80 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



TOWER NO. 4 IN TROUBLE AT THE OUTSET 



Now, Captain, as I understand, you referred to Hurricane Donna, 

 and in agreement with Senator Jackson, it seems to me as a practical 

 matter that your troubles started with the tower before you got it up. 

 Two of these braces came loose during the tow. I believe you were not 

 there then ; you were not the officer in charge. You had already gone 

 to another assignment ? 



Captain Albers. That is correct, sir. 



Senator Stennis. But you have familiarized yourself with what 

 happened ? 



Captain Albers. To some extent ; yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Now, what does the fact that these braces broke 

 in putting this structure up, suggest to you ? That they were wrongly 

 put on, that something struck them ; or was it a wave, or just the strain 

 of being tilted? It seems to me that should have been a signal 

 that all was not well. What is your judgment of it? 



Captain Albers. Those braces were to be temporarily lashed in 

 place. I have no idea what these temporary lashings consisted of. I 

 would think that they were broken off, the temporary lashings were 

 broken off during the storm, which I underetand they encountered on 

 the way out. They did not break in the direction in which they were 

 designed to work. It was a long, loose member connected with the 

 pins, and it is just like bending your elbow in the wrong direction ; it 

 will break before it will move. 



Senator Stennis. Well, did that indicate any faulty structure, any 

 faulty design, or any faulty material ? 



Captain Albers. No, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Was not that a warning of more trouble to come 

 later? 



Captain Albers. I would not have taken it as such; no, sir. 



Senator Stennis. So you think that point can be ignored ? 



Captain Albers. It is according to what you mean by ignored. 



Senator Stennis. It was not a warning to you, a sign of any defect 

 of any kind ? 



Captain Albers. No, sir. 



Senator Stennis. \VTiat was it that caused you to put those addi- 

 tional bolts on ? Something had happened there. You came back and 

 tried to reinforce it with the collars that go around those big piers. 

 What was the reason for that ? 



Captain Albers. Tlie two diagonal braces were missing. They were 

 lost. 



Senator Stennis. Are these the ones that were pulled away? 



Captain Albers. Those were the two that were lost. 



Senator Stennis. Wliy was it necessary to put the collars on ? 



Captain Albers. Because when the pieces were lost, they bent the 

 connection plates to which the members were pinned. 



With this structure horizontal, and this brace [indicating] pinned 

 merely at one end, then it fell down and got the full weight of the 

 rod on it; it broke and bent the plates to which it was to be pinned. 



Senator Stennis. I see. 



Did you replace the braces which had been detached? 



Captain Albers. The braces that were broken off were replaced. 



