REPORT OF NATIONALr MUSEUM, 1925 21 



ing a total of 346.S tons of ice. If the cost of the new machine is 

 not included, the cost of producing ice is less than the previous year. 

 If, however, the cost is included, the cost a ton will be somewhat more, 

 though not as great as the wholesale price paid for ice by the Govern- 

 ment. 



The total cost of operation, excluding the purchase of new parts, 

 was $799.77 or a little over $2 a ton. 



Fire hydrants in Smithsonian Parh. — ^In August, 1922, a few days 

 after the outer walls of the Natural History Building had been 

 thoroughly washed with the use of the fire engine, through the 

 courtesy of the District Fire Department, the Institution was noti- 

 fied by the chief engineer that the only fire hydrant south of that 

 building was useless, as it was of an old type and was connected with 

 a small noncirculating pipe. The Board of District Commissioners 

 and chief engineer of the fire department recommended that an 

 appropriation be secured for installing four modern hydrants for 

 the protection of the Natural History Building and the other build- 

 ings of the Institution located in the park. Congress included in 

 the appropriation for 1925, $8,500 for this purpose, and the work 

 was completed under the direction of the District Commissioners. 

 The old Hayden hydrant to the east of the Arts and Industries 

 Building, and the one near the Henry statue were condemned and 

 removed, and the Smith hydrant, located at an inaccessible point 

 south of the Smithsonian Building removed and installed west of 

 the Arts and Industries Building, where it was connected by means 

 of a 6-inch main feed pipe, with the 20-inch main on B Street. This 

 with the other changes indicated, provide ample fire protection for 

 all of the Smithsonian buildings in the park. The total cost of the 

 work was $7,924.81. 



Furniture and fixtures. — ^During the year 18 exhibition cases and 

 bases were acquired by purchase and construction in the shops, with 

 127 pieces of storage, laboratory, office and other furniture, of which 

 11 were acquired by purchase, and 116 were made by the shop force. 

 Nine exhibition cases and bases, and 33 other items including obso- 

 lete or worn-out storage cases, laboratory and office furniture, were 

 condemned. On June 30 there were on hand 3,711 exhibition cases, 

 11,986 pieces of storage, laboratory, office, and other furniture, 50,230 

 standard wooden-unit drawers, 4,712 metal drawers, 982 unit boxes, 

 203 wooden double unit boxes, 13,244 insect drawers, 713 wing frames, 

 5,885 special drawers with paper bottoms, and 12,116 special drawers 

 with compoboard bottoms for mammal and bird storage cases. 



In addition to the exhibition, storage, and other furniture manu- 

 factured in the shops, 32 curtains were made for windows with 

 southern exposure to replace others that, after 14 years of service, 

 were completely worn out. 



