92 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



Senator Stennis. I want the record to reflect what you were 

 pointing to. 



Captain Albers. The lower diagonal brace. 



Senator Stennis. The lower diagoiial brace on that particular leg? 



Captain Albers. The one that was reported broken on January 6. 



Senator Stennis. Is that when they first found it? 



Captain Albers. That is when it was reported broken. 



Senator Stennis. Now, at that time, that meant that other braces 

 above that one were broken. Is that right ? Did you say that ? 



Captain Albers. These are the ones, as I understand it. Two of 

 these had been broken during Donna, and I understood that this had 

 been broken after Donna. It says so. 



When you break one member of this assembly, you lose most of 

 the effectiveness of the four members. 



Senator Stennis. To be certain now that I understand you, so far 

 as that pier is concerned, when it was discovered that the bottom brace 

 was broken, that meant that the other braces were ineffective? 



Captain Albers. You have very little strength for a force applied 

 in this direction. 



Senator Stennis. You mean as far as that pier is concerned? 



Captain Albers. Both this pier and this one ? 



Senator Stennis. Is that so ? Well, if there was no bracing at all 

 as far as that pier was concerned, from that direction, it left it in 

 almost the same situation as your other towers, where you just had 

 the pier standing there unbraced. Is that right, sir? 



Captain Albers. Yes, that is correct, but these legs were not de- 

 signed for that, sir. 



Senator Stennis. I know they were not. And tower No. 4 at that 

 time had the added burden that the resistance of the X-bracing would 

 still present to waves ? 



Captain Albers. That is right, sir. I am sure they knew they were 

 in very critical condition when this material was broken. I am sure 

 they knew they were in critical condition after Donna, when just two 

 of them were broken. 



Senator Stennis. So from September 1960, at the time of Donna, 

 until it collapsed, in your opinion, they were in critical condition ? 



Captain Albers. That is correct, sir. 



Senator Stennis. I think your opinion is very worthy, as a profes- 

 sional engineer, and your frankness is very valuable, and very sincere. 

 You are to be commended, sir. 



Captain Albers. Thank you. 



Senator Stennis. Any other questions ? 



Mr. Kendall. No, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Is there any other testimony this afternoon ? 



Mr. Kendall. No, sir. 



Senator Stennis. Captain, I regret very much that I was away 

 when your testimony commenced. It was certainly not any lack of 

 appreciation for you and your staff. 



Captain Albers. These are not my staff, sir. They are here to keep 

 me out of trouble. 



Senator Stennis. All right. 



There is an old saying that you should not ever interrupt a man, 

 Captain, while he is paying you a compliment. I was trying to com- 

 pliment you and those who were with you. 



