54 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



After positioning, the leg was raised from 6 feet above the water surface and 

 held there while the other two legs were brought into position and the struts 

 connected between them. 



The struts used to connect the legs were 24 and 30 inches in diameter, except 

 for the one at the lower end, which was used as a buoyancy strut, and was 6 

 feet in diameter. 



Senator Saltonstall. Mr. Chairman, without stopping the movie, 

 couldn't somebody be there to point out these things on this model 

 when they are mentioned ? 



Captain Albers. May I do that, sir ? 



Senator Stennis (now presiding). That would be helpful. 



Commentary : In order to erect the leg it was necessary to put a temporary 

 strut in position. This strut was made up of structural shapes, which you can 

 see in the foreground of this picture. 



After the two legs were securely fastened, the third leg or "C" leg was then 

 raised to its final height of 135 feet. 



At the present time, the buoyancy struts, which were 6 feet in diameter, are 

 being installed. 



After the "C" leg was raised to its final position, the struts were then con- 

 nected between the two lower legs and the "C" leg, making one complete unit 

 some 310 feet long, 1.55 feet in height, and weighing 1,800 tons. 



In order to upend the template on the site it was necessary to install a control 

 platform which hung from one end of the "C" leg. 



This platform, which you can see, was 20 feet by 30 feet, and housed the 

 controls necessary to flood the buoyancy compartments. 



In order to familiarize ourselves with the action of the template during the 

 upending operations, we made a model to a scale of 1 to 25, and used this to 

 practice with prior to sailing time. 



Senator Saltonstall. What is making that model float now ? 

 Captain Albers. The air in the structural tubes that make up the 

 tower. 



Commentary : After months of preparation, the template was finally completed 

 and the tow to the site began. 



Since this structure was fabricated in Portland, Me., it was necessary to 

 tow both the template and platform some 350 miles through ocean storms to the 

 site, which took approximately 7 days. 



During this tow we had five men aboard the template control platform to 

 assure the security of the template. 



Two oceangoing tugs were used to tow the template, as well as two tugs in 

 towing the platform itself. 



It must have presented an odd sight for any passing steamship to observe 

 such odd-shaped structures at sea. 



In order to facilitate construction, we installed two 3,900 Matador crawler 

 cranes, each with a capacity of 45 tons, as well as the permanent gantry crane, 

 which had a capacity of 25 tons. 



Finally, after 7 anxious days of towing through the Atlantic, we arrived at 

 the site some 85 miles due east of the New Jersey coast. 



We waited several days for the sea to calm down, and then decided to start 

 operations in upending the template. 



We took a day to prepare the template for upending, and set the time early 

 the following morning for the beginning of the actual flooding operations. 



Senator Saltonstall. Captain, this is the long 



Captain Albers. You are looking at the bottom which is fastened 

 down. 



Commentary: During upending, finally, when we decided to start the upend- 

 ing operation, the control house is cut loose from its supiK)rts and permitted to 

 swing freely. 



The first valves were opened at 7 o'clock one morning. The template gradually 

 inclined until the bottom end of the "C" leg finally touched the water some 

 5 hours later. 



