1312 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
These plans and sketches are provisional, but although not presented in detail 
they represent the results of studies, extending over many years, of the plans of the 
best modern museum buildings in Europe and America, nearly all of which have 
been inspected by officers of the Smithsonian Institution. 
The proposed building covers the same area as that finished in 1881. It isintended 
to consist of two stories and a basement, except in the central portion, which consists 
of one lofty hall open from the main floor to the roof, the height of which will be 
90 feet, galleries being placed on the level of the second floor in other parts of the 
building. Its interior arrangements are, as you will see, different from those in the 
actual Museum, all the changes having been planned in the light of the experience 
of nine years’ occupation of the present building. It will afford between two and 
three times as much available space for exhibition and storage under the same area 
of roof. The fifteen exhibition halls are completely isolated from each other, and 
may readily be subdivided, when necessary, into smaller rooms. The light will be 
as good as in the old building, and the ventilation perhaps still better. The sanitary 
arrangements have been carefully considered. 
The necessity for a basement is especially great. In this, place has been provided 
for many storage rooms and workshops. The existence of a basement will promote 
the comfort and health of visitors and employees, and by increasing the dryness of 
the air in the exhibition halls will secure the better preservation of the collections. 
These proposed changes in the internal arrangements will not interfere with con- 
formity with the other points of the present Museum building in the essential 
features of exterior proportion. The total capacity of this present building in avail- 
able floor space is about 100,000 square feet; that of the new building somewhat 
exceeds 200,000. The present Museum building contains about 80,000 feet of floor 
space available for exhibition. That proposed will contain about 103,300 square feet 
for exhibition. The space devoted to offices and laboratories would not be much 
more, but the area available for exhibition halls, storage rooms, and workshops far 
greater. Theappropriation for the construction of the present building was $250,000. 
This sum was supplemented by several special appropriations: $25,000 for steam- 
heating apparatus; $26,000 for marble floors; $12,500 for water and gas fixtures and 
electrical apparatus, and $1,900 for special sewer connections, so that the total cost 
was $315,400. The structure was probably completed for a smaller sum of money 
than any other similar one of equal capacity in the world, and at an expense relative 
to capacity which the present prices of material make it certain can not be repeated. 
The estimates of cost on this building vary greatly with regard to details of con- 
struction on which I do not here enter further than to say that the whole should be 
absolutely fireproof throughout, and in view of the further great variation of the 
cost of building materials within the past two years I am not prepared to state the 
sum which would be necessary for its completion. It is certain, however, that 
$500,000, if not sufficient to complete it, would be all that would be required to be 
expended during the present year, and I would respectfully represent the desirability 
of an appropriation of this amount for the purpose in question. 
Your attention is directed to certain facts in regard to the character of the mate- 
rials for the accommodation of which this building is desired. The collections of 
the Smithsonian Institution and of the Government are especially rich in collections 
of natural history, which may be grouped in three general classes: The zoological 
collections, the botanical collections, and the geological collections, including not 
only all the geological and mineralogical material, but the greater portion of that 
belonging to paleontology, the study of fossil animals and plants forming an essential 
part of modern geological work. 
Besides the natural history collections, there are equally important anthropological 
collections which illustrate the history of mankind at all periods and in every land, 
and which serve to explain the development of all human arts and industries. In 
