CONCLUSION

At the present hour (January 1, 1924) the future of the Zoological Park is not rose-colored. We are wondering what the future has in store for it. These are days of swift and great changes. These three questions arose three years ago, and they are yet unanswered:

(1) Are the people who made the Zoological Park,—as private givers of time and money, and public-taxpayers,-going to support it on a satisfactory scale of merit and efficiency? (2) Must it continue as the crippled child of New York institutions, living from hand to mouth, and begging from day to day for the means by which to exist? (3) Is the reputation that it has achieved, as the undisputed leader of the world's zoological parks and gardens, to be maintained unimpaired and increased, or not?

Thus far the Board of Estimate never has voted even one of our annual budgets for repairs! The appreciation of two and one-half millions of visitors is extremely gratifying, and the compliments of admiring friends are all very excellent to have and to hold, but it takes money to meet monthly bills and payrolls, and nothing but cash will pay for repairs. If our cash income limps or halts in these our first flush days of youth, what will happen to the Zoological Park when it begins to show the pallor of old age?

This is one answer:

The City of New York must make some of these repairs; and the Zoological Society must have the full $2,000,000 of new endowment money that was called for on January 8, 1922, or New York's famous Zoological Park will from this time henceforth go backward instead of forward.

REPORT OF THE

DIRECTOR OF THE AQUARIUM

By CHARLES H. TOWNSEND

HE principal matter to be reported upon for the year 1923

Tis the impro macet of the Aquarium building

is the improvement of the Aquarium building. This included the completion of repairs to the roof of the Aquarium proper, commenced in December, 1922, and the construction of a third story at the front or office section of the building, commenced in August, 1923, and still in progress.

The object of the latter improvement is to provide more space for administrative purposes, and a new location for certain mechanical equipment, principally large distributing tanks, originally placed at the rear of the building. The pumping and heating plants having previously been removed to the front basement at the expense of the Zoological Society, the City undertook the construction of the third story. Upon its completion the balance of the machinery will be moved forward and the space thus vacated at the rear converted into exhibition tanks. This will permit of an important increase in the living collections, a matter of decided interest to the public, which visits the Aquarium to the number of about two millions of persons a year.

The enlargements now in progress, together with certain minor improvements being effected in the mechanical equipment, will result in a general increase in efficiency.

A large public aquarium is much more than the simple exhibition hall of water-filled tanks, as generally regarded by its visitors. Its equally large but unseen side consists of a complicated pumping, filtering, heating and cooling plant, connected with several different water systems all in active operation day and night, which when shown occasionally to visitors seldom fails to elicit expressions of surprise.

REBUILDING THE FRONT WALL OF THE SECOND STORY: N. Y. AQUARIUM

The charred ends of the roof beams may be seen above the heads of the bricklayers.

Photograph by M. Rosenfeld.

Its operation is decidedly complicated, some of the employes serving in eight-hour watches, guarding pumps, filters, taking temperatures and constantly observing the flow of water. Accidents affecting the various water systems are liable to result in immediate losses of living exhibits.

The staff of the Aquarium looks forward with lively interest to the completion of the improvements calculated further to safeguard the thousands of living creatures in their care.

At the close of the year we find the third story nearly ready for its roof, the erection of the walls having been delayed several times owing to defects found in the supporting walls of the old second story. The difficulties encountered having been largely overcome, we may expect more rapid progress. With the roof in place, the delays hitherto caused by wintry weather will be avoided.

Dangerous Condition of the Old Second Story:-Plans for the third story now in process of erection, were prepared by McKim, Mead & White, architects, and presented to the City by the Zoological Society. The cost of the plans exceeded $3,000. The work is being done under the direction of the Commissioner of Parks. The contract for construction, amounting to $62,000.00, was awarded to the Thomas A. Reilly Co., on August 29, and work was commenced at once. A further contract for plumbing, amounting to $700.00 was awarded to John Thomas, a few days later.

The work of the contractor had not proceeded far until it was discovered that the walls of the second story were unsafe. The front wall overhanging the entrance had been built on timbers laid on top of the original heavy wall constituting the first story. These timbers having disintegrated, the top of the wall was found to be leaning outward about three inches, thus endangering the approach to the building. It was immediately condemned by the Superintendent of Buildings, and the Board of Aldermen provided a fund of $9,000. for its removal, reconstruction, and the replacing of its charred wooden roof timbers with steel girders.

Further examination revealed a serious settling of the east wall, which was also condemned and replaced. These and other minor proceedings of a similar nature, naturally served