20 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1&22. 



east court erected by the Treasury Department during the war and 

 afterwards turned over to the Museum. The supposedly temporary 

 nature of the court building at its erection led to the installation 

 of a low-pressure live-steam system, somewhat along the lines of a 

 vapor system, because of the ease with which it could be installed. 

 The new arrangement is more economical and very satisfactory. 



The demand for steam in the Freer Building was nearly as great 

 as during the preceding year and the apparatus worked satisfactorily 

 in the main. The hand-operated stokers recently installed in the old 

 boilers in the Arts and Industries Building operated with difficulty 

 during the first part of the winter. The trouble was found, how- 

 ever, to be due to the kind of coal, which was very low in ash, and 

 it had a very low fusing point, the coal being the same as success- 

 fully used in the Natural History Building since the installation of 

 the plant. This difficulty was quickly obviated by substituting a 

 high ash coal. 



With a view to reducing the expense of keeping the furnaces in 

 repair, the Drake nonclinking furnace blocks purchased during the 

 previous fiscal year were installed in the furnace of one of the boilers 

 in the Natural History Building. These blocks are perforated so 

 that the air moving through a passage between the blocks and fur- 

 nace walls passes out into the coal bed at numerous points, tending 

 to prevent the formation of clinkers and assisting their removal by 

 making the clinkers brittle. The operation has been so satisfactory 

 that blocks have been purchased to line the furnace walls of two 

 more boilers. 



The ice plant was operated for 4,500 hours, producing 310.6 tons 

 of ice at a cost of approximately $4.06 a ton. The ice machine, which 

 was a very cheap one originally, has been in use for over 10 years 

 and is practically worn out. Ice is furnished to all of the buildings 

 under the Institution in the Mall, and during the 10 years of its 

 existence the machine has saved $11,000 in the purchase of ice, based 

 on the contract price for ice in the District during that period. 



The four passenger elevators in the Natural History Building and 

 the two automatic elevators in the Smithsonian Building were re- 

 paired by the installation of new hoist and drum counterweight 

 ropes. Many other minor improvements and changes were made in 

 connection with both the heating and electrical system of the five 

 buildings. The Museum is still having difficulty in getting experi- 

 enced mechanical help and in retaining the men who prove satisfac- 

 tory on account of the low wages paid. 



During the year 37 exhibition cases and 116 pieces of storage, 

 laboratory, and office furniture were acquired. Of the exhibition 

 cases, 22 were made in the workshop and 15 were acquired from the 

 War Department. Of the storage, laboratory, and office equipment, 



