The evening times., 1899-12-07
TnE NATIONAL MUSEUM
Repairs and improvements to BE
Completed Next Week.
some Changes That Will Beaetit the
Exhibits-Thc Needs of the smith
sOninn Observation-Disclosures HAM
percd by n Lack of Spacc-A Plea
Extended for Another Ruiiaiug.

The repairs and improvements that are
being made TO the southern hall of the
National Museum, it was said today, VIII
be completed next week. Frederick w.
True. the executive curator OF the Museum,
said the repairs would make muca need
ed change in the building. The principal
improvement being made is the addition
of large wall case, with glass front. in
which will be placed as many efigies of
the large North American caEnivorous AMI
r,als as possible, such as seals, wairusses,
sea lions, bears, and wolves. The ba ance
Of the mammals to be exhibited in this
hall will be rearranged SO as TO show to
the best advantage, and some at present not
on exhibition will be added.
About a year ago when the new ga.le--
les were completed; it was undertaken to
blace the entire exhibition series of North
American mammals on the ground noor
and exhibit the foreign forms on the gal
leries. The present improvements, 1t was
said. are in continuation of this p an. Mr..
True stated that they expect to have on
this floor the finest and most complete rep
rcsentative series of North American NAM
mails in the world.
In the southeast corner Of the Museum
an increase In the exhibition space is be-
ing made which will at the same time
yield additional laboratory space The
gallery is being extended to form floor
so that the building is divided into an
upper and lower story. The lower floor
will be used for exhibition purposes and
the upper for laboratories.
New skylights have been put in the four
courts of the Museum building adding
greatly to the amount of light received.
1t was explained that the National Mu-
scum is very much hampered by lack OF
room for study series, in the various
branches OF natural history, and anthro-
pology: and that another building of the
same size as the one now occupied ought
to be supplied at an early date.
The present Museum and the Smithjon-
ian Institute, it was said, are crowded to
overfiowing. and the hope was expressed
that Congress would early make an sp-
preparation that would give the National
Museum the possibilities for exhibition
and study that such an institution de-
serves. The present building, it was
said, could very well be entirely utilized
for the anthropological collections, and
another Of its size IL needed for natural
history subjects. Said Mr.. True:
The present buildings are inadequate
and unsuitable. ana by no amount OF IN
genuity can they be made adequate TO
the requirements. The country owes 1t
to the Smithsonian Institution to provide
a good commodious building for the very
valuable collections which it has made. -
The collections are not fully appreci-
ated now because of the crowding neees-
sary. the large number of exhibits that
cannot be exhibited, and the necessity
for dividing allied subjects and scatter
ing the exhibits throughout the space We
have. The Smithsonian Institution was
never intended for a Museum, and the
rev Museum was erected only as tenn
porary building for that purpose. In ad-
diti0n. the force allowed is too small to
perform he work that should be done.
But we are doing the best We can, and
slowly making improvements; but it is
To be hoped that Congress will deal lih-
orally with this department. ere long