REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 109 



After the adjounimeut of Congress in Auiiiist. the character of the 

 exhibit was linally decided upon, and as 80011 as the (xovcnnnent l>iiihl- 

 iiig- had been completed and the space alh)tted, tlie plans for installa- 

 tion were made. It was not until December, however, that the build- 

 inu' was so farcompletc<l that the space could be studied with reference 

 to the linal arraiiiicnient of the collections. 



The work of shipping began in February, and continued until late 

 iu April, when the last cars were loaded. Twenty-five carloads in all 

 were sent, among the last being the collections returned from the exliibi- 

 tion at Madrid. The total number of boxes was 1,305, aggregating 145 

 tons, or more than a quarter of a million pounds. 



The amount of space finally occupied by the Institution was 21,'J50 

 square feet, of which 5.875 feet were set apart for main isles or thor- 

 oughfares. This was much less than had originally been planned for, 

 and necessitated the omission of many objects and the too great crowd- 

 ing of others. The work of installation was begun in ]March, at which 

 time ^Ir. Earll, the special agent in charge of the exhibit, Avent to 

 Chicago to remain through the Exposition. Sixteen expert mechanics 

 and pre])arators went from the Museum in March, and about twenty 

 additional mechanics and laborers were constantly employed iu Chicago 

 from that time until the installation was completed. Early in April a 

 number of the curators went on to superintend the arrangement of 

 then- resi^ective exhibits. 



Notwithstanding the delays of the railroads, many of our cars having 

 been three weeks on the way, the exceedingly inclement weather, which 

 caused nuich sickness in the force, and the unfinished state of the 

 building, and the sliowers of rain and snow which found their way 

 through the roof upon the specimens as they were being unpacked and 

 upon the polished wood and glass of the cases, the installation was 

 practically ended before the opening of the Exposition, and at the 

 time when the doors were thrown open there was every appearance of 

 completion, although, owing to the causes already mentioned, a con- 

 siderable annumt of work had to be done in May. 



At the end of the fiscal year the Exposition had run (uily one-tliird 

 of its course, but the throngs of visitors* and the appreciative com- 

 ments of those qualified to Judge of the merits of tiie exhibition indi- 

 cate that notwithstanding tlie many dilfirnlties which it lias been nec- 

 essary to face the participation of the Iustituti(»n in the Exposition is 

 a successful one. 



The character of the collections sent is discussed very fully in the 

 review of the work of the scientific departments of the Museum. The 

 description of the exhibit as a whole will be deferred until after the 

 cU)se of the Exposition. 



* "The popularity of the Smithsonian exhibit may be ganged by the difficulty that 

 a visitor experieuf-es iu forcing bis way tiirougb the almost immuvablc crowd." F. A. 

 IjATHKh, iu Xatural Siicncc, Loudon, 18it;>. 



