14 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



mony, there being present only the architects, the superintendent of 

 construction, and several Museum officers. The stone selected to 

 serve this purpose is the base stone at the northeast corner of the 

 north pavilion and weighs about 19 tons. In a hole cut in the bottom 

 was embedded a black walnut box, measuring 14^ by 11| by 8^ inches 

 and hermetically sealed in a covering of sheet lead, in which had been 

 placed a number of documents relating to the Institution and to the 

 erection of the building, partly in the form of electrotypes and partly 

 as matter printed on paper. 



During the next two years, ending June 30, 1908, all of the outer 

 and court walls, except those of the south pavilion and rotunda, the 

 erection of which had been retarded by delays in obtaining granite, 

 and also the interior structural walls, piers and floors were completed, 

 and the roof construction was begun. The end of another two years 

 found the entire exterior of the building finished, and while much 

 remained to be done in the interior of the south pavilion, rotunda and 

 auditorium, the wings and ranges composing the main part of the 

 building had been wholly in the possession of the Museum during the 

 greater part of the year 1909-10. Occupation of the third story was 

 obtained on August 10, 1909, and of the other stories on November 

 9, following, and the installation of the power plant was sufficiently 

 advanced to start the heating of the building on October 15. 



The laying of the extensive granite approaches at the south en- 

 trance, commenced in the spring of 1910, and extended into the sum- 

 mer, while the work connected with the finishing of the interior of 

 the south pavilion consumed practically the entire year, ending with 

 the installation of the heavy iron grilles at the entrance on June 20, 

 1911, just 7 years and 5 days after the ground had been broken. 



Certain important matters concerning the building and its sur- 

 roundings which the original appropriation was inadequate to cover 

 were provided for in the general deficiency act approved June 25, 

 1910, as follows: 



For the completion of the new building of the United States National Museum 

 and its surroundings, namely, the construction of roads and walks, grading and 

 sodding, construction of a waterproof granolithic platform along the outer walls 

 of the building, and the painting of the interior walls of the building, to be ex- 

 pended under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 seventy-seven thousand dollars. 



The work on the grounds, performed under the direction of the 

 officer in charge of public buildings and grounds, included the read- 

 justment of the main roads where they had been intercepted by the 

 building, and the construction of roads to the entrances and of a 

 continuous water table along the walls, besides extensive grading, 

 sodding and seeding. These improvements, together with the paint- 

 ing of the interior plastered walls and iron work, were completed in 

 the autumn of 1911. 



