February 7, 1908.



Dr. Brauer,

Director of the Royal Museum of Natural History

Berlin, Germany

My Dear Colleague;-

Under separate cover I am sending you to-day plans for the bases which are intended to support the skeleton of the Diplodocus in your Museum. These plans have in the German language statements of dimensions and purposes. I take the liberty of also enclosing herewith plans of the bases which we have been requested to prepare for the National Museum in Paris. The authorities of the National Museum in Paris finding that the space which they had at their command was very limited, requested me to give to the tail of the Diplodocus a considerable curvature, and I have conformed with their request. I feel that this modification detracts somewhat from the impression which the specimen produces in the mind of the observer, and only adopted it in view of the exigencies of the case. Should it, however, be desirable for you to resort to a similar expedient for any reason whatever, I request you to notify me at once, so that the necessary changes which will have to be made in the disposition of the caudal vertebrae can be immediately undertaken. Presuming as I have that you wished no change to be made, I have already packed up the specimen that is intended for your Museum and I am ready to ship the same just as soon as you give me information as to how to consign the specimen. I have had an interview with the representatives of the North German Lloyd Line in New York and they have given me rates for transportation. They suggest that as this is a gift to the Emperor, and through him to the Nation, that transportation on the German railways will probably be free. Should this not be the case I will gladly pay whatever freight charges there may be from Hamburg to Berlin. The freight from Pittsburgh to Hamburg I shall probably prepay here, so that the goods when they arrive at Hamburg will not be held liable for any charges at that end of the line. Please indicate to me to whom in Hamburg I should consign the thirty-six boxes containing the specimen, and also to whom in Berlin the freight should be consigned, and to what depot you wish the goods to be forwarded. At my remove I cannot form a correct idea in reference to these matters. I beg you to give this your immediate attention.



In reference to the bases, I ask you to contract with some party whom you may choose to build these. Let the contract be made according to your customary methods, and I hold myself responsible for the payment either to the contractor or to you on his account of whatever the expense may be. It would be well, however, if having made the contract you would inform me what the amount that will be charged to the bases is liable to be, so that I may have when I arrive in Berlin the necessary funds at my command with which to make all these payments. You understand that the entire cost for the construction of the bases and of the installation is at the expense of Mr. Carnegie, who takes pleasure in making himself responsible through me for all payment on this account.



I wish particularly to call your attention to the fact that