COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 75 



for use on tower No. 4, and required some modifications. As of this 

 time, I have forgotten what his modifications were to be. 



Senator Jackson. What did they submit on No. 4 ? 



Captain Albers. They did not submit one on No. 4, sir. 



Senator Jackson. They did not submit a proposal on tower No. 4? 



Captain Albees. They submitted a bid proposal based on our de- 

 sign, which is this design. 



Senator Jackson. And their proposal was based on the design that 

 you had ? 



Captain Albers. That is correct, sir. That is our customary pro- 

 cedure. We furnish designs to the construction contractors. 



Mr. Kendall. I think we might be talking about two different 

 things here. I think the Senator is talking about what they sub- 

 mitted as a suggested design prior to the selection of the design engi- 

 neer? 



Senator Jackson. That is my question. 



Captain Albers. They submitted the same design we used on tower 

 No, 2, but it was not suitable for use on tower No. 4, because the legs 

 did not have any bracing in them. 



Senator Jackson. Well, did it not differ in any other from this one ? 

 Was it the same thing ? 



Captain Albers. This was the DeLong system that was discussed 

 before the A, & E. made his design. 



Senator Stennis. Was it three legs that they proposed? 



Captain Albers. Their system, I do not believe, went so far as to 

 the number of legs. Their system can be used on three or four or 

 more legs. 



Senator Jackson. Do you know what they proposed, whether it 

 was three or four legs ? 



Captain Albers. I think they proposed a multiplicity of legs, 8 or 

 10, if I remember correctly. 



Senator Jackson. That is different, then, from what we are talking 

 about here, and what later turned out to be the design for No. 4. 



Captain Albers. Yes. 



Senator Jackson. How many feet did they propose driving the 

 legs in ? 



Captain Albers. I do not know whether that is covered. 



It was not covered in that much detail, Senator. 



Senator Jackson. That was not proposed? 



Captain Albers. No, sir. 



Senator Jackson. Why did they select a firm that had not had ex- 

 perience in this particular area, as compared to someone who had 

 done the pioneering work ? 



Captain Albers. We wanted to evaluate all of the systems that were 

 then in existence and in the process of being developed, and then put 

 them out for competitive bids, which every contractor could bid on. 



Senator Jackson. Well, I am talking about design now. This is 

 the crucial question here, because it is apparent that the design failed. 

 Why did you select, and on what basis did you select, someone who 

 had not had experience in this area? 



It turns out that the one that collapsed was designed by someone 

 who had not had the experience. Did the DeLong firm build one of 

 these others that is still standing ? 



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