Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07
NEW BUILDING NEEDED
Demand for Additional Space
at National Museum.
PLANS SUBMIT T TED
BUILDING DESIGNED TO COST
ABOUT 100000
Congress Urged to Appropriate Half
That sum as Starter-Prof.
Langley's Report.
PLANS SUBMIT TED

The attention Of Congress Is being d.
rected to the claim. that there should be
a new building on the mall to accommo-
date the great and growing collection of
the nations curios-a new National Mu-
scum building. At its last session the
House Of Representatives placed in the
sundry civil appropriation bill short para
graph, making 5000 available for use in
preparing plans for this building, specify
ing that it should cost not to exceed ST.
500. 600, and should be fireproof, steel frame
and brick and terra Gotta, and be located
on the mall between 9th and 18th streets.
This enactment has just been complied
with. Secretary Langley of the Smithson-
ian Institution has had the tentative plars
prepared and has just transmitted them
to the House of Representatives, together
with a statement of the floor space availa-
BILE at the present time, the cramped con-
dition of the governments exhibit and
an enumeration Of the rented buildings
of the institution which are piled high
with valuable specimens for which there
is no room in the museum These speci-
mems are packed away in cases and liable
to destruction by fire.
What Congress will do in the way of
appropriatfng the million and half which
the first installment OF the new building
will cost does not yet appear. That some
thing will be done in the matter Is con-
fidently expected. The plan presented would
seem to be admirably adapted for museum
purposes. 1t contemplates a rectangular
building, about 4S6 feet front by about
345 feet Deep and about so feet high. in.
Guiding the basement. The building is de-
signed for four floors and will afford about
100000 square feet of floor space
Comparison Made.
By way of comparison, the report states
that the total floor space now occupied by
the museum, including both its own build
ing and the portion Of the Smithsonian
Institution building occupied by the mu-
scum, together with the: various store
rooms, stables and sheds makes total
of 23S,6S9. The new building is to have
four floors, the first and second to be used
for exhibition purposes and the basement
and upper floor for storage, work rooms
and other purposes necessary to the con-
duct of the museum. = va
The building In Its entirety can be erected
In substantial form a fireproof building
Tor sum not to exceed So, 100000. The
plan, however, has been designed in such
manner that approximately one-half Of the
building could be constructed at once, pre-
senting the appearance of completed
structure and suitable for the museum
needs. This half would consist of the main
or south wing and the middle wing
While the one-half proposed for imme-
date construction would In way provide
for the growth of the museum, it would
IelleVe the present congeSteds condition of
the exhibition halls and render possible a
proper classification of the reserve collec-
tons, besides removing the-Hnecessity Of
employing any rented buildings, for which
the government is payingfan annual charge
of $4,000. 8 z-ssI.~t
The plan of the building has been drawn
after thorough study had been made Of
all important existing museums both in
this country and abroad. 1t embodies the
useful features of ALL while avoiding their
defects, which have been revealed in the
course of time. The claim is made that
should the proposed building be erected it
would be superior for museum purposes to
any building in this country or abroad. The
amount necessary to build the portion Of
the building recommended is, as stated