The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-01-31
A National Museum.

The opening of the new Museum OF
Natural History in Central Park, New
York, by President Hayes, recent IN arks
an era in the scientific history of the
country. The magnificent structure
stands on Manhattan Square, and when
finished will cover 1871 acres of ground.
The finished part now all ready forms
nearly one-tw eltth of the entire museum
structure as proposed. This, when COM
pleted, will comprise a quadrangle with
an interior or cross and four interior
courtyards. The material of which it
is built is red brick and grantee it is
100 feet in length, 66 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
engagements for lighting the building is
said to be admirable, and afford album
dance oflight and a complete diffusion
of it. The exhibition cases are of iron,
faced with black walnut, aud 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 5000, and
were designed by Mr.. Radtord.
The arrangement of the collection
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 ornitholoo cll speci-
mems, comprising one of the finest col
lectioDs of this class in the world. 90
the third floor are the geological collec-
tons, including large variety of valn-
able fossils from all parts of the globe.
The filth, or attic siory,is lighted by dor
mer windows. Upon this floor are stu
dents'rooms and a scientific library fitted
up with desks, fire. proof cases for speci-
mems, aud various appliances for the
free use of scientific men. Clarence
King, Prof. Hitchcock, the Superintend-
ents 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 edifice dates
back as far as 1869, when the American
Museum of Natural History was founded
by special act of the State Legislat-
ure. Among the original corporators
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 specimens belonging to the
great taxidermist, Nerreau, and also the
entire contents of the museum of Prince
Maximliian, on the Rhine, above Bonn.
This Prince had passed many years in
exploring remote parts of S,uth Ameri
Ca, 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 end Of July, 1874,
President Grant laid the cornerstone in
the presence of several members of his
Cabinet and other public officers. The
completion of the entire structure will be
work OF time: but SO much of it as
now stands is Il noble memorial of the
progress of science in the present time,
and will undoubtedly do much towards
the fulilments of the hopes which
have been the animus of this great pro-
ject.-T0Iedo Blade.
THE extent and value of fruit culture
in the United States is estimated by Col.
Marshall p. Wilder, of Boston, for thirty
Fears past the president of the American
Pathological Society, as follows:
The number of acres under cultivation
in orchards. vines, and small fruits, is es-
timated at 100000. The number OF
trees as follows: apples, 112,OOO,O0O;
pears, 2S,560,000; peaches, 112.21O,OOO !;
grapes, 14l, 100000; total, 1913, 100000.
Value of fruit products is: apples, $780,