Evening star., 1897-04-01
THE SMITHSONIAN AT NASHVILLE
An Interesting Exhibit to he Made nt
the Centennial ExDosfttou

the Centennial Exposition
Mr.. r W. True. In charge of the Smith
sonian Institution and National Museum
exhibit at the Tennessee centennial exnosi-
ton at Nashville, has not yet fully ar
ranged the exhibit of the National Museum
but has already listed the objects to be in
stalled by the Smithsonian institution and
other of its dependencies than the museum
Portraits of the founder of the institution,
James Smithson. and the former and pres
ent secretaries We're but recently made for
the occasion of the exposition. The Half
Century Book, the forthcoming of which is
being very eagerly watched for by scien-
fists of the entire world will be exhibited
both as completed volume and in its
separate parts. volumes in themselves
This will be the first appearance of the
great work, and will be the cause of com
ment both here and abroad There will be
complete set of all the publications OF the
institution. such as reports and bulletins
Ihls means library in itself, extensive
Of volumes. The Thomas g. Hodgkins
fund case will contain fine portrait of the
Well-known science benefactor, and the
medal. together with copies of the prize
essays, including the famous one upon the
discovery of argon, the newly found con-
Stituent of air.
Mr.. Herbert Adams the sculptor of New
York city, has consented to the exhibition
of the original plaster model of his statue
of Professor Henry, once secretary of the
institution. Mr.. Adams has also offered to
deposit the model in the museum after the
exposition, which offer the museum au-
thorities will hasten to accept. The statue
Is now in the new Library of Congress,
where it has been admired by hundreds of
lovers of art as an exceedingly life-like
work.
The objects mentioned are all to come
from the institution proper. The Zoolog-
ical Park is to be reproduced to wonder
full accuracy of detail in the shape of
model about seven feet square. This is the
very clever work of local modeler and
the model can boast of having for q long
time rested in honored security at the
Capitol. 1t is a costly production and is
corrected to date. Photographs of import
ant features of the park, including groups
of animals, will be included in the show
to be made by the park.
The bureau of international exchanges
Will exhibit map Of the world showing
the situation and number of it's branches
In all countries. and almost, 1t may be said,
In every corner of the earth. One set of
government documents is to give a def
mite idea Of the quantity of publications
annually sent abroad, which, together
with a bound list of all the bureaus for
eign correspondents, will make clear that
the activities of the bureau are on grand
scale.
The exhibit of the astro-physical obser-
vatory will be very interesting, consisting
OF, among other objects, photographs Of
the spectrum showing the progress of the
observatory. photographs of apparatus,
and the bolometer. the marvellous inven-
ton so Invaluable and necessary to astro-
physics.
There will be great disappointment not
LOT loI the managers OF the exposition only,
but for the thousands Of persons who
would travel far to see q real airship-one
that has actually fiown-when it Is known
that Secretary Langley has refused to al
low the exhibit of his famous aerodrome.
Prof. Langley values his apparatus too
highly to allow 1T to be subjected to the
damaging experiences of exposition treat
ment. In answer to a very earnest re-
quest from Mr.. True. the secretary wrote
q few days ago: 1T will hardly be prac-
ucable to construct model Of one Of the
aerodrcmes but I am willing that two of
Mr.. smillie's photographs (to be selected
by mel OF that which has actually flown
may be enlarged to as nearly full size as
possible for the exposition" Mr. Smillie
is the official photographer Of the institu-
ton.