COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 23 



CONTKACTS FOR INSPECTION OF TEXAS TOWERS NOS. 2 AND 3 



Mr. Charyk. Yes. The 1st Naval District has contracted with the 

 Hinchman Corp. for inspection of the corrosion control system on 

 each of the towers, 2 and 3. They have also awarded a contract to 

 Moran, Proctor, Mueser & Kutledge, and as a subcontract to them, 

 the New York Testing Laboratory is undertaking an examination of 

 the high stress areas above and below the water level, using magnaflux 

 and other techniques. This above-water inspection, I believe, has 

 been completed, and the below-water inspection is to be accomplished 

 in the next month or so. 



It is my understanding also that no faults or weaknesses have been 

 revealed in the inspections that have been conducted to date. 



The 1st Naval District has also awarded a contract to Moran, 

 Proctor, Mueser & Kutledge to reexamine and to recalculate the struc- 

 tural strength of these towers, based upon a reexamination of the wind 

 and the wave phenomena in light of current experience. 



Mr. Kendall. The Moran, Proctor firm, were the original design 

 engineers ; were they not ? 



Mr. Charyk. They were the original firm involved. 



Mr. Kendall. So the Navy selected the original design engineers 

 to make this computation of the safety of the remaining towers ? 



Mr. Charyk. That is correct. 



Mr. Kendall. Do you think that is good judgment. Doctor? 



Mr. Charyk. I would personally feel that it would be better to get 

 an independent judgment in the matter. 



Mr. Kendall. Thank you. 



Senator Stennis. Wliat was your question on that ? 



Mr. Kendall. I asked him if he thought it was good judgment to 

 select the original design engineers to make the safety inspection of 

 the remaining two towers. 



Senator Stennis. I see. All right. 



Senator Symington? 



REASON FOR SELECTION OF ORIGINAL ARCHITECT ENGINEERS TO MAKE 



INSPECTIONS 



Senator Symington. Well, pursuing that, I ask this question very 

 frankly : 



First, let the record show I have never discussed this matter with 

 any military or civilian member of any of the services. But by going 

 back to the people who built it, designed it and built it, in effect you are 

 recognizing that there were not many people in the Air Force who 

 understood the subject ; were you not ? 



Mr. Charyk. Well, I think at the time of our request for inspection, 

 time was of the essence. In other words, if repairs had to be effected, 

 which it was pretty clear would be the case, prompt action would 

 have to be taken to effect this work before the hurricane season. 



As a matter of fact, working directly with the people who had been 

 intimately involved, it took until August to effect the repairs, and 

 Donna arrived a month later. So I feel that in retrospect, had we 

 gone to a complete new organization at that time, it would not have 

 been possible to effect a redesign and repairs prior to the hurricane 

 season in 1960. 



