APPENDIX TO THE KEPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 71 

 PREPARATION FOR THE EXHIBITION, 



Erection of building. — A committee of the board of the respective De- 

 partments, was appointed to take into consideration all the matters 

 relating to this building, and to consider plans for the same ; and from 

 several offered them, that of an edifice in the form of a cross, designed 

 by James H. Windrim, of Philadelphia, was selected. The floor of this 

 occupied 102,840 square feet, of which 20,840 was taken up by passages, 

 leaving a space remaining of 82,000 square feet for exhibition purposes. 

 It was completed and ready for occupation March 1, 1876, on which 

 date it was accepted by the board. The space assigned to each Depart- 

 ment was as follows : 



Feet. 



War Department 11, 200 



Navy Department - 10, 400 



Treasury Department 3, 000 



Post-Office Department • ... 3, 800 



Interior Department » 20, 600 



Agricultural Department - 6, 000 



Smithsonian Institution 20, 600 



Fish Commission 6, 000 



81, 600 



The original contract for the cost of this building was $67,201.61, but 

 subsequent changes somewhat increased the amount. These, with other 

 expenses, such as grading the grounds, &c, made the total amount to be 

 deducted from the available fund, and divided pro rata among the vari- 

 ous Departments, with the exception of the Treasury and the Commis- 

 sion of Food-Fishes, about $94,000, leaving aoout $411,000 for the actual 

 purposes of the display. 



The building was entirely of wood, and of course liable to damage 

 from fire. A careful guard was, however, maintained, and no accident 

 of any kind occurred during the exhibition. 



EXHIBIT AS MADE. ' 



Completeness on opening -day. — Although the time at the command of 

 the board for the preparation of the exhibit was short, and the amount 

 of money appropriated to carry out the plans of the several departments 

 was considered by them insufficient for the purpose, on the opening-day 

 of the exhibition most of the articles were in their places, this being 

 especially the case with those of the Army and Navy j and the remain- 

 der were ready within the course of a few weeks later. In this respect 

 the Government display was in advance of those in the other buildings, 

 the internal arrangements of which were more or less incomplete for a 

 long time after the 10th of May. 



Summary of exhibits in the different sections. — The collections, as finally 

 arranged, consisted essentially of the following elements :>. 



