60 Rp:roRT of the secret aky. 



ini; and repairin.ij: ])uil(lings and inclosures; care, subsistence, purchase, and trans- 

 po"rtation of animals, iut-luding salaries or compensation of all necessary employees; 

 the purchase of necessary books and periodicals, the printing and publishing of 

 operations, not exceeding" one thousand live hundred copies, and general incidental 

 expenses not otherwise provided for, ninety thousand dollars. 



An additional appropriation was made as follows: 



For the construt'tion of an elephant house, with bathing pools and other accesso- 

 ries, including labor and materials and all necessary incidental expenses, ten thousand 

 dollars; one-half of which sums for the National Zoological Fark shall be paid from 

 the revenues of the District of Columbia and the other half from the Treasury of the 

 United States. (Sundry civil act June 28, 1902. ) 



In submitting estimates to Congress .$20,000 was specified for the elephant house. 

 Only half of this amount was appropriated, which was altogether inadequate for such 

 a building as had been planned— in fact, was sulTicient only to inclose the required 

 space with the cheapest i)ossible construction having the necessary strength. 



The preparation of new plans and specifications adapted to the amount available 

 was begun as soon as the appr()]:)riation had l)een made and a contract for the work 

 was let early in September. Work under the contract was commenced promptly and 

 pushed as rapidly as circumstances would permit. There was some unavoidable 

 delay in securing materials, but the building was completed early in January, 1903. 

 The contract covered building proper, outdoor bathing pool, and fence for outside 

 yard, and amounted to $8,594. Boiler and heating pipes and some other interior fit- 

 tings and guard rail around outside yard were not included in the contract, this 

 work being done by day labor. The total cost, including architect's commission, was 

 110,000. About $500 also was expended from the general appropriation in necessary 

 grading and construction of walks in the innnediate vicinity. 



The house is a plain, barn-like structure of brick, 35 by 65 feet inside, a space 35 

 feet square being provided for the elephant, a 10-foot passage reserved for attendants, 

 and a space 20 l)y 35 feet for the public. The outside yard is 79 by 96 feet and 

 includes a concrete bathing pool 20 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. The fence is 

 6 feet high, constructed of steel throughout, and consists of I-beam posts, channel- 

 beam rail, and pickets of 2|^-inch stiff, round steel 19 inches apart. Both posts and 

 pickets are set in a heavy concrete base. A l)ar of 2-inch half-round iron, in which 

 are set small pointed steel knobs, is fastened along the inner side of the rail to dis- 

 courage the elephant from pushing against it. An area between the yard and pool, 

 protected by a stockade, has been planted with shrubs and trees, which will soon 

 shade to a considerable extent both yard and pool. The accompanying illustration 

 shows the exterior appearance of the house and yard. The elephant was put in the 

 house March 12, 1903. 



Besides the regular cost of maintenance, several important improvements have 

 been made during the year from the general appropriation. 



Boundary fence. — The Secretary had for several years been urging upon Congress 

 the need of replacing the wooden boundary fence, which was constructed in 1890. 

 There was an increase of $10,000 in the general appropriation over the sum provided 

 for the previous year, and this amount was applied to the construction of a new fence. 

 Work was begun soon after the appropriation became available, and the fence was 

 completed during autumn, except on a small portion of the boundary, where the 

 grades are being changed to conform to newly constructed highways of the District of 

 Columbia. The fence consists of Page woven-wire fencing, 72 inches wide, of extra, 

 strength, and carried on posts of heavy iron pipe set in concrete bases. Three barbed 

 wires are used al)ove, making the total height 90 inches. Heavy galvanized netting, 

 extends 12 inches into the ground below for security against dogs. 



The amount available was not sufficient to provide suitable entrance gates, and 

 temporary gates were made with wire fencing attached to a light frame of angle iron. 

 The total cost of the fence was $10,000. 



