding, to deter- 



