REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 625 



March 16, 1847. 

 Gentlemen : In answer to your circular, I would state that my estimates did not 

 include furniture. 



My estimates in detail were as follows : 



Seneca rubble estimates. 



For stone-cutting and dimension stone $71,000 



Stone for face work 7,500 



Mason's bill 61,000 



Fire-proofing 13,000 



Carpenter's bill 67,500 



$220,000 



For marble rubble face. 



For stone-cutting and dimension stone $75,000 



Marble rubble 14,000 



Mason 61,000 



Fire-proof 12,000 



Carpenter 65,000 



$227,000 

 For marble with ashlar face. 



Stone-cutting and dimension $75,000 



Ashlar for face 20,500 



Mason 57,500 



Fire-proof „ 12,000 



Carpenter _ , 65,500 



$230,500 



Tours, with esteem, T. M. NIVEN. 



To the Building Committee of the Smithsonian Institution. 



After carefully examining the bids in detail, the messenger was requested to ask 

 Mr. Niven into the committee room ; and on being asked whether he was willing to 

 make a contract at his estimate for stone cutting alone, he (Mr. Niven) replied in 

 the affirmative. The messenger was then requested to call Mr. Dixon ; and on being 

 asked whether he was willing to make a. contract for the work exclusive of stone cut- 

 ting, he (Mr. Dixon) asked until to-morrow morning to give an answer. 



He was requested to see Mr. Niven on the subject, so as to ascertain whether a 

 contract could be made with them jointly, based on Mr. Niven's bid for stone cut- 

 ting, and James Dixon & Co.'s bid for mason and carpenter's work. 



After conference in regard to the special provisions of the contract, the architect 

 was requested to draw up a blank contract, and submit the same to the committee at 

 their meeting to-morrow. 



And, on motion, the committee adjourned. 



Tenth Meeting, March 18, 1847. 



Present, Messrs. Seaton, Hough, and Owen. 



On motion of the chairman, it was — 



Resolved, That the specifications be altered so as to require that both the principal 

 stairways, as high as the museum floor, be of stone, with iron balusters, bronzed ; 

 and that a floor above the ceiling of the second story, fire-proofed, according to the 

 plan proposed in the report made on the 15th instant, by Mr. Hough, be added ; and 

 that the tessellated floor of the museum be dispensed with ; and that Mr. Hough be a 

 sub-committee to consult with the architect as to what minor alterations in the speci- 

 fications can be made, so as, with the reduction effected by dispensing with the said 

 tesselated floor of the museum, to meet the additional cost of said stairways and said 

 fire-proof floor, without increasing the aggregate expense of the entire building. 



Mr. Dixon, of the firm of James Dixon & Co., appeared, and informed the com- 

 mittee that he was not willing to take the mason's and capenter's work separate from 

 the stone-cutter's, as yesterday proposed to him. He also informed the committee 

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