Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-05
PREPARING THE PLANS
New Building for the Smith
sonian Institution.
TO BE BUILT OF BRICK
BEST FEATURES OF GREATEST
MUSEUMS TO BE UTILIZED.
Assistant Secretary Rathbone is Work.
Ing Out Problem of Ideal Plans
Report to Next Congress.

Arrangements are now being made by the
secretary of the Smithsonian Institution for
carrying out the Instructions of Congress In
relation to the preparation of preliminary
plans for an additional fireproof steel-frams
brick and terra Gotta building. to cost not
to exceed s., 100000 for the United States
National Museum, to be erected when ap-
propriated for on the mall between 9th and
18th streets. For this purpose an appropri-
alton Of 5000 was allowed, and the plans
will be sent to Congress at it's next session
Mr.. Richard Rathbun, assistant secretary
Of the Smithsonian Institution, is now en-
gagged in work necessary in the preparation
of these plans. He has already In his pos
session very large amount of data con-
corning the manner in which the great mu-
seums of the world have been designed and
constructed, and will add to his collection of
drawings, illustrations and descriptions of
these buildings so that the plans to be pre-
pared for Congress will be made after a
careful study of the plans of all the great
museums of the world and especially or the
modern structures which emboGy the most
approved ideas concerning the needs of
such institution.
The location of the building Congress
proposes erecting the mall has been
fixed within the limits of 9th and 18th
streets on the northern portion of the mall,
facing the south. This location accords
which contemplate the erection of public
buildings, chiefly for purposes of exhibit
tons, along both sides of the mall. The
commission proposed having all these build
ings of classic style and to be built of white
marble. but the expense involved by using
such material caused provision In con-
nection with the authorization for the plans
that requires the use of brick and terra
Gotta. There are great many senators
as well as representatives who think it
would be a great mistake at this stage of
other building the mall Of brick and
terra Gotta, and their influence will be ex
erted to secure a building Of stone, and
preferably of white marble.
Making of Tentative Plan.
The tentative plans that will be laid be-
fore Congress next winter will have for
their important feature the arrangement
Of the exhibition and work rooms of the
museum. The most approved plan for
museum building is to have work rooms
adjoining the exhibition halls and CORR
doris that the greatest convenience may
be secured. The proposed building will be
about $50 or 600 feet long, by a width of
about $50 feet 1t will have a basement
under the entire structure SO that some
classes of work shops and ample storage
room may be provided. There will be two
floors on which exhibits will be displayed.
and roomy garrett 1t will be constructed
SO that it may either be added to or an
other building may be put up and connected
with 1t by corridor.
The building now occupied by the Ma
tonal Museum was put up a temporary
structure, which was made necessary when
the many valuable exhibits at the Phila-
delphia centennial in 1876 were presented
to the government. Except in a restricted
area at the corners of the building it has
! no basement. and is but one story high
except in a small portion Of the structure,
which provides some Office and storage
space. Very extensive repairs have been
1n1 fI1i NtAac AfNYst
twenty-three years ago, in order to keep
it in a habitabie condition.
In Rented Buildings.
Not only is the exhibition space in the
building more crowded than is usual in
the great museums Of the world but sew
eral buildings in the neighborhood of the
mall have been rented and packed with
most valuable material. couple of tenn
porary buildings have been put up in The
| mall and together with an old fish commits
sion shed have been and are now being used
in which to shelter the valuable collections
that are owned by the museum. There are
subterranean passages beneath the main
building Of the Smithsonian Institution,
fit only for coal vaults that are filled with
this valuable material, and in which men
of scientific attachments that haye made
their names known the world over ar"
obliged to work, in an atmosphere that be
speaks dungeon. In fact, the museum has
long since been obliged to decline costly
donations because 1t has had no suitable
place in which to store them and in fact
no place at ALL
When 1t secures its new building. with
twice as much room as 1t now has. enough
material can at once be moved in 1t and
placed on exhibition to fairly well fill all
the available floor space, besides using the
exhibition rooms of the old building. The
lack of freproof conditions in the old
building is a constant menace to the rare
collections gathered there
The new building will contain many at
tractive features of the nature Of some of
the exhibits now in the old building, but
which cannot be added to now because of
a lack Of room The Indian groups at the
museum and other educational exhibits of
that nature only indications of what
can be accomplished by the museum when
it's facilities for exhibition are enlarged.