Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-07
NATIONS HALL OF WONDERS
Museum At Washington an Bpitoms Of
American History.
WELL WORTH A LONG DAYS VISIT
Epochs and wars I'm the Life of the
Republic uIustrated-Art Treas
ures and EthnOIoEtc Exhibit
Notable sights.

II you are tourist. or for that matter
only a resident in Washington. with Just
two hours that you can devote TO the ma
tional museum, how can you best put In
your timer That probably is a question
that a good many people have asked them
selves II can be answered In part by look
ing at the ground floor plan Of the museum
which Is to be had at the main door on
entering the north side.
II you have Do particular hobby and are
just interested I'm the place in a general
way, the best method Is a walk through the
great building You can do this in just
about two hours, spending no great time
over any one thing and simply bringing
away a general idea Of the wealth Of ma
terial that is held in the nations treasure
house.
II therN IL anything in particular over
which you are enthusiastic you probably
can find II in one OF the special sections.
Then, whether It be coins applied me-
chanics, geology or transportation, the best
thing for you to do Is 20 go 20 that par
ticular section and study II alone. You
will always flnd curators or their assistants,
or messengers, OF someone else who knows
more about the collection than you do and
who is glad to have an intelligent listener
on his particular branch OF art or collecting.
Collections Not Yet Ready.
There are a great many collections that
are not on exhibition and that cannot be
till the new building is finished, and that
will be In about six years. Just what the
collections are is at present secret, for II
they we're generally known the museum
officials would be overwhelmed with letters
asking about them and which would have
to be answered at an unnecessary expense
of time and labor.
As the case now stands there is some
thing In the museum TO interest everyone
and list may be made of the various sec
tions, beginning at the north entrance. The
first or north hall is devoted to American
history. beginning with the almost mythical
Lief Ericsson and coming down to the Cuban
and Porto Rican campaigns. There is
enough In this one hall TO keep the average
tourist busy for the better part of a day.
II is the more interesting If you can have
one OF the museum officials to talk to you
= about the various relics and throw some
sidelghts on their history that does not
appear on the cards that are attached to
them
The collection Is intrinsically valuable
for It contains many presentation swords
set with precious stones, solid gold and
silver ornaments. that were presented to
General Grant on his trip around the
every war in which the United States have
been engaged from the revolution down tc
the campaign in the Philippines. The col
kklection OF boios and Filipino knives alone
is the most extensive In existence, and
there are relics Of the war with Spair
such as few people know exist
other War Relics.
\ So. much for the historical section. En-
tering the big rotunda about the hsh pond
there Is another section mat also looks
like an army museum. filled with guns
and swords and cannon OF various sorts
There are parts OF the torpedo boat Wins
low. shot to pieces in the Inflated engage
ment In Cardenas bay: the mine that
almost blew up the Marblehead at Guam
tanamo. and modern Krupp gun takeI
from the portal OF the forbidden city Il
Peking. There is almost enough here for
an afternoon.
Take the east hall from the rotunda and
one Is IN the midst Of the technical exhibit
of the museum. Here. as everywhere, II
seen the hand Of Prof. Holmes, who wa
curator OF the museum until he was called
TO be head Of the bureau OF ethnology
The technology exhibit commences will
tho evolution OF the knife, spoon and forl
and carries each implement from the bon,
and she'll stage up to the present time
1t would be impossible 10 so into detail
over this collection, but II includes al
most everything, from a musical :nstru
ment to a steam engine.
Leading of from the gallery on the nortl
side one is In the section OF graphic art
whore the artist may find more satisfac
tion in good many ways than in a res
= ular art gallery.
Af{ II is true that for the artist the Corcora
~ l.llery has n great collection Of paintin
and statuAry. for the man interested {
etchings and engravings and origins
sketches, the congressional library has a
almost matchless collection. but the sec
ton OF graphic art OF the national museur
has every development OF art. from scratch
ings on bone to picture posters. II 20
are interested in art. so TO that secttio
and stay there.
Naval Exhibit Extensive.
- Just OF the graphic arts department o
q Sthe eastern side there is the naval exhibi
~ and here there is shown every means c
water transportation, from the hollow 10
canoe OF tho Alaska Indian TO the moder
ocean greyhound. The museum was som
time ago promised the models OF battl
ships and cruisers from the Navy depart
ment. and II is possible that they may
added TO this exhibit. but that has nc
been done yet.
To the south OF what is known as IN
great east hall the student OF paIeontolog
may fnd everything that Is included
that branch OF science There are fossil
from the earliest epochs. fianked on th
enc side by a rOomful Of reptiles an
hshes all cast from life and colored as
nature. and on the other by the depar
ment Of comparative anatomy, where thel
are skeletons OF every sort, from a huma
being 70 msgatharium. Some Of Il
snake skeletons in \thls department al
among the most beautiful pieces Of woI
to be found in any museum. The seotio
- casually known among the museu
employees as the bone yard" but IL
one OF the most beautiful collections OF 4
sort IN existence, and the student OF cor
parative anatomy. skeleton mounting
evolution could put in his two hours he
and look at nothing else.
This covers just half Of the museum.
mig Collection Sf Mammals.
Turning to the west side one is In Il
big south han that corresponds TO q
section OF American history, where o
FIRST enters This section for the tir
being is In confusion, and the hall Is rop
on from ordinary visitors. while 4
haturallEts mount the cast OF the