The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-29
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

Although citizens generally are familiar with por
tons of this building yet few of the amount
Of scientific research and labor which Is carried on in
those where visitors not usually permitted to
enter and for their benefit well for tho benefit of
strangers who may pay transient visits the metropolis
we will endcavor to give brief account of what the
Smithsonian Institution is, and what it ia doing.
The Smithsonian Institution, is generally known,
derives its and endowment from James Smithson
esq, of England Mr. S. Legitimate son of the
first Duke Of Northumberland His life was devoted to
scientific pursuits and he contributed several important
papers to the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society, of which he was member Having no
family ties, he bcqucathed his fortune consisting of
about 1915, 900, to the United States, to found
at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian
Institution, establishment for the increase and
diffusion of knowledge among men thus perpetu-
atng his memory, and handing his name down to pos
terty the friend and patron of science and learning
This institution established by an act of Congress,
passed in 1885, and its government is dcvolyed upon
board of regents consisting of fifteen members The man
agcment of its affairs is under the direction of the secre
tary, Prof. Joseph Henry.
The building is of irregular Norman STYLE 1t con-
sists of centre and two wings, united by connecting
ranges The extreme length of the building is AT feet
and its greatest breadth 1872 feet It adorned with nine
towers the highest of which is 1856 feet AS the visitor
passes through the main doorway he first enters room
on the lower floor two hundred feet in length in
which contained the curositics that were brought
to this country by the various exploring expeditions
and other curiosites collected from all parts of the
world by the officers of the army and navy of the
United States filling eghty-six glass cases. These be-
long to the government, and not being connected with
the design Of the Smithsonian Institution appropra
ton made by Congress for their preservation and safe
Keeping. They have recently been removed from the
gallery of the National Institute at the Patent Office
building the they occupied there being required for
the legitimate purposes of that Office Near the south
door Of the main hall two aquariums which attract
much attention.
The eastern portion of the lower story of the building
is occupied documentro where the publications
of the Institution boxed up for transmission abroad
The object of tho institution, specified in the will of
its founder, is twofoldfrst the increase of knowl
edge and, secondly the diffusion Of knowledge among
men. II may be proper here to remark that the
Secretary is earnestly endeayoring to carry out that
two-fold object in the most cffectual manner, by
the of the annual income placed at his disposal
This amounts to some $50, 900 per annum which would
be insufficient after paying other necessary expenses to
support very large corps of scientific here The
plan has therefore adopted OF securing the assis-
lance of many co-operators possible each of
whom from the love of science would render gratutous
would do the condition that his expenses were paid
In this manner, valuable papers various scientific
subjects received from all parts of the country which
referred committee consisting of the eminent
professors of the subject treated and after receiving their
appreciation and endorsement published by the Smith
sonian Institution In this nine volumes of Smith
sonan Contributions to Knowledge in quarto FORM have
already issued and the tenth nearly ready for do
livery This knowledge ia dused among by sending
these volumes to all tho principal libraries In the world
by whom they highly esteemed, and In return the
Smithsonian receives sets of the Transactions of all foreign
Scientific Bodies In addition to these the Smithsonian
Institution makes annual reports to Congress- large
bers Of which distributed throughout this and other
countries Researches in various departments Of science
likewise instituted aided by the Institution and In
the eastern wing of the building is ne chemical lab
oraory where experiments constantly being made.
For several past attention has been paid to
mcteorology and there something like two hun
drod and fifty Observers all parts Of the United States
and IN Canada who regularly furnish the Institution with
observations OF the thermomoter barometer rain guage
&c. and also In regard to storms An interesting paper
on the connection OF metcorology with agriculture, by
Prof Henry the Secretary Of the Institution appeared in
the agricultural portion of the Patent Office Report for
1856, showing the causes Of the currents in the atos
phere and the ocean, and their effects upon climate
In the western wing is library, consisting of twenty
thirty thousand volumes most Of which on scien
tl6c subjects The intention is not 10 form popular II
brary like the library Of Congress other public libra
RIGS but TO collect complete sets OF all the valuable
scientific works ever published that in ono room may
be comprised all the scientific knowcdge Of the world