Welcome, BBA.
Your report is the first I have ever seen that the hut was in such disrepair. As far as we have seen, the hut's walls and roof, as they stand today, are the same that were built in 1909.
There have been times when the doors were left open which allowed the wind to rip them off, so they have been replaced, probably several times.
In July, 1990 people huddled inside the hut during a storm, and lightning struck, killing one and injuring the others. Since then, the National Park has installed lightning rods and a wooden floor to help protect people inside in case of lightning. (There is also a sign on the door warning that the hut is NOT safe during a lightning storm.)
Here is a report by Bob R, who climbed Whitney in 1952 at age 15, and he and his friends spent the night inside the hut. At that time it had no door.
