Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-26

make the specimen here of almost price,
less value. and the utmost care has to be
taken in moving it to insure its reaching
its new home unbrOken. 1t measures
nineteen feet in all, the skull being about
six and half feet long. The total weight
is about two tons, the skull alone weigh
ing about nine hundred pounds. Over the
hips 1t measures eight feet in height.
This specimen was found in the upper
cretaceous bed of Converse county, East
wyoming, in 1891. by the late j. E.
Hatcher, who was then working under
the direction of Prof. .. c. Marsh. for
merly chief paleontolOgst of the United
States.
A staging will have to be built around
this specimen in order TO remove it
piece by piece. These parts will be
carried over to the new building with
the utmost care, and the skeleton will be
put together again by means of another
scanolding. Some idea can be obtained
as to what IL means TO move the collec-
ton when it is realized that taking down.
moving and Resting this one specimen
will consume the best part of a month
or SIX weeks. II will be reset by G. w.
Gilmore. custodian of the fossil reptiles of
the division OF vetebrate paleontoogy,
who put it together in the first instance.
Next in Importance To the triceratops
comes the skeleton OF the sulphorbottom
whale, which was taken near Balena
whaling station, Hermitage bay, on the
south coast of Newfoundland in 1903.
The difficulty in moving this is its length
and weight rather than it's deicacy, as
not being theskeleton of a fossil mammal,
the bones are intact. The skeleton meas
ures seyenty-fi feet. nineteen Of which
constitute the length OF the lower Jaw
Before cleaning the skeleton weighed
about three tons. the skull bein. about
one. AT present this skeleton is suspend
ed from the ceiling of the room in which
il is exhibited. \ long beam is first set
IN place and then the skeleton suspended
on this IN order not to overtaX the
strength OF the ceiling itself Iron shafts.
first coated with .paraifin to prevent rust
ARE run through the vertebrate to hold ii
IN place with powerful shaft running
through the skull Before this can be nut
on exhibition at the new building the
beam Will have TO be set. Then the
skeleton will be lowered from its present
place, taken TO pieces and ca rred over
The head VIII be left intact but tie YER
tebrae will be MADE into several sections
and the ribs taken off When il reaches
Its destination the body viii be put to-
gether again before setting in place
After the body is hoisted the head will
be put up and attached About :. week
VIII be required in which 20 complete this
work.
The sulphorbottom whale is but one OF
a number of skeletons all OF which will
nave 10 ne handled in similar manner
In this section there are also numberless
specimens OF other animals. together with
several or human beings The elephants
and others Of ike size may possibly be
moved whole, out il Is more than prob
able that they. too. will have to he dis
menDeied Other specimens in this di-
vision include those o. snakes. bats par
rots and an almost endless list OF small
animals. The bones OF these. especially
in the case of the snakes are so delicate
tat the slightest jar would break them
and for this reason all OF them will have
To be carried TO the new building by
hand. Only those who are particularly
capable in handling fragile objects will
be allowed to do the work. and all of it
vision of the head of that particular
branch of work
The most difficult of the exhibits in the
totem poles. These are great trees. cary
ed into grotesque shapes by the Alaskans
and set before their doors Oftentimes
they rise to a considerable height. have a
number Of large figures carved upon them
and are painted with fantastic colors In
the collection at the museum there are
eight. the tallest teing forty-five feet
These have already been removed from
the old building and lie now in the main
entrance way OF the new building. They
are to be put on the first exhibition floor.
at the end Of the center hall or at the
south end
The difficulty encountered in moving
these poles lies neither in their delicacy
nor weight. but in their excessive length
The hall in which they are to stand II