COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 185 



side — they were endeavoring to put some cables on the outside. At 

 the time the tower collapsed, they were in the process of grouting the 

 A and B caissons. I believe the work predominantly had dealt with 

 A caisson. 



Senator Stennis. I know they were endeavoring to put the cables 

 on there, but they never did get to that, did they ? 



Mr. Crockett. No, sir. 



OPPORTUNITIES FOR ErFECTI\^ REPAIRS 



Senator Stennis. I am talking about the time element now, and 

 whether or not there was a chance to make the repair. It seems clear 

 to me that this thing continued on for a period of 2, 2i/2, or 3 years, 

 without anything effective being done with reference to the original 

 trouble with these braces and Dardelet bolts. 



Now, further, I understood you a while ago to say that when you 

 discovered this serious situation had developed, you advised that the 

 repairs be made below the water at this original trouble spot rather 

 than the X-braces being installed above the water ; is that not correct ? 



Mr. Crockett. That is correct. However, I was not in a position 

 at the time to advise or be consulted as a consultant with regard to 

 this particular operation, sir. 



Senator Stennts. Well, I know, but that was your opinion. 



Mr. Crockett. That was my opinion, which I so stated. 



Senator Stennis. And instead of making a serious attempt to make 

 further repairs below the water, they installed the X-bracing above 

 water ? 



Mr. Crockett. This was done by people who were better versed 

 than I in the construction field. I am not a civil engineer, sir. 



Senator Stennis. I understand, but you have given us the benefit 

 of your opinion. 



I do not know just how the engineers and you gentlemen in that 

 profession use the term "act of God." I have heard that used a good 

 deal in this investigation, and I have a very great reverence for acts 

 of God in law. I am a lawyer myself, and I have some idea what it 

 means there. But it seems to me that to write this off as an act of 

 God is falling far short of the mark. God had a good deal of help 

 in this. 



Mr. Crockett. I think He did, but I think He generated several 

 of these hurricanes out here, perhaps, that gave us the initial push. 



Senator Stennis. Well, of course, the hurricane or storm, at the 

 time of collapse, would, in law be classed as an act of God. 



Mr. Crockett. I would like, Mr. Chairman 



Senator Stennis. Please say anything you want to say, we are 

 trying to get information the best we can. 



Mr. Crockett. You made the statement that this thing was kind 

 of aggravated over a period of 2 or 3 years. I would like to say that 

 after completion of the installation of the T-bolt connection author- 

 ized by the district public works office in Boston, it was my feeling 

 that the tower was within its bounds of original stability. We felt 

 that we had no adverse motion in the pin connections, with the excep- 

 tion of the one that was withdrawn slightly, and it is a possibility that 

 the pin was just not split sufficiently to make it keep intact. But this 



