COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 83 



Senator Stennis, Well, there was a gradual deterioration of this 

 tower's stability, was there not ? 



Captain Albers. Yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Aiid after these things had happened the X-brac- 

 ing was installed which is shown in red on the tower model. You 

 have it very well marked there. 



Captain Albers. This is it that they put in ; yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Was that a sound step to take, in your opinion ? 



Captain Albers. I have not seen all the computations on them, but 

 I believe perhaps it was. 



X-BRACING above WATER INCREASED FORCES ON TOWER 



Senator Stennis. Under the conditions then existing, you think 

 that was a sound step to take ? 



Captain Albers. I think it was a sound step in the right direction. 



Senator Stennis. Well, it looks that way to me, but didn't that in- 

 crease the hazard to the tower because it obstructed the waves as they 

 passed through ? 



Captain Albers. It increased the forces on the tower ; yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. And therefore increased the hazard ? 



Captain Albers. It also increased the strength of the tower to resist 

 the forces. 



Senator Stennis. We shall get to that in a minute. Let us take it 

 one at a time. 



Part of your design was to keep the structure unobstructed, so that 

 water could pass through freely ? 



Captain Albers. Yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. But with this defective situation, the X-bracing 

 was installed and the immediate effect of that was to present more 

 resistance to the waves, and that increased the stress ? 



Captain Albers. That is correct. 



X-bracing also increased tower stability 



Senator Stennis. All right. Now, offsetting that to a degree, and 

 in part, the X-bracing did make the whole structure stronger ; is that 

 correct ? 



Captain Albers. That is correct, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Now, did one offset the other, did one equal the 

 other, or was one twice the other, in your judgment as an engineer ? 



Captain Albers. Senator Stennis, I do not believe I am qualified 

 to answer that without extensive study. 



Senator Stennis. All right. I know you are trying to answer. 

 Now, let us put it this way : As an engineer, are you convinced that it 

 did strengthen it ? Was the net gain greater than the added burden ? 



Captain Albers. I have read reports by qualified engineers that it 

 did increase the strength of the tower. 



Senator Stennis. What is your opinion about it ? 



Captain Albers. I think it is very likely that that is true. 



Senator Stennis. All right, you think it did more good than harm ? 



Captain Albers. That is right, sir. 



Senator Stennis. All right. 



