840 CONGBESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



Desirous of ascertaining whether such a machine was already available in this city, 

 I made inquiry of the various Departments and am informed that there is nothing 

 extant which meets the requirements of the case, and that while the tensile strength 

 of iron and steel can be readily ascertained, there is nothing by which the resistance 

 of pressure of stone and wood can l>e determined with precision and convenience. 



As the investigation of Dr. liawes will involve a critical consideration of a vast 

 amount of material intended to be used or available for the construction of public 

 buildings in the United States, I would respectfully ask an appropriation of $7,000 

 for the purpose in question, the machine to be arranged in the geological department 

 of the National Museum, and in addition to its special application, to be used in 

 behalf of any applicant who shall forward samples of stone to be tested of proper 

 sizes. 



The information gained by a single experiment in connection with selecting mate- 

 rial for a public building may be worth many times the cost of the machine. 

 I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, 



Spencer F. Baird, 

 Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. 

 Hon. H. G. Davis, 



Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations. 



Test machine: For the construction of a machine for determining the strength of 

 building stone and wood, in connection with the collections of the National Museum, 

 $7,000. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM— APPROPRIATIONS. 



March 31,1880— Senate. 



In the deficiency bill (H. 4924) for the year ending June 30, 1880, 

 etc., were the following-: 



For steam heating apparatus and fuel for the new National- Museum building, 

 $20,000. 



For water and gas fixtures and electrical apparatus for the new National Museum 

 building, $10,000. 



Mr. W. W. Eaton. This is a very large increase over the appropri- 

 ations made by the other House, and therefore I feel that it is proper 

 that I should make a ver}' brief explanation of it. 



Professor Baird came before us and satisfied your committee that it 

 would be a very great saving of expense to the Government if the 

 steam heating apparatus, the water and gas fixtures and electrical 

 apparatus can be put into the new Museum building between this time 

 and the 1st of July. The building can not be finished until that is 

 done. They have arrived at a point in the construction of the build- 

 ing when it becomes necessary to add these features to it. Therefore 

 the committee were unanimously of the opinion that this appropria- 

 tion ought to be made. I will read a letter from Professor Baird. 



Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, D. C, March 10, 1880. 



Sir: I would respectfully ask the Appropriation Committee of the Senate to insert 



in the special deficiency l)ill, whenever it may come before the committee, certain 



items herewith inclosed in reference to the National Mu.seum, now included in the 



estimates of the next fiscal year. The appropriation made by Congress of $250,000 



