FOBTY-FIFTH CONGEESS, 1877-1879. 773 



porcelain, etc., samples of furs and other animal products, woods, 

 fibers, grains, vegetable substances used in dyeing, tanning, etc., appa- 

 ratus for the pursuit and capture of wild animals, for the taking of 

 fish and for fish culture, collections showing the manners and customs 

 of people of various degrees of civilization, industrial products, and 

 other articles too numerous to mention, but referred to in somewhat 

 greater detail in the appendix, thus placing at the service of the peo- 

 ple of the United States that portion of the International Exhibition 

 which was considered of most value, and permitting the reproduction, 

 in better form and of more instructive character, of all the best part 

 of the display. 



In addition to the collective exhibit of the foreign commissioners 

 thus referred to many specimens were supplied by individuals and 

 firms belonging to various foreign countries. The cost to the respec- 

 tive Governments of the articles thus turned over to the United States 

 was at least half a million of dollars. Their value to the United 

 States, in allowing a comparison of home product with fhose of for- 

 eign countries and in improving American methods and processes by 

 study of the apparatus and results of those of the rest of the world, 

 can not be represented in figures. 



In addition to the above-mentioned contributions a large proportion 

 of the State displays and those of individual American exhibitors at 

 Philadelphia are also to be added to the list of acquisitions. 



It having become evident during the Philadelphia exhibition that 

 the Smithsonian building in Washington would be entirely inadequate 

 to accommodate the expected acquisitions, Congress, by its act of July 

 31, 1876, appreciating this fact, placed at the disposal of the Institu- 

 tion the Armory building, between Sixth and Seventh streets, to enable 

 it to store therein and to take care of the extensive series of the ores, 

 of the precious metals, marbles, building stones, coals, and numerous 

 objects c-f natural history then on exhibition in Philadelphia, including 

 other objects of practical and economical value presented by various 

 foreign Governments, and appropriated the sum of $4,500 for repair- 

 ing and fitting it up for the purpose. 



In addition to this Congress appropriated, March 3, 1877, $25,000 

 for the expenses of receiving, packing, and transporting the objects 

 presented to the United States at the Centennial by State and foreign 

 Governments and for properly storing and preserving them until a 

 proper disposition can be made of the same. 



In accordance with this arrangement the specimens referred to were 

 in great part deposited, on reaching Washington from Philadelphia, in 

 the Armory building. This is an edifice 100 feet in length by 50 in 

 breadth, having four stories, or representing a whole floor capacity of 

 20,000 square feet. These rooms are now filled from floor to ceiling 

 with the objects referred to, which, for the most part, still remain boxed 



