256 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 



Senator Saltonstall. Go ahead. 



Mr. EuTLEDGE. I would like to make it clear that the reason for 

 this, and I believe Mr. Kiiss' figures are based on this, is that the A-B 

 side replacement braces — between minus 25 feet and minus 75 feet — 

 these were believed to be somewhat ineffective, which made this upper 

 bracing, we felt, necessary. 



Senator Saltonstall. So that you believed that the upper bracing 

 that was put in would be satisfactory to keep the tower safe? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. On the basis that the two replacement Ijraces were 

 not doing their job. 



Senator Saltonstall. Let me ask you this question : 



You mentioned Captain Clai-k of the Bureau of Yards and Docks. 

 He refused to allow a bid on the DeLong design. Is that a correct 

 understanding of your testimony ? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. He stated that he refused to allow any alternate 

 to the plans and specifications. 



Senator Saltonstall. So that Captain Clark of the Bureau of 

 Yards and Docks, who is the superior officer, as I understand it, of 

 Commander Albers and Captain Wesanen, accepted your design as the 

 design that he believed, as a representative of the Nav}', was the proper 

 design for this tower, No. 4 ? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. Yes, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. And there were no other designs considered, 

 so far as you loiow, except yours ? 



OPEN BIDDING ON DESIGN 



Mr. Rutxedge. Sir, this design was put out for open bidding. 

 There were two bids eventually submitted by two joint ventures. To 

 my knowledge, there was no irregularity or alternate in any bid 

 submitted. 



Senator Saltonstall. Then, after you completed j^our design, 

 which encompassed everything below the upper platform, your only 

 responsibility in connection with this tower came when the Navy 

 officer in charge would ask you for your advice aside from your respon- 

 sibility to determine that the soil conditions in the ocean floor were 

 proper ? 



Mr. Rutledge. Yes, sir. That's spelled out in our contract. 



Senator Saltonstall. Now, how far down below the surface did 

 those legs go? Fifteen feet, was it? 



Mr. Rutledge. They were to go 20 feet, as redesigned with caissons. 

 That was relaxed to 18 feet because, when the structure was actually 

 in place, the water depth was 185 feet, rather than the 180 feet that 

 was supposed to be at the location where placement 



Senator Saltonstall. These legs were put down 18 feet below the 

 level of the sand ? 



Mr. Rutledge. Yes, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. And that, in your opinion, was satisfactory 

 to hold this tower up? 



Mr. Rutledge. It was more than satisfactory ; yes, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. Is not that a lesser depth of embedment 

 than some of the other towers have, including some in the Gulf of 

 Mexico ? 



