DC8-73 FLIGHT CREW EXPERIENCES LOSS OF CONTROL AT START OF TAKEOFF ROLL WHEN #4 ENGINE FAILS TO SPOOL UP IN CONCERT WITH OTHERS. CONTROL IS REGAINED AND TAKEOFF IS SAFELY REJECTED.

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WE WERE ASSIGNED RWY 1 FOR TKOF WITH ATIS WINDS 07011G19. TKOF WT WAS 188.8. CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 1; AND TAXIING INTO POS; I ADVANCED THE OUTBOARDS WHILE COMPLETING THE TURN TO LINE UP. I GLANCED AT THE ENGS AS I RELEASED BRAKES AND THOUGHT I SAW THEM SPOOLING TOGETHER. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY; THE SO CALLED #4 SLOW TO SPOOL UP AND DIRECTIONAL CTL DETERIORATED VERY RAPIDLY. SECONDS AFTER INITIATING TKOF; I INITIATED A REJECT. THE ACFT CONTINUED TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE RWY FOR ANOTHER SECOND OR TWO; UNTIL I REGAINED CTL. SPD NEVER EXCEEDED 60 KTS. WE EXITED AT THE NEXT EXIT AND REJOINED THE TXWY. AFTER DISCUSSING THE REASON FOR THE REJECT; WE ELECTED TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER TKOF WHILE CLOSELY MONITORING #4 ACCELERATION. SECOND TKOF WAS NORMAL; ALTHOUGH NOSE DOWN TRIM WAS REQUIRED THROUGHOUT CLBOUT. (NUMBERS WERE RECHKED AND WERE CORRECT.) FACTORS: 1) #4 WAS NOT COMPLETELY SPOOLED WHEN BRAKES WERE RELEASED. (CAUSE) 2) #4 ACCELERATED SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER THAN #1; #2 AND #3. 3) MAX THRUST WAS REQUIRED FOR RWY 1. 4) GUSTY R XWIND. I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE WINDSOCK AND IT WAS NOT FULL AS I TOOK THE RWY; BUT ATIS WINDS WERE 07011G19. 5) EXTREMELY LIGHT ACFT 188.8 TKOF WT. 6) THE ONLY LOAD WAS 5 EMPTY CANS IN THE 5 AFT POS. THIS WAS ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE THE SVT SCENARIO WE PRACTICED; AND THAT TRAINING PROBABLY KEPT US FROM A RWY EXCURSION. POSITIVE POINTS: SO IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE SPOOLING ISSUE AND CALLED IT OUT; MAKING FOR AN EASIER AND QUICKER DECISION TO REJECT. WHILE I THOUGHT I CALLED REJECT; NO ONE HEARD ME AND THE FO IMMEDIATELY CALLED IT WHILE COMPLETING THE ACTION ITEMS. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN: WHILE THE OTHER FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS; THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS MY NOT VERIFYING ALL 4 ENGS EQUALLY SPOOLED BEFORE RELEASING THE BRAKES. IN THE FUTURE I PLAN ON VERBALIZING 'ALL 4 SPOOLED' AFTER CHKING THEM; AND BEFORE RELEASING THE BRAKES AND SETTING 'TO THRUST.'