COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 273 



November 14, in our office. He had received a radio call from the 

 tower and he transmitted this information to us, and the telephone 

 call from General Elder was on the morning of November 16. 



Mr. Kendall. From the date of October 3, 1960, until November 14, 

 your firm had made no stress reanalysis? 



Mr. RuTLEDGE. We had no information, sir, on the damage except 

 that the maintenance bridge had been destroyed. We hunted up the 

 drawings for the maintenance bridge so that they could replace that. 



Mr. Kendall. Mr. Kuss, were there any other occasions when you 

 were asked by anyone in the Air Force as to what the remaining 

 strength of the tower was? 



Mr. Kuss. I 



TOWER CONSIDERED UNSAFE 



Senator Stennis. Pardon me, Mr. Counsel. I wanted to be sure I 

 understood Mr. Kuss. 



Mr. Kuss, as I understand your testimony, you say that about 

 November 16, 1960, when you got this additional information about 

 the condition of the tower, even without having to make any calcula- 

 tions, you knew from that incomplete report although you were 

 not certain that you had the full picture as to the damage, but from 

 that incomplete report, you considered the tower highly unsafe and 

 dangerous; is that right? 



Mr. Kuss. With the damage reported to me, it was very serious, 

 and it may have been more. 



Senator Stennis. Very serious. Well, now, could we make that 

 more specific? I am not trying to put words in your mouth at all. 

 You are the witness and you are an expert witness. But as I have 

 understood the tenor of your testimony, it is based on this knowledge 

 that you had, even though it might not have been complete as to all 

 the conditions, you considered it highly dangerous ; is that correct ? 



Mr. Kuss. Yes, sir ; yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. All right, I just wanted to be certain. 



Mr. Kuss. I so told General Elder. 



Senator Stennis. Yes, I understand. That is what you then told 

 tlie general. General who ? 



Mr. Kuss. General Elder. 



Senator Stennis. And that was November 16 ? 



Mr. Kuss. Yes, sir. 



Senator Stennis. All right, now, Counsel, you have another date 

 in mind. Will you proceed ? 



Mr. Kendall. I'll ask you this, Mr. Kuss. At any time prior to 

 the collapse of the tower, did you report to anyone an estimate of 

 the remaining strength of the tower as it then stood ? 



Mr. Kuss. No. 



Mr. Kendall. Wasn't it possible to make an analysis between Oc- 

 tober 3, 1960, and January 15, 1961? Or from November 14, 1960, 

 to January 15, 1961? 



Mr. Kuss. I don't know as I was asked to make any analysis. 



Mr. Kendall. That is what your contract was for, Mr. Kuss. You 

 had a contract with J. Rich Steers, Inc., dated October 3 to evaluate 

 the remaining strength of the tower. That is true, isn't it ? 



Mr. Kuss. Yes. 



