The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-11-03
The Geological Museum Of the South
Dakota School Of Mines.
By Prof Ceophas G. oHana, in the October "Aurum"

feature in the equipment of the South
Dakota School Of Mines. Thus fart rec
from any tendency to become a storehouse
for "curiosities" its collections nave a
definite value in the teaching of the sub
jects which they illustrate, namely, geology
mineralogy, Photography, %paleontoloy and
physical geography.
The museum is conveniently situated on
the first floor of the main building, on the
west side to the right Of the main entrance.
The room is a commodious one, thirty-six
by forty-seven feet with a twelve foot cell
ing. 1t is heated by steam, is lighted by
ten good windows and is wired for %electri-
city allowing for night use should such be
desired.
The cases for the display Of specimens are
of two kinds, flat cases and upright cases
or better center cases and wall cases.
There are eight Of the former and two Of
the latter. The eight center cases are iden-
teal. Each consists of two parts, a three
compartment, glazed top and a six-com-
partment massive base, the whole con-
structed in such a manner as to serve
practically as two sections fitting tightly and
evenly to each other back to back. All
finishing is in oak. The bases are nine
feet four inches long and four feet three
inches wide, exclusive Of base board, and
thirty inches high. The glazed top has a
depth along the side Of eight inches and
along the center a depth Of twelve inches
making the total height Of the case along
the center forty-two inches and along the
side thirty-eight inches. The top extends
beyond the base a distance Of three inches
at the sides and four inches at the ends.
This gives a display surface under glass of
nearly fifty square feet for each case.
The base,is especially arranged for the
storage Of material not needed on constant
exhibition. Each ease is finished in panel
there being three panels on either side all of
which are removable. Behind the remov-
able panels there are double compartments
of drawers, each double compartment
holding ten drawers. The drawers are
twenty-one inches long from front to back,
fifteen and one half inches wide and three
inches deep inside measure. There are
C1-AOJ oICNO1S III CoCl CCGSO IL u UOUdl Il
four hundred and eighty drawers IN the
room. The drawers are READILY accessible.
One insert lock on the panel serves for an
entire double compartment of ten drawers
and the drawers being hidden from view
behind the panel finish when not in use, in
no way influences the decorative effect Of
the room. Each drawer and each drawer
space are SO numbered chat any drawer if
misplaced among other drawers may be re-
turned without difficulty or uncertainty to
its proper position.
The wall cases are finished in pine, have
glazed doors and like the center cases, are
neat in appearance. Each is seven feet
six inches high and contains three double
doored compartments Of six shelves eleven
inches deep. These cases are particularly
adapted for the display Of large specimens.
One of the cases is twelve feet long, the
other fifteen feet six inches. They are
placed alongside the double doorway lead
ing into the room.
The collections are arranged according to
a definite plan. The center cases are num-
bered in consecutive order beginning with
No. l in the southwest corner and continue
ing in such manner that the odd numbers
are all on the west side. Cases 1, 2 and 3
contain a general collection Of minerals al.
ranged according to Dana's system of classi-
fcation. Case Nod contains a series of
typical rock specimens from many home
and foreign localities and a series Of speci-
mems to illustrate various features of phe-
nomenal geology. Case No. 5 contains a
collection of well preserved fossils carefully
selected to show the more prominent
features Of paleontologic interest. This
material is new to the museum it having
been added by purchase only a. few weeks
ago. Case No. 6 is reserved solely for
Black Hills ores and rocks and Casa No 9