COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 53 



And they were consulted frequently on that phase of the work, 

 much as an architect would consult with the owner of a house which 

 he has built. 



Senator Saltonstall, "V^Hien did you turn Texas tower No. 4 over 

 to the Air Force, if you know ? 



Captain Albers. That was after my time, sir. I understand it was 

 in November of 1957. 



Senator Saltonstall. Was there any understanding while you were 

 in Boston of who was to maintain these towers ? 



Captain Albers. Could I answer that with respect to the towers 

 that I did build, sir ? 



Texas towers 2 and 3 we did build under this same type of arrange- 

 ment. They were accepted by the Air Force upon their completion, 

 and it was their understanding, to the best of my knowledge, that they 

 would maintain them. 



However, we, on a number of occasions, did continue to help them 

 with it in the procurement of materials, and so forth. 



Senator Saltonstall. So that the Navy, after it was turned over to 

 the Air Force and accepted by the Air Force, had no further respon- 

 sibility unless they were called upon by the Air Force ? 



Captain Albers. That is my understanding, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. Thank you, sir. 



Now, we will see the movie. 



(A motion-picture film on the construction of Texas tower No. 4 

 was then shown. Included here is the commentary accompanying 

 the film:) 



Commentary : In November of 1955 a contract for construction of two Texas 

 towers known as TT-3 and TT-4 was awarded to a joint venture made up of 

 J. Rich Steers and Morrison-Knudsen, Inc., the low bidder. 



The first one was constructed some 65 miles southeast of Nantucket in 80 

 feet of water. 



The second one, known as Texas tower No. 4, the construction of which you 

 will now witness, was constructed some 85 miles east of the New Jersey coast 

 in 185 feet of water. 



Both towers were fabricated and assembled in a shipyard in Portland, Maine. 



The platform, which you see in this view, is triangular in shape, some 200 

 feet on the side, and 20 feet high. 



It weighed approximately .3,600 tons. 



This platform had already been assembled in a drydock, floated, and towed 

 to this fitting out pier. 



You will notice some 600 tons of construction equipment being put aboard 

 to use on the construction site. 



Due to the excess of depth of water at the location of the tower it was neces- 

 sary to construct the legs, which we call the template, separate from the plat- 

 form. These legs were laterally braced and floated out as a separate unit. 

 They were assembled, as you see here, in a graving dock, each leg 310 feet long, 

 121/^ feet in diameter, and 450 tons in weight. 



On the upper end of each leg was installed a jacking tower which supported 

 the cables on which the platform was later jacked up. 



At the bottom of these legs was constructed a caisson 25 feet in diameter 

 and 20 feet in height. You can see here the construction of the jetting system 

 which was installed to facilitate the sinking of these caissons into the ocean 

 floor. 



In order to erect the one leg known as the "C" leg, some 135 feet in the air, 

 it was necessary to erect four guide derricks which you see are being erected 

 at this time in another graving dock. 



After the three legs were completely assembled in the one graving dock, the 

 dock was flooded and the legs floated into an adjacent dock in which the guide 

 derricks had previously been assembled, the "C" leg being positioned between 

 the guide derricks. 



