Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-08-22

FINE NEW MUSEUM BUILDING.
ID eseripti0n Of the Structure % be
Erected In the SmithsOn1an Grounds.
AMPLE PROVISION 10 BE MADE FOE TEN ARMY
NEDluAL MUSEUM AID LIBRARY--A vALUA A.
BE coLLHCE1oN 10 m PLAcED IN SAFE
oUAxrEnA

The contract having just been awarded d, the
construction Of new public building I'm Wash
ington u soon to be begun. The appropriation
IL for plain 0re-proof brick building, quite in
expensive, to contain the records, the library,
and the museum of the medical department OF
the army. The appropriation is only 5000 200
for the completion Of the building. and the con-
tract, as announced in THE STAR, has been
given to Bright Humphrey for even less than
that-S17o, 937-but the plans are such as TO
promise very attractive building. Il will &C.
cupy tho space in the southeast corner Of the
other two buildings located in the I grounds.
TIE building will have its main front
s%o .n SOUTH sb s1sodiqs TSs
iset il length BY my four feet eight inches in
sna sass sssp
whole building il to be Of brick, with very little
stone trimming. consisting merely Of 2 line Of
each story. The building viii have three sto-
ries, with . fourth over the main entrance.
THE WINGS
viii be about the height Of the main entrance,
but on the one side the library and ON the other
the museum win extend all the way from the
nrst story to the roof, the basement and first
stories being used for offices. The second story
Of the west wing viii b that preserved for the
by continuous ventilattng lantern skylight
The east wing Is assigned to the museum and
ssrS II ss s
he toandations throughout CONSIST Of concrete,
banded Internal lining Of hollow bricf for ali il
wells exposed to the Weather. The ornamenta-
oa Consists Of mGHhdDE and osrniees Of brick
Of the irst story are constructed Of brick arches
are formed Of hollow brick, nat arches between
to be finished with wooden flooring, on sieepers
ment win have no WOODWORK. but viii iii be s Of
r9s9r,I,and cement, Of dark tint. The corridors
liar TO that OF the floors. The partitions are to
o os OF Dck solid In some cases and hollow in
THE LIBRARY AND THE MUSEUM
are to be two immense halls, each taking up an
entire hoor Of wing. The columns under the
oook-stacks In the library are to be constructed
Of hre.pIoofed sectional wrought iron, while
those IN the museum will be Of csstiron. Each
a,S % oe anol. With wrought iron
&er with srchitraves, will be Of wood and Will,
cut stone work is confined to buttress blocks,
outside steps, sills and sill courses few blocks
on main entrance, the moulded work being
mace OF prick and terra Gotta blocks. The base
ment VIII be left upholstered, and the stories
above will receive q white hard finish for offices
ana ,s Gorridorss and sand finish for museum
that the building be made f1re-proof, there will
be as little wood work used as possible. Instead
floors Of the building strips of Portland cement
plastering, parted from the plastering OF the
size walls by sunk beads. The building will be
rooms will have plain marble mantels and
The height of the stories will be as follows:
I or fonf to-
building, second story, Ia feet; wings, second
story, 80 feet; center building, third story, IS
Tha to the Under side
main entrance is intended for the photograph
gallery. The building will not be massive, nor
snt E e.
looking building, In harmony with the national
museum, to which 1t will be a near neighbor.
next week, and 1t is expected that it will take
about year and half to complete the building.
THE COLLECTION OF BOOKS.
The building flls great need and will pre-.
serve from the danger Of fire the most valuable
and extensive medical library in the world
The collection consists Of 81, 900 bound volu-
thirds Of the medical literature in existence
The collection has been accumulating for many
Years, ana was probably begun by Surgeon
ment Of the late war there were but about $50
volumes, mostly medical text books and jour-
nails. When Dr.. Hammond was surseon-Gen-
eral, In 1862 and 1868, about $50 volumes of
works relating to military medicine and sur
gerry were added. Within the following two
years the library grew to / 800 volumes which
IN 1872 had become $4,000 volumes, and by
the donation Of books by physicians the library
had grown to %, 900 bound volumes and I5, 900
pamphlets, in 1874. An index catalogue, giving
subjects In alphabetical order was prepared, and
has been arranged upon 9 most perfect plan,
being Of the greatest possible convenience for
authority that this library not only contains
more volumes upon medical subjects than the
British Museum or the National Library Of
France, but covers q wider field than either.
The museum contains between %, 900 and 49,
900 specimens Of wounds, and is visited for In
structfon by not only ourown medical men, but
by foreigners.
The construction of the building is under the
supervision Of Col. Casey, though the plans
made by Mr. Adolph Cluss, the architect. were
adopted by and the site selected, by q commiss-
lon created for the purpose.
A MEMORABLE DAY.
Mr.. Nicholas CallRn'S RecOllectiOns or