264 COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOV/ER NO. 4 



Mr. Kendall. Had you completed yovir answer to that question, 

 Mr. Rutledge? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. Frankly, I have forgotten the question and I have 

 forgotten my answer. 



Mr. Kendall. I think we'll get back into it. 



As I understand it, tiie representative of the Navy, Commander 

 Foster, and yourself, and a representative of the contractor partici- 

 pated in these discussions ; is that correct ? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. My discussions were separately with Commander 

 Foster, sir. 



Mr. Kendall, You had no discussions with any representative of 

 J. Rich Steers, Inc. ? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. I was present at a subsequent discussion. I had 

 no part in the discussion. 



Mr. Kendall. Did you have any recommendation or did you ex- 

 press an opinion as to what should be done ? 



Mr. Rltledge. I did, to Commander Foster. 



Mr. Kendall. What was your recommendation ? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. I told Commander Foster that I believed that re- 

 placement braces that would accomplish the result of the lost braces 

 could be designed. 



REPLACEMENT BRACES DESIGNED 



Mr. Kendall. Were they designed ? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Kendall. Who designed them ? 



Mr. Rutledge. We did. 



Mr. Kendall. What generally did they consist of ? 



ISIr. Rutledge. It consisted of two braces of the same size that 

 utilized the existing pin connections at elevation minus 25 feet [indi- 

 cating], that were fastened to the legs by collars above elevation 

 minus 75 feet, because the connections at minus 75 feet had been 

 broken in the loss of the two original braces. 



Mr. Kendall. So your firm was responsible for the design of the 

 collar replacement and the use of the Dardelet bolts; is that right? 



Mr. Rutledge. We did this work for the contractor and were paid 

 by the contractor for doing it. 



JNIr. Kendall. But the design was your responsibility ? 



Mr. Rutledge. We designed them for the contractor; yes, sir. 



Mr. Kendall. We have had some testimony here to the effect that 

 Dardelet bolts are usually used for temporary repairs. What is your 

 judgment? 



Mr. Rutledge. Dardelet bolts are used, I believe, just as frequently 

 for permanent structures as for temporary. 



Mr. Kendall. Nonetheless, in this particular case, it developed that 

 they did not hold ; is that not true ? 



Mr. Rutledge. It developed that they did not hold, for reasons that 

 I believe Mr. Crockett has presented to this committee. 



Mr. Kendall. In any event, if the lashings had held during tow, 

 you wouldn't have been faced with the problem of the use of Dardelet 

 bolts at all? 



