158 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4i 



be furnished. Also, since the Otis Air Force Base request for architect and engi- 

 neer authority did not mention funds, it is considered appropriate to mention that 

 the architect and engineer fee will probably approximate $30,000 based upon 

 the $500,000 construction estimate noted above. 

 With best personal regards. 

 Sincerely, 



T. J. White, 

 Captain (CEC) USN, District Puhlic Works Officer. 



MOTION DIFFICULTIES APPEAR RELATED TO ORIGINAL DESIGN 



Mr. Kendall. Let me read to you a portion of that letter, Captain, 

 and see if this not correct. You stated : 



I advised Colonel Cipolla that while I definitely did not wish to become 

 involved in problems of a purely maintenance nature on the Texas towers, 

 the motion diflSculty appeared to be related — 



and this is the important part — 



appeared to be related to the original design and for this reason I would look 

 favorably upon a request for the Navy to administer both the engineering and 

 repair contracts required for correction of the diflSculty. 



That is a direct quote from that letter, is it not ? 



Captain White. That is correct. 



Mr. Kendall. Will you tell the committee just what you meant by 

 the statement that the motion difficulty appeared to be related to the 

 original design? 



Captain White. If I can, I would like to quote from an earlier 

 sentence in that same letter. 



Mr. Kendall. Go right ahead. 



Captain White. I shall start at the beginning : 



Several weeks ago, Colonel Cipolla discussed with me the motion difficul- 

 ties being experienced by Texas tower No. 4. At that time, the basic cause 

 for the exaggerated motion was not definitely known. However, it was sus- 

 pected that it was probably due to motion of the underwater collars to which 

 the horizontal and diagonal bracing members are attached. 



In that context, I was referring to this bracing that had been in- 

 stalled at sea as a part of the repair work that has been discussed. 



Mr. Kendall. You considered that as a part of the original design? 



Captain White. The original design of this repaired bracing ; yes, 

 sir. 



Mr. Kendall. That was approximately 21^ years after the tower 

 had been turned over to the Air Force for operation ? 



Captain White. That is right, approximately. 



Mr. Kendall. And you are stating that the motion difficulty was 

 related to the original design ? 



Captain White. Based on the information that I had, yes, because 

 as I said earlier, the basic cause was not known. However, it was 

 suspected, and on that premise, that was the basis for my statement. 



Mr. Kendall. You did have information about the matter and had 

 had discussions about the tower, had you not ? 



Captain White. That is correct ; yes. 



Mr. Kendall. In the light of what you now know, do you still feel 

 that the tower motion was related to the original design? And I 

 am including the installation of the Dardelet bolts as part of the 

 original design. 



