1276 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
the past fifteen years, employed by the Government rent free, though it has been 
devoted to purely national purposes, principally for the Government collections 
(which there is not room for in the Museum building), but also for a suite of rooms 
devoted chiefly to the transportation of the Congressional Record and like strictly 
Government documents, under the act of March 2, 1867. 
In making these preliminary remarks it is not meant that the Government has at 
any time dealt in any illiberal spirit with the Institution, but these obseryations 
seem to be pertinent to the subject of the bill, which appropriates a sum wholly to 
the safety and repair of a building in which even the general repairs have been, to a 
considerabie extent, paid for hitherto from the limited fund of James Smithson, 
while it is devoted, with a slight exception, to the uses of the General Government. 
The portion of the building used for collections includes three large halls and some 
smaller ones, aggregating about 33,000 square feet of purely exhibition space, with 
the addition of a large number of office and work rooms. 
On the 27th of September, 1877, a commission was appointed by the President of 
the United States to examine the public buildings and report what additional means 
should be provided to secure them from destruction or injury by fire, consisting of 
Colonel Casey, Commissioner of Public Buildings; Mr. Clark, Architect of the Capi- 
tol; and Mr. Hill, Architect of the Treasury. 
This commission visited and inspected the Smithsonian building and made the 
following report in regard to it, which was submitted to Congress December 10, 1877 
(House Ex. Doc. No. 10, Forty-fifth Congress, second session): 
‘‘Smithsonian Institution: All the combustible materials used in the exhatvantieel 
of the Museum portion of the building should be removed and the parts renewed of 
fireproof construction.”’ 
In accordance with this recommendation, Congress appropriated on March 3, 1879, 
‘for providing additional security against fire in the Smithsonian building, $3,000;” 
and in accordance with estimates submitted by the Institution, has subsequently 
appropriated for the same purposes— 
By act of Congress, sundry civil act: 
March 3, 1883.2... .<0-~2-.e>ondeeeg= -ge- bandana ne eee $50, 000 
SUNY 1p WOO. oc ap oe eta Gok soe tng = ee ewas Shae ep ose cs ae eee 15, 000 
March 3, 1885.....-- eeesbecaddese sempre cnt cekenen tay ke ae oe eee 5, 600 
March 3;y1887 2 22e 22s. eee ote ER Oe eee 15, 000 
It is therefore evident that the justice and propriety of appropriations for this pur- 
pose have been well established. 
The portions of the building which are not fireproof are— 
The roof of the so-called ‘‘chapel’’ in the west wing, which contains collections 
whose mere money value is estimated at over $250,000, but whose value to science is 
inestimable. This is also the only portion of the building which is suitable to devote 
to donations of art objects, which may be expected when the Government provides 
a safe depository for them. 
The ceiling and part of the roof of the main exibition hall, now occupied by prob- 
ably the most extensive and valuable archeological collection in the United States, 
is of combustible material and in urgent need of repairs, the ceiling threatening to 
fall, in part, and crush the cases and their valuable contents, and possibly endanger 
the safety of visitors and employees. Both roofs are leaking, and these changes 
involve the replastering and repainting of the walls. 
The floor of the main hall, 200 by 50 feet, is worn out and needs renewal, and all 
this implies special temporary provision for the collection. 
The lower hall is now very dark, and in replacing the roof and ceiling of the 
upper story it is desirable that a large skylight and wellhole be inserted, which 
would greatly add to the comfort of visitors by increasing the light and providing 
better ventilation. 
