The United States National Museum 323 



youthful student and the layman. Yet these latter classes 

 were neither purposely neglected nor did they complain of 

 the methods in vogue. 



It is with interest that we read the following comment by 

 Professor Henry on the Smithsonian museum in 1861 : 



" During the past year Washington has been visited by a 

 greater number of strangers than ever before since the com- 

 mencement of its history. The museum has consequently 

 been continually thronged with visitors, and has been a never- 

 failing source of pleasure and instruction to the soldiers of 

 the Army of the United States quartered in this city or its 

 vicinity. Encouragement has been given them to visit it as 

 often as their duties would permit them to devote the time for 

 the purpose. 



" 1 



In 1865 an event of much importance occurred. A fire 

 broke out in the second floor of the Smithsonian building and 

 destroyed the upper portions of the edifice. Many collections 

 were entirely destroyed or injured beyond repair, among 

 which the most important were Smithson's personal effects 

 and cabinet of minerals, a large series of portraits of Indians 

 painted and owned by J. M. Stanley, and the collection of 

 physical instruments, including Hare's experimental apparatus 

 and "the lens used by Priestley for the evolution of oxygen 

 from the oxide of mercury, and by means of which the first dis- 

 tinct recognition of this elementary substance was effected."^ 



This event produced results affecting the museum in many 

 ways. It called attention to the fact that the library of the 

 Institution was kept in rooms not fireproof, and the transfer 

 of the books to the Library of Congress was hastened, the 

 space being subsequently occupied by the less valuable por- 

 tions of the natural history collections. By the destruction 

 of the Stanley portraits of Indians, which, though really an 



1 " Smithsonian Report," 1861, page 44. 2 <« Smithsonian Report," 1865, page 18. 



