Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-08
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE SMITHSONIAN BUILDING.
The Fire.proOf Reconssruction Of the
Eastern Part.
WHAT HAS BEEN GAINED BIZ THE WORK.

WHAT HAS BEEN GAINED BIZ THE WORK
The ire-proOf reconstruction of the eastern
portion Of the Smithsonian building approaches
completion and shows the new arrangements
For proper understanding it may be we'll to
recall few steps in the lite Of the whole build
Ing.
On the 2Sth OF January, 1847, the plans of
James Renwick, of New York. were adopted,
bids invited, the work awarded on the 9th OF
March. and the cornerstone laid on the LIST Of
May following. Five years were allotted under
the building contract for the completion of the
work. which comprises center building, sup
ported and fianked by towers. and two wings.
connected with the main building by ranges and
ClOi5ters.
On the 26tt Of February. 1850, the interior
framing and floors OF part of the center build
Ing. Intended to contain the museum of appara-
fus fell down into the basement before compile
ton. and on July 3D. 1880, committee of the
regents of the Institute reported THAT the in
terror of the main building is defective in the
Kind OF material originally adopted to a conSid-
cradle degree in the quality of the material en-
poyed. which consists principally of wood"
The money was principally expended upon the
cut-stOne work of the fronts. The committee
recommended THAT the interior work of the
center building be removed ana that a fire-proof
structure be substituted for it,
In January, 1855, the plans of Capt. B. S.
Alexander, L. :. A, for flreprOOfing and finish
ing the interior of the center building were
adopted. and the author of the plans entrusted
with the superintendent of this work which
was commenced In June, 1853. and completed i'm
December, 1854. 1t included a lecture room
with unsurpassed optical and acoustic proper
ties, accommodating !, 500 persons UnfOrtu-
nately for the building the term fireprOOtng
had in those days simply reference to floors and
walls. so that the freprOofed center building
stil retained combustible wooden roof like
the east wing of the United States patent office
built about the same time.
DEFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING.
fire occurred on the Oath of January. 1865,
which destroyed this roof, and with it all the
interior of the upper story of the main building
and of the adjacent towers. The executive COM
mittee of the regents reported that careful sur
yey forced upon them the convictions that 1.-THE
original construction of the building as a whole
was very defective and unsuited as receptacle
of invaluable records The two wings and con-
Meeting ranges. which were not injured by
fire, are defective in material and cOnstruc-
ton The floors in some cases. though
covered with tagging. rest upon wooden
beams, which are decayed. and in a
few years the interior OF these parts will
require removal" The regents decided that the
restoration should in all parts be indestructible
by fire, and entrusted Adolph Cluss, architect,
with the plans and superintendent of the work,
which was carried on shortly after the close of
the war. when material and labor had risen to
the highest mark. The second story of the CEN
ter building was fitted up as hall for the gov
ernment collections, and was covered with an
Iron and slate roof: five towers were fitted up
with iron and brick floors, partitions and roofs
and with iron stairs; and a tlre-proof floor was
substituted for decayed wooden floor in the
west wing This work was completed in the
the season Of 1867 Fire-proof floors were sub
stituted in 1871 for the decayed wooden floors
OF the west wing and the northwestern arcade
and in 1873 steam-heating apparatus was put
In the building While the financial and tech
meal plans for the tire-prOfng unGer Capt. Alex
andeT Were matuTed, tine construction of the
east and west wings anu connecting ranges of
the building were pushed EOrw ard and completed
In August, 1892. under Architect RenwiCk after
which his resignation was accepted. The east
WING. then called the chemical wing was made
INTO one large lecture room. provided with seats
FOR .tA3 persons. and the adjoining range was
htted uY for two apparatus rooms in close prox-
Init! with the lecturers table.
WHEN THE IMPROVED LECTURE ROOM
in the main building was completed in 1851.
there was no LONGER any Use for the Anticipated
room which absorbed the whole east wing
Hence. this wing temporarily divided into
two stores. with wooden floors and studded
lathed and plastered partitions The lower
floor was arranged in a large room for handling
all articles of exchange, etc. The second story
was fitted up with a suite of rooms for the
accommodation of the SECRETARY of the inStitu-
ton. in accordance with the original intentions
OF the regents and the high space above was
converted into loft for drying clothes. The
fe.lestration became. in the newly arranged two
stories most anomalous The tall windows OF
lofty lecture room being sub-dyded. the old
frames came to be in the lower story up to the
cein- and on a level with the floor in the unper
story The connecting Wing. a. altered, accom-
mO,;atra simply two middle-sized offices, with
the ctO.stcf along the exposed north front
thrOuIl the open arches OF which rain and snow
GrttCd. and rotted the wooden fioor-ioists so
much that they had to be- Temporarily supported
from III" cellar Before long the open arches vi
the clOi=ters had to be filed in with temporary
wooden windows. which barely kept the weather
out
Above the first story of the range there was a
second story of no practical value since the
external architecture limited the size of its win
doWs oG one front to three feet square, and on
the either to balls eyes of two and half feet in
diameter. The museum was shut off from the
eastern main entrance by direct Instructions
an,t b1 floors on two different levels.
~ APPROPRIATION FOR RECONSTRUCTION.
Ta's d"Pl0rabie condition of the east wing
Continued for a series OF years demanded in the
end prompt action. ana in March 1888. an appro-
rriation Of $4,000 was made by Congress for
TIE f:e-pr0of reconstruction of the eastern part
Of The smithsonian Institute
Under this appropriation the old chemical
WIZ v d. stripped oil us cOulDuStlble cOnStrUc-
ton. - utuch vi the exterior walls as deppnded
upon this frame work was carefully taken down:
al ornamental Cut-stOne work, consisting of
c"rse> from doors. windows and cornices Of
divers Ho7astic e,liiiCes in France and Germany
were ia!d ASIDE. To be reset in the progress of
the work. The dark and damp cellar containing
4.sSt square feet floor space was converted into
serbs OF iight and dry working rooms, in best
sanitary condition. \ broad and level corridor
vas termed by which the old museum is reached
III direct line from the east entrance The
was r"arranged into two stories of ten feet clear
height. and provided with adequate light and
air.
Above the basement there are arranged SO spa
ciou~ OIice-rooms, containing II 500 square feet
HoOr space. and archiye-rOOms, containing
2.3O square feet floor space. These rooms are
ARRANGED TO both sides Of wide central corridors.
In three stories. for connecting range and i'm
four stories Tor the east wing Convenient
wrought-rOn stairs lead from basement to these
Gpn"r stories; large skyliCht is located over
tie well hole OF the stairs which is supple
meit"d by q yentilatng beliry in the center of
the pitched roof.
In the progress OF the work the exterior walls
butt FOR the Internal partitions and supports of
The iirr-prOof floors, consisting of concerted
tEICk arches sprung between rolled iron beams
The connecting range has fiat roof. built on
The principle OF a 1re-proof floor and the east
wing has a pitched medieval iron roof Covered
with slate, hung To wrOu2ht-irOn purlines, and