152 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



Senator Stennis. Well, now, let us see. That is in the record, is 

 it not? 



Commander Foster. Yes, sir. 



Senator Stexnis. Xo^Y, as I say, if the looseness of these pins did not 

 cause that deterioration and the tolerance to increase, what did? 



Commander Fostee. I would speak now strictly as an engineer. 



Senator Stexnis. Well, as a professional engineer, what is your 

 judgment? 



Commander Foster. Certainly what caused the clearance at any 

 time is wear, the pins against the plates or the plates against the pins. 



Senator Stexxis. All right. Now, I do not know, but if it had 

 been welded, you would not have had that rubbing and that wearing, 

 would you ? 



Commander Foster. Well, I would not expect — no, sir. 



Senator Stexxis. Well, that is the way it looks to me, and that 

 is the way it looks to you as a professional engineer ? 



Commander Foster. By saying that, sir, I do not wish to give 

 the impression that I do not believe that a pin-comiected tower can 

 be successfully built. But I would answer the question as I did. 



Senator Stexxis. I understand that fully, but it was my concept 

 that the welded connection does not permit the motion and the wear- 

 ing, while the other does. 



Mr. Counsel, do you have anything further ? 



Mr. Kexdall,. One or two more questions, Mr. Chairman, 



The fact of the matter i:>. Commander, that this is the type of 

 structure that if any brace failed to function as it should, then ex- 

 ceptional or additional stress would be thrown upon other braces, 

 is that not right ? 



Commander Foster. I believe you could say that generally about 

 any structure, Mr. Counsel. 



Mr. Kexdall. And if that upper diagonal did not woik as it should, 

 as apparently it did not, would not that cause the pin connection tO' 

 deteriorate ? 



Commander Foster. Theoretically, yes. But I must go back to 

 the report made in 1958, which certainly did not indicate that. It 

 indicated tliat the collar had been loose for some undetermined time, 

 but there was no apparent wear, or at least none mentioned. One 

 pin was loose and the brace was not taken up tight, but no wear was 

 indicated. 



Mr. Kexdall. Your position is not that because it showed no ap- 

 parent wear in one year, it did not happen sometime later, is it? 

 Commander Foster. Oh, no, sir. 

 Mr. Kexdall. That is all I have. 



Senator Stexxis. Just one more question. Commander. 

 Refer to page 4 of your statement, will you, please ? I shall read" 

 briefly one paragraph : 



After the legs and braces were in position and during tlie platform installa- 

 tion, injury in the form of perceptible denting or dishing occurred to the A and 

 B legs caused by the rubbing action of the platform against the legs due to sea 

 swells. These dents were in the nature of 10 inches deep — 



that means that the dents penetrated into the tower leg that much, is 

 that right? 



Commander Foster. Yes. 



