78 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



Hurricane Donna when we had these big waves. It was severely dam- 

 aged, but the tower did not fall down in Hurricane Donna, when it 

 got its most severe test. 



Mr. Kendall. It was subjected to successive damage, and appar- 

 ently increasing deterioration, was it not ? 

 Captain Albers. Would you repeat that, sir ? 



Mr. IvENDALL. I said it was subjected from its inception to succes- 

 sive damage and increasing deterioration, was it not ? 



Captain Albers. I do not know that of my own knowledge. 



Mr. Kendall. You know the history of what has been done out 

 there. Wliat would that suggest to you as an engineer ? 



Captain Albers. It would suggest that they have had considerable 

 difficulty with the braces on the A-B side. 



Mr. Kendall. So you would say it is at least within the realm of 

 possibility that the original design was faulty or inadequate, would 

 you not ? 



Captain Albers. No, I shall not agree with that. 



Mr. Kendall. You would not say that is even a possibility? 



Captain Albers. It could be a possibility, yes. 



Mr. Kendall. Well, would it be a possibility that the tower was not 

 built up to design specifications? 



Captain Albers. I do not think so. 



Mr. Kendall. You do not think that is a possibility ? 



Captain Albers. Well, I 



Mr. Kendall. Well, is it possible that the tower, after being built, 

 was subjected to stresses and forces that were not taken into considera- 

 tion in the original design ? 



Captain Albers. Hurricane Donna was in excess of the original 

 design criteria. 



Mr. Kendall. And in that case, it would indicate some faults with 

 the design, would it not? 



Captain Albers. With the design criteria; yes, sir. I have men- 

 tioned that. 



Mr. Kendall. The design is based on the criteria ? 



Captain Albers. That is correct. 



Senator Jackson. Was not this tower in trouble before Hurricane 

 Donna ? Donna is getting a lot of blame here, but I thought this tower 

 had some problems before Hurricane Donna. 



Captain Albers. I understand there were some problems, Senator. 



Senator Jackson. So if it is predicated on Donna, Donna being 

 beyond the specifications, it would occur to me that there was some 

 question as to the feasibility of this design, forgetting about Hurricane 

 Donna. 



Captain Albers. Senator, all of the troubles that they had were 

 on one side of the tower. On the other two sides of the tower, there 

 were no troubles. 



Senator Jackson. Was not there some serious trouble prior to 

 Donna last fall? 



Captain Albers. There was excess motion ; yes, sir. 



Senator Jackson. Was it not called Old Shaky or something ? 



Captain Albers. Yes, sir. 



Senator Jackson. Well, I understand that in July 1958, that there 

 were complaints by operating personnel of considerable platform 



