28 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. 



placed in the Smithsonian building, and (3) the establishment of a fire- 

 alarm box connecting the National Museum with the fire headquarters. 

 In April a telegraph office was opened in the telephone room, providing 

 for the transmission and receipt of messages over the Western Union, 

 Baltimore and Ohio, and Government lines. An underground cable 

 was laid for telephone wires from the south front of the Smithsonian 

 building to the north-west basement of the Museum building. 



All the doors and windows in the Museum building are connected with 

 an electric communicator, which contains 100 drops. By this means 

 the watchman is notified if any door or window is open after the clos- 

 ing of the Museum, or of any burglarious entry. There are also insu- 

 lated wires laid under all the marble floors at a distance of 8 feet apart. 

 These are easily accessible, and are for the purpose of connecting the 

 exhibition cases to a 50-drop annunciator. To all of the alarm apparatus 

 switches are attached for the purpose of disconnecting during business 

 hours any or all portions of the Museum building that may be desired. 



The time-service consists of one Howard Company's standard eight- 

 day electric-clock movement, which by metallic circuit connects with 

 and gives correct time to six 36-inch dials placed in the main exhibition 

 halls of the Museum and Smithsonian buildings, and also to seven 18- 

 inch dials situated in the offices of the buildings. The motive power is 

 supplied by 50 cells of Smee battery, situated in the basement of the 

 Museum and controlled by two electric relays. There are two standard 

 clocks, one in the Museum building and the other in the Smithsonian 

 building, which have a metallic connection with the Naval Observatory, 

 and by that means are corrected every day, thereby giving exact time 

 in both buildings. There is also a Howard Company's standard time 

 and watch clock in the electrical room. This is connected to fourteen 

 station boxes. These station boxes are visited every hour by the watch- 

 man patrolling the building, who, by inserting his key in each box, 

 registers the time of each visit upon the dial placed within the clock. 

 There is also a similar clock of smaller dimensions placed in the super- 

 intendent's office of the Smithsonian Institution, which works in the 

 same manner. 



Electrical push-buttons are arranged on each corner of all the exhibi- 

 tion halls of the Museum. These are connected with an electric annun- 

 ciator for the use of floor inspectors, watchmen, and others who may 

 need immediate assistance. 



The electric call-bell system is comprised of twelve large gongs placed 

 in different portions of the Museum building. These are connected with 

 call-buttons for the purpose of calling the officers or messengers. 



A similar system, consisting of six gongs, is also distributed through 

 the Smithsonian building. There is also a system of District messenger 

 call-boxes, by which outside messengers can be summoned any time day 

 or night. 



The watchmen in charge of the buildings are required to report 



