90 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4i 



Captain, there is a marker on the tower model. It is around on this 

 side, on that lowest brace, the lowest brace that is marked. What does 

 that say ? 



Captain Albers. "Member detected broken January 6, 1961." 



Senator Stennis. That was the last broken structure, as I under- 

 stand it, that these divers found. That was found after it had al- 

 ready been decided to put in the additional cable bracing. 



Now, directing your attention to that and to the other facts that 

 you know about this matter from Hurricane Donna on, there is no 

 question that during that period, that is, from Donna onward in view 

 of the condition of the tower a highly dangerous situation existed, 

 especially at that time of year. Is that not correct ? 



Captain Albers. I agree, sir. 



Senator Stennis. And that you would not consider it structurally 

 sound at all from an engineering standpoint, if I use the right term ; 

 you would say, as an engineer as well as an individual, that it was 

 highly unsafe? 



Captain Albers. The tower was in danger of collapse if hit by a 

 storm of sufficient size. • 



Senator Stennis. If hit by just an ordinary winter storm ; it would 

 not have to be a September hurricane of Donna proportions. Is that 

 not correct? 



Captain Albers. Well, it went through a pretty good storm, as I 

 understand it, in December; what I would call an ordinary winter 

 storm it went through in December and it suffered additional damage, 

 but it did not fall down. 



Senator Stennis. And this storm that finally took it down was not 

 of Hurricane Donna's proportions, as I understand. It was just an- 

 other winter storm, is that correct ? 



Captain Albers. That is my understanding. The only description 

 I have seen is from the Air Force and that said it was of gale pro- 

 portions. 



Senator Stennis. I believe that is all I have. 



Thank you again, Captain. 



Counsel may have something. 



Mr. Kendall. I am a little confused about how much significance 

 you attached to the loss of the diagonals during the tow and the nec- 

 essary replacement of them. Do you view that as the beginning of 

 all the troubles and directly contributing to the resulting difficulties? 



COLLAPSE OF TOWER TRACEABLE TO INITIAL LOSS OF DIAGONAL BRACES 



Captain Albers. I do think that the difficulties they encountered in 

 installing that brace did contribute to the other difficulties, and even- 

 tually to the failure of the tower. 



Senator Stennis. Which brace. Captain ? 



Captain Albers. These two braces were lost, and they had to be 

 installed with a fitting that was installed under water, which I be- 

 lieve was designed correctly and every effort was made to install it 

 correctly. But it was not installed correctly because some of the 

 pins came out and it became loose. 



Mr. Kendall. In other words, that was sort of the point of no re- 

 turn. Someone had to make a decision then, either to erect it and 



