84 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



What was the next step that happened between then and Hurricane 

 Donna, if you recall ? 



Captain Albers. I do not believe I have any more information on 

 that, Mr. Chairman. 



Senator Stennis. All right. Now, what is your opinion on this? 

 After you got the X-bracing installed and before Hurricane Donna, 

 what, in your opinion as an engineer, was the relative strength of the 

 tower compared to its strength when it was first erected, everything 

 considered? 



Captain Albers. I would say that it approached the original design 

 strength. 



Senator Stennis. Approached the original design strength. How 

 nearly did it approach it? "Was it approximately the same, 70 per- 

 cent, or 85 percent, as best you can tell ? 



Captain Albers. This is a pure guess. I would say 80 or 85 percent. 



Senator Stennis. You are guessing that it was 80 or 85 percent? 



Captain Albers. I have made no computations on this. 



Senator Si-ennis. With all due respect to you, I do not believe we can 

 travel on guesses, and you should be able to give us more in view of 

 your professional standing and prestige. Let us leave out that word 

 "guess," if you can. Do you have a professional opinion ? 



Captain Albers. No, sir. 



Senator Stennis. You were the man who handled this from its in- 

 ception. You followed it through to a certain point; you had official 

 duties ; you are well versed in the facts. Can you not do more than 

 guess ? 



Captain Albers. No, sir; I am not well versed in the facts. I do 

 not have the details. 



Senator Stennis. You have been acquainted with what developed 

 later. As in court, you have been given the hypothetical case, so to 

 speak. Now, you have been told what happened here later, and you 

 have discussed it verv^ intelligently. 



Captain Albers. It would take considerable study to put more than 

 an estimate on the percentage of these several modifications to them, 

 sir. I do not feel qualified to make a statement on that without com- 

 plete study. 



Senator Stennis. I am not going to press you for that. However, 

 with all of your knowledge and ability, and your knowledge of the 

 facts of tliis case, it seems to me that you would have something more 

 than a guess about the relative strength. You are an engineering 

 officer with a great deal of responsibility. Few engineering officers 

 could not give us an estimate on the relative strength after being ac- 

 quainted with the facts. 



Captain Albers. I was not connected with any particular part of 

 this work. There are counterbalancing factors involved. In one way, 

 it increases the forces; in another way, it increases the ability to with- 

 stand forces. I believe it would be beyond prudence as an engineer to 

 try to give vou more than a guess. 



Senator Stennis. All right, I respect your opinion. 



Now, added to all that we have been discussing. Hurricane Donna 

 came along. You are familiar with the approximate waves and 

 wind forces of Hurricane Donna and the stress this tower underwent 

 as a result, are you not ? 



