Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15

t0tS IN plan 10 COnouCt prellinlIlaT.
Survey for the erection of the world:
Greatest museum building on Govern
hnent property in the Mall.
The institution and its multifariou:
activities have saturated existing build.
lngs with so many collections and feels
% hampered in its work that eXpan-
Zion of its facilities is inevitable.
Besides administering control over
The United States National Museum
National Geological Gardens and assist
Ing in the work of other Government
agencies, the institution feels charged
with the responsibility laid upon it by
Its founder, James SmithSon, namely,
"to increase and diffuse knowledge
fields of research beckon, the storage
facilities for collections are inadequate
valuable manuscripts await publication
and scientific men all over the coun-
try await published results, but lack of
funds ard facilities thwart the work.
Plans for the new museum. which
will be devoted largely to a depletion Of
the development of American industry.
had their inception some years ago.
when regents OF the institution did not
think it wise to consult Congress.
group OF citizens offered the museum
valuable industrial collection TO be
&IuSl ~ kIkG SRlidtA t4GNtEuS AAAC0A9
semhled. The offer was refused by the
museum. mainly because space in the
buildings was not available and the
overflow was already cluttering up side
walks on the institutions grounds.
America. the birthplace of industrial
eaechaniEatioil, has no suitable museum
to show the intricate development Of
its might among nations Vienna,
Austria, and Leipzig. Germany, possess
fine industrial museums, but the me-
ehanical romance in this Nation would
be far more interesting.
Aside from the SmithSonian'S present
collection dealing with the history of
American transportation, there is moth
Ing in the Republic to trace its develop
nent in the past few years! The Bal
fimore g. Ohio Railroad Co, in its great
Fair of the Iron Horse" at Baltimore,
traced rail transportation, and not long
after the exhibition offered the WASH
1ngtoa museum the whole collection.
considered extremely valuable and
brought together at tremendous cost.
Refusal was imminent. There is no
space
Foreseeing such development, Smith
eonian officials have conceived tentative
plans for a museum building to be
erected in rear Of the present site. on
ground lying between Seventh street
and Eleventh street. The halls of this
new structure or structures would be
great enough 10 accommodate the most
modern types of steam and electric To-
eonotiveS as well as fully assembled
Airplanes
In aerial transportation. Smithsonian
already has the finest and most COM
plete collection anywhere. 1t has the
original Langley models. Liiienthal's
aD NJ we
helicopter and part of the famous NC-4. |
nrst airplane to cross the Atlantic. But
there Is such vast clutter of aviation
machines in the ugly storage structure
now set aside for their exhibition that
specimens overhang and overlap each |
other
Lindbergh's plane is hung high, where
Il Is hard to Judge the spread Of is
Slvery wings. And the NC-4 Is repre-
scented only in part. because its com.
plete structure is too large for the mu.
scum Only the planes hull is II
washington. the rest Of 1t Is in Stor-
ege in Philadelphia
In the industrial museum II is planned
% exhibit the original models of all the
ep0chal machines that have contributed
toward Americas industrial supremacy,
Although Washington Is no great In
dustFiai center. It Is the focusing spot
for all national activities and. hence. is
considered the logical site for such
museum, Besides. Smithsonian Instf-
tutfcn ENJOYS scientific contacts of 80
years standing and its machinery for
collecting is in constant motion. For
all who marvel over this Nations swift
growth and utilization OF power ma
chimes. the new museum win be o
shrine.
And who is not concerned with trans
portation? America. setting the pace In
au'omotive locomotion. cnaild assemble
collection that would be the wonder and
envy OF the age.
A GROUP of retired naval officers n
actively promoting interest in a
museum embracing exhibits OF nau-
teal progress and naval equipment. A
real need is felt for such an institu~
ton. IL for no other reason than TO
develop an incentive for seamanship
among the Nations youth Today.
there Is no gathering place, no ship
ping center Of harbor where the pub
lie Is freely admitted and acquainted
With the startling advances made In
navigation. Every one is interested
in the submarine, but how many peo-
pie actually have seen one?
All the large engineering and scien-
tific societies have underwritten this
plan for an ustrial-transportation
museum. II IL materializes, the Capt.
tai VIII hold the worlds premier indus
trial collection. as well as the salient
devices responsible for advances in
terrestrial. marine and aerial trans
porfation
The United States National Museum
IS All outgrowth of private activity. In
the charter granted 10 the Smithsonian
institution by Congress in 1S46. it was
ordered TO erect a building with suit
able rooms or halls for the reception
ard arrangement upon liberal scale,
of natural history objects. including
geological and meteorological cabinet"
In this way Congress ahouldered the
responsibility for the National Museum
on snithsonian's funds. Out OF the
accumulated interest Of James Smith
sons gift. building was erected TO
house the national collections. For IL
years the salaries Of the curators and
the expense Of the museums care
came cut Of the institutions $50 900
annual income. and IL was "a years
later, IN 1870 before the Government
bagan 10 assist materially In the Sup
port Of the National Museum.
Meanwhile. Secretary Joseph Henry
end Assistant Secretary Spencer r.
Baird. In charge OF the museum. raised
this public institution 10 the foremost
position in the country. For the North
American continent, It's collections were
nnequsled. Baird was responsible for
this eniinence
Coming coincident With the period Of
great western expansion, the National
Museum received benefits that would
rot have accrued later. To wit, after
I342. the Government began a far
eresae a4 llzs4sa Aa
commissions military expeditions and
surveying parties constantly left
Washington for iittle-known regions of
the West Tifatlscontinental railroads
also were being planned. Al Baird's
suggestion, the Smithsonian brought in