The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-31
THE COURTS.
THE CARGO OF BEEF THROWN OVERHEARD
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THE CARGO OF BEEF ThbOWN OVERHEARD
FROM THE CITY OF BRUSSELS.
Some important testimony was given yesterday by
Professor Doremus in the trial. before Judge Landon
of the suit brought by Messrs. Sherman Gilett
against the Imam Steamship Company to recover
$4,000. the value Of shipment of beef to England.
which, in the memorable thirty-eght days trip of
the City Of Brussels. when the Canadian pilgrims
were ON board. spoiled through tho melting
of the ice in the refrigerators and had
to be thrown overheard. Preliminary to
the Professor being called witness
table had been extemporzed alongside Of the wit
ness stand and the same was covered with glass
pipes. retorts. receivers and miscellaneous instru
ments used in showing the permeation by gases Of
substances not ordinarily considered porous. There
two assistants who aided the Professor in his
experiments. After explaining what he
sidered the proper mode OF constructing
frigerators shipboard, he produced piece
of solid brown sandstone, about eighteen inches by
twenty-five and eight inches thick. in which an iron
plate with piece of gas pipe perpendicularly
imbedded either side of the stone. the two plates
being held in position against the sides of the stone
by heavy thumbscrew clamps. the ends of the
iron pipes .fat against the stone. Over all of
this excepting the open ends OF the pipes. several
The Professor showed that gases such as are gem
Grated from decaying beef WILL with the slightest
pressure, 1mpregnate ana pass through the eight
inches of sandstone. BY chemicals he generated n.y.
drogen gas and caused 1t to escape through rub
Der tube attached to of the iron gaspipes
projecting from the side of the sandstone and from
the iron pipe the other side 1t passed through
other rubber tube into q glass containing water,
causing the bubbles to rise to the surface. To
vince the Court and jury that the stone solid
the iron plates knocked off, leaving the stone
BARE To show that the gas that had passed through
the stone what he had represented it to be, he
allowed it to escape into glass of lime water and
another glass containing q mixture of itmus and
water. Upon the top of the lime water there formed
whitish surface and when shaken. gave the water
q milky appearance The other was turned q beau-
tiful red color. Ceases from dccomposing
meats" said the Doctor, (which produce ILL
ness not always to be detected by the sense of
smell. any more than those which produce scarlet
fever or smallpox" He also showed that common
carbonic gas would pass through gutts percha
in frozen state would keep for century and that
1t would keep in an unfrozen state in an ordinary
house refrigerator week or ten days. In the
progress of the trial thus far dispositions of large
number OF persons residing in England have been
read. The testimony of General Newton. who was
passenger board of the City of Brussels att the
time. has also been given showing that the unsavory
smell from the decaying meat was easily perceived
through the ship. AS already stated the main de-
fence to the suit is that the shippers took sole charge
of the meat