Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-28
BOARD OF REGENTS
Annual Meeting at Smith
sonian Institution.
SECRETARY'S REPORT
WORK CARRIED ON BIZ THE
VARIOUS BRANCHES.
Fund Now Amounts to Nearly MIL
lion-Researches as to the
American Indians.
REPORT

The annual meeting of the board OF re-
oen+s If the Smithsonian institution was
held this morning. There were present Ing
chancellor. Chief Justice Fuller, presiding;
William P. Frye, president pro tempore OF
the Senate; Senator o. II. Plat, Senator
s. M. Cullom, Senator F. M. Cockrell. Rep
resentative Robert Adams. jr.. Representa-
tive Hugh A. Dinsmore. DR.. J. B. Angeu'
Mr.. Richard Olney. Mr. ]. b. Hender-
son. Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and Sec
rotary Langley. The secretary presented
to the board his report for the year, WHICH
summarized the work carried on by the In
stitution itself and its various branches.
Gold Medal Awarded.
Quite a number of researches under the
Hodpkins fund were aided by grants to
scholars In this country and abroad, ana
upon the recommendation of a committee
a gold medal was awarded to Prof. J. }.
Thomson of Trinity College, Cambridge
England, flor his investigations on the
conductivity Of gases, especially on the
gases that compose the atmospheric air.
The institution continued Its lease OF
table at the Naples geological station, ana
issued q very considerable number OF pup
locations during the year, besides Tempo
rarily acting for the international catalogue
Of scientific literature.
A notable acquisition to the library was
some 2,OOO volumes on Napoleon Bonaparte.
a gift of Gen. John Watts de Peyster OF
New York.
Total Of the Fund.
There being an unexpended balance from
the income of the Smithsonian fund, which
had been held to cover the cost OF certain
expensive publications, which 1t now ap-
reared could not be published in the imme-
date future the regents decided to increase
the fund of the institution by transferring
$50 900 to the credit of the permanent funo'
thereby bringing up the amount now de-
posted in the United states treasury 10
1897 600 which, with certain other property
held by the regents, made the total smith
sonian fund about $91o.OOO
The National Museum is getting more and
more overcrowded, but sign OF rellef was
had in the passage by the last Congress OF
an authorization for the preparation OF pre-
liminary plans for a new museum building.
These plans have been approved by spe-
cial committee OF the regents appointed
by the board at it's last meeting, and are
now before Congress- with reasonable ex-
pectation of some favorable action LOOKING
to the erection of a new building for the
museum The board approved the plans
and instructed the committee to use its
efforts to secure an ample building.
Bureau of Ethnology.
The bureau of American ethnology had
devoted a considerable share of attention
American Indian, and has in hand the
preparation Of dictionary summarizing
in brief form the researches made by the
bureau and other students of the Indians
north Of Mexico. Since the close OF the
fiscal year the bureau had lost its director
Maj j. w. Powell, who had really created
it and directed it's work since its inception.
To the vacancy thus caused Mr.. w. H.
Holmes, for many years connected with the
bureau and National Museum, had been ap-
pointed. -.
The international exchanges had handled
during the year over $4,000 packages, the
number Of correspondents and participants
in this service being over $4,000, composed
of libraries and individuals in countries
scattered over the whole civilized world,
including even some Of the most remote
corners Of Asia, Australia and Polynesia.
The Geological Park.
The National Geological Park contains
about 900 mammals. birds and reptiles,
some Of the additions being very interest
Ing, among them being the great kodiak
bear and two Rocky mountain sheep. The
attendance at the park has been very large
during the past year, estimated at nearly
million. as many as $4,000 having passed
the gates In one day. A new elephant
house is in course Of erection. and other I'M
proVements are being planned.
In the astrophysical observatory particu-
lar attention has been devoted to the study
Of the sun and its radiation, and the instru-
ments in use In this research have been
considerably improved. The bolometer,
sort Of infinitely fine thermometer, has,
with certain adjuncts, been brought to such
a degree Of perfection that 1t can now
measure somewhat less than one hun
provements OF importance to astronomers
have been made in the apparatus.