216 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



Senator Stennis. Pardon me just a minute. I hope I am not too 

 much wedded to our system, but the gentleman can testify directly 

 as to just what occurred. I believe we can understand it better if 

 we let him finish his story then go back and question him about any 

 points that we have in mind, Senator. 



Senator Saltonstall. I just wanted to understand a little better 

 what he was talking about, but that is all right. 



Senator Stennts. All right, Mr. Ran, if you would rather clear 

 up the question that the Senator has in mind you may do so. 



Mr. Rau. Well, actually the template floated on the A-B legs in 

 that position, and in upending, we flooded the buoyancy struts and 

 then the compartments in the legs at certain intervals to upend it 

 in this direction until we had finally had it upended completely in 

 a vertical position, at which time the bottom of the legs were some 

 15 feet, if I recall rightly, above the bottom of the ocean. 



It was then towed into position, and the last flooding valves opened, 

 and it was sunk down to the ocean floor. 



Senator Saltonstall. Which braces were broken? 



Mr. Rau. It would have been these two braces that were partly sub- 

 merged between the "A" and "B" legs, and between elevations minus 

 75 feet and minus 25 feet, these two. 



Finally, the weather cleared on the morning of July 6, and we 

 proceeded to upend the template. 



It was at the beginning of this upending that the other brace, which 

 I mentioned before was damaged the night of the 4th and the morn- 

 ing of the 5th, broke off completely and floated away. 



We upended the template, and had it completely upended by late 

 July 6, set it on the bottom of the ocean early Sunday morning, 

 July 7, and brought the platform in that afternoon, securing it to 

 the legs in the late afteiTioon, after which we fastened to the jacking 

 system, the platform, we fastened the jacking system to it during that 

 night, and started the next morning to jack the platform up on the 

 legs. 



A lot of the other procedures this committee, I know, has heard of, 

 and we have seen it in the pictures you showed la-st week. 



We completed the construction of this tower and turned it over 

 to the Navy, I believe it was, in November or late 1957. 



After inspecting, making an underwater inspection, to make sure 

 the pins and everything were satisfactory, we turned it over to the 

 Navy. 



Senator Stennis. Does that fuiish your statement ? 



Mr. Rau. Yes, sir ; it does. Senator. 



Senator Stennis. I just have one or two questions, and then I will 

 call on the other Senators. Some may have to leave, and we will let 

 the Senators ask their questions, and then counsel can cover tlie other 

 points. 



You referred to the fact that you had completed the structure. Does 

 that include the underwater repair that has been testified about? 



Mr. Rau. It included the replacing of the broken diagonals on the 

 A-B side. 



Senator Sitjnnis. I think you ought to explain. Some Senators 

 could not be here during all the heanngs. We have had that ex- 

 plained before, but I think you, as the man in chai^ of construction 



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