, 1878-02-15
A National Museum.

country. The magniticcn. structure
stands on Manhattan Square, and when
finished will cover lSl, acres of ground
The finished part now all ready forms
nearly One-treltth of the entire museum
structure as proposed. This, when com
pleted, will comprise quadrangle with
an interior or cross and four interior
cOurtyards. The material OF which it
is built is red brick and granite; it is
1870 feet in length, G6 feet in width, and
practically five stories high, one Of the
stories being the gallery of the main
hall. The wood work of the interior
is black walnut and ash. The floors are
brick arches, covered with concrete, and
are laid with English tiles. The build
ing is said to be fire proof, The ar
rangements for lighting the building is
said to be admirable, and afford album
dance of light and complete diffusion
Of it. The exhibition cases are Of iron,
faced with black walnut, and are thought
to be superior to any other ever made
for the purpose. The iron frame work gives
so much strength to the cases, that re-
markably large plates of glass and very
small mullions have been used with
safety. These cases cost 100000, and
were designed by Mr.. Radford.
The arrangement OF the collection
of specimens on the first floor is
mainly devoted to the larger ami
mails of the Old World and New, Of
which there is choice variety. The
cases of the main hall ON the second
floor are filled with ornitholrg cal speci-
mems, comprising one of the finest col
lections of this class in the world. On
the third floor are the geological coIlec-
tions, including large variety of vaIu-
able fossils from all parts of the globe.
The fifth, or attic srory,is lighted by dor
mer windows. Upon this floor are stu
dentsrooms and a scientific library fitted
up with desks fire. proof cases for speci-
mems, and various appliances for the
free use Of scientific men. Clarence
King, Prof. Hitchcock, the Superintend-
cuts of the Pennsylvania and Nevada
Surveys, and the Director of the Cana
dian Survey, will occupy offices here
This floor will be the headquarters Of
people seeking scientific information,
which will be readily obtained. 1t is
hoped that the advantages offered by
this museum, which in style and APP
pointments eXcels any other scientific
museum in the world, will draw hither
scientific men from other countries. The
projectors thus hope to make New York
the intellectual centre of the republic,
as London is the intellectual centre OF
the British Empire.
The history of this edifce dates
back as far as 1869, when the American
Museum of Natural History was founded
by special act of the State LegisIat-
ure. Among the original cOrp0rators
were John Davis Wolfe, the first Presi-
dent of the Association, Morris X. Jes-
sup, Robert Colgate, Theodore Roosevelt,
Charles A. Dana, Joseph IL. Choate, and
many other leading citizens. A COM
mittee was appointed, which soon after
went to France, and secured the large
collection of ofspecimens belonging to the
great taxidermist, Verreau, and also the
entire contents Of the museum of Prince
Maximillian, on the Rhine, above Bonn
This Prince had passed many years in
exploring remote parts OF South Ameri
Gu, and had secured many valuable typi-
cal specimens, such as had never be-
fore been seen in Europe. The tract
now occupied by the museum was ten
dered to the incorporators by the City
of New York, to whom it belonged.
The ground was broken for the build
| ing in 1873. On the 2nd Of July, 1874,
President Grant laid the corner stone, in
the presence of several members of his
Cabinet and other public Offices. The
completion Of the entire structure will be
Il work Ot time; but So much Of il AS
now stands is noble memorial Of the
progress Of science in the present time,
and will undoubtedly do much toSard.
the fulilments of the hopes which
have been the animus Of this great pro-
I ject. Toledo Blade
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