108 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



nized and various plans for its betterment have been submitted 

 and found approval — but action has so far not been secured. 



During the fifteen years that the Aquarium has been under 

 the management of the Zoological Society, the total amount se- 

 cured from the City for various improvements of the building 

 has been $76,000, an average of $5,067 per annum — not a large 

 sum for an institution necessarily requiring a large amount of 

 machinery and piping. Most of the improvements made during 

 this period are not apparent to visitors, being largely those con- 

 nected with the diiferent water systems and located out of sight 

 of the public. The machinery has been gradually renewed and 

 as far as possible modernized. The mechanical equipment is at 

 present in sound working condition, so that the maintenance of 

 the living aquatic exhibits is on a safe basis. Some of the diffi- 

 culties connected with the administration of the Aquarium are 

 very serious. 



During the new moon tides of each month, wet coal has to 

 be shovelled into the furnaces by firemen wearing rubber boots 

 and standing knee deep in water. The sea has always invaded 

 the fireroom floor and the underground pipe galleries during new 

 moon tides. This almost unbearable condition has been tolerated 

 under the constant protest of the Director. The Aquarium needs 

 to have its mechanical department removed to the unused base- 

 ment at the front of the building, where it can be protected dur- 

 ing high tides. The space vacated in the rear of the building 

 should be made available for exhibits, and advantage should be 

 taken of the change to create additional office and storage space 

 by the addition of a third story. 



While the tides are high, one of the pumps becomes entirely 

 submerged, so that it ceases to operate, and steam heat is cut 

 off the entire building until the tide falls, a serious matter in 

 cold weather. The coal storage space is so limited that the Aqua- 

 rium has always had to depend on coal delivered twice a week. 

 This winter it is on the precarious basis of daily coal deliveries. 

 If these stop for forty-eight hours, the Aquarium will lose its 

 collections and be put out of business until next summer. 



The following letter is from the Architect of the Park De- 

 partment. Mr. Kraus saw the fireroom when it was flooded on 

 October 24, 1917: 



