REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 23 
such portions of the park as were necessary for the immediate accom- 
modation of the public. Congress reduced this to $15,000, 
These reductions have not only obliged me to retard the development 
on the lines that had been laid down, but have increased the ultimate 
cost; for where living creatures are in question it is plain that they 
have not only to be fed and guarded but to be housed and all this at 
once, under penalty of their loss. Congress has plainly intended that 
they should be preserved, and that some sort of roads and access for 
the public should be provided this year. 
The result has necessarily been, that with every effort to obtain per- 
manent results there has been a partial expenditure of the absolutely 
insufficient grant on enforced expedients of a temporary character, 
which are not in the interests of economy. 
It is extremely desirable that a sum for emergencies be secured in 
the next appropriation. In carrying forward from the beginning novel 
and untried work of such varied character, unforeseen difficulties must 
inevitably arise, but no provision has been made for these, nor even for 
such readily anticipated emergencies as are caused, for instance, by 
floods in grounds traversed by a stream which has been known to rise 
6 feet in less than half an hour. 
The difficulties which these conditions have imposed on the adminis- 
tration of the park may be fairly called extreme, and the amount and 
character of what has been effected must be considered in this con- 
nection. In spite of these the result, I think, may be said to be, that at 
least as a source of interest and amusement to the people the park has 
exceeded the most sanguine expectations. 
As the available funds were small it was necessary to limit the area 
of the park which should be first improved. It was found that the ani- 
mals on hand could be accommodated within an area of 40 acres, and a 
tract of about that size was selected, extending along the main drive 
from Quarry road to Connecticut avenue through the most interesting 
portion of the park. This main road was laid out, graded, and metalled 
sarly in the fiscal year, and steps were taken to construct a permanent 
bridge over Rock Creek at the place where the road should pass. As 
was anticipated, the construction of the bridge presented serious en- 
gineering difficulties. Rock Creek is usually a quiet shallow stream, 
but becomes in times of freshet a powerful torrent. It was necessary to 
erect a structure that would withstand these floods and desirable that 
it should be one which would not mar the beauty of the valley. After 
a careful consideration of several designs, motives of economy com- 
pelled the erection of a bridge of wood and iron, resting upon stone 
piers 15 feet above ordinary water level, sufficient as an engineering 
structure but having no claim to beauty other than that of utility. At 
the close of the year these piers had been erected and the superstrue- 
ture contracted for but not yet placed. In the meantime temporary in- 
