Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17

No part of the activities of the Ma
tioanl Museum has a more direct ana
appreciate bearing upon the everyday
affairs of the American people than II at
| of the department of geology. Particu-
| larry is this true of the divisions OF
physical and chemical geology and min
| eralogy. The studies tlat have been
| made at the National Museum in these
fields of inquiry have become most
important part OF the sciences OF min
eralogy and physical and chemical eeol-
ogy. Many of the text books of these
sciences are based largely u7on the
work of the National Museum. AMI no
recent text book has appeared without
having incorporated into it many evil
dences of the usefulness ef the work Of
the museum.
For many years the department of
geology has been under Inc direction of
DR.. George p Merrill. In the line of
economic geology he has done brilliant
work in gathering into compact form
much uncatalosued knowledge. Ever
since the census of 1880 he has been en-
gagged in a study of the qualities kinds
and output of building stone. giving par
tcular attention to the que stion of dur
ability. Through him the National Mu-
scum was the first institution in ATeri-
ca to undertake a systematic study Of
stone affected by conditions of cur
study was the publication of a National
Museum report covering all phases of
the question of building Stone-a report
which is regarded as the final authority
on the subject. In connection with the
work of ascertaining the weathering
qualities of stone, DR.. Merrill made d
series of Investigations regarding the
weathering of rocks in general. That
- r$,,1x -sxri,,e
and this in turn to the general subject
of rock and soils in the United States.
While engaged in this work. DR.. Mer-
rill became Impressed with the great
need Of
Gets Geological Surveys an an
Surplus Specimens. work on
the non-metallic minerals of the coun-
try. In the course of this study he has
gathered together great series of nom
metallic mineral specimens, and has built
up the finest, largest. and most sys-
temadc collection OF economic non
metallic minerals existing in any mu-
scum in the world His guide to the
study of these minerals, printed a
museum report, is one of the most wide
ly useful economic publications ever pub
lished by any museum. The National
Museum has perhaps more facilities for
building up its geological collections
than any other class of specimens. One
of the reasons for this is that the geo.
logical survey. which is engaged in a
most careful study Of the mineral de-
posts Of the United States, places all Of
it's surplus specimens in the museum.
The department of geology has one
Of the largest collections of meteor
ties in the world. 1t contains some 500
specimens. representing approximately
$50 distinct falls or finds. The most
notable specimens in this collection
are the historic Tucson meteoric iron.
the Allegan stony meteor, which fell
unique Bishopville stone. discovered in
184S A special effort has been made
to secure representations Of all Ameri-
can falls. though little attention is paid
to fragments too small for study.
The Allegan meteorite weighs thirty
Kilograms. There is also a copy Of the
Peary meteorite. weighing several tons
which fell in Greenland many years
ago. This is said to be the largest
celestial visitor which has ever been
discovered. although 1T is believed that
the crater at Canyon Diablo. Ariz is
not the result of volcanic action, but
was made by the fall of a giant me-
teorite, which has been buried far be-
low the surface. The fact that one
meteorite weighing 1900 pounds and
a large number of others of varying
weights have been found there seems
to bear out this theory. 1t is said
that the meteorite collection of the Ma
tional Museum is second only to that
Of the Government Museum in Vienna.
Tho collections in the department of
geology range from a huge meteoric
stone and the
Total Of Collection great skele-
Amounts to Millions. s s1a % an,ma 1
of antediluvian days. down to tiny
grains Of sand and minute teeth of
fossil mammals. The total number Of
specimens amounts to millions. and all
Of these are requisite for the purposes
of study by the geologist and mineral
ogist. If the whole collection, or even
major portion Of 1T, were placed on
exhibition, the result would be CON
fusion worse COMPOUNDED" for the lay
man visitor. He would be overwhelmed
by the mass OF apparent Implications.
and would go away disappointed. The
museum authorities have hit upon plan
of selecting only representative speci-
mems. typical of large classes, for eX-
hibition. These specimens are so ar
ranged that even a child may look at
them with profit.
One series of cases may contain
collection of all of the precious and
semi precious stones in existence An
other may contain collection of all
the different kinds of sand to be found
in the world. Here one may study
the different kinds of stone, from the
granite, formed far back in the
archaean age of the world. to the marls
formed so recently, geolog1cally speak
ing, as the plefStOcene age. Here is eX-
hibited a section of the Marengo cave
of Indiana, showing stalactites and
stalagmites caused by the dropping OF
water from above, just as the lclcle ana
the ice upon the ground below are
formed by the dropping of water from
the roof above.