Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-11
. xrw TRANSFORMATIONS srsrEM.

How Vegetables and Meats are Shipped
nv the Texas Continental TranspOrta-
tIon ComPany-A New Refrigerator
System.
Mr.. Charles II. Haslett, General Super
intendent of the Texas Continental Trans
portatlon Company, arrived in the city
yesterday, and will to-day meet number
of railway officials. when the refrigerating
system used by the company he repre-
sents. on many Of the principal railways
Of the West and North, viii be discussed.
4 reporter Of the MORNING News call
ed on Nr. Haslett and was informed that
i've car loads Of dressed beef were daily
prepared for shipment at Victoria,
Texas. and that ten car loads Of beef
were also daily dressed at Fort Worth.
Each car has "A capacity for $4,000
pounds of beef. The meat prepared at
either of the places above named, is
shipped 10 ST. Louis, New Orleans, Mem
phis and other points in the West, and
while in transitu IS suspended in an at
mOsphere where the mercury indicates a
temperature of Is degrees above zero.
''Where are the beeves killedF' asked
the reporter.
ssThey are killed and dressed at Yicto-
ria and at Fort Worth. At the former
place there is pasture containing $500
acres. and at the latter, one of 1900
acres. The cattle are kept on
these pastures several weeks before
they are killed. The slaughter pen is on
one side of the pasture, and the exit by
which the beeves pass TO the pen from the
fields is so arranged that but one animal
car pass out at time. At the gateway
a long spear is dropped from a certain
height upon the neck Of the animal, and
the spinal cord is severed near the back
Of the beasts head. The gateway is i'm
mediately opened, when the beef is moved
into the slaughter-pen proper and the
carcass is thoroughly bled, after which
it is dressed and moved into the
packing room which is kept during day
and night in all seasons at temperature
of 80 degrees. The meat is not kept,
| properly speaking, in a room where there
| is ice, but it is subjected TO a strong cur
\ rent of prepared air, which thoroughly
cures the fresh beef. The current, it
must be remembered. does not strike the
| meat. but enters the room where it is
| kept. Thence the meat may be taken at
/ any time TO the cars and delivered several
| hundreds of miles distant in perfect con-
/ ditiOn and with d healthy red color. Meat
| handled in this way will not spoil soon
! after il is removed into warmer tempe
/ nature. as dressed beet has been known to
| do when taken out OF an Ice chest.
I'm other words, / mean to say" con-
| tinued Mr.. Haslett, ''that meat may be
| frozen with Ice and yet not be wholesome,
| l have taken meat out Of market refrige,
rators, and although it looked sound, it
| was hardly fit to eat. 1t had dark
red color, and when the blade
Of knife is inserted in the
| flesh close to the bone ills discovered that
the meat is rotten. There is any quantity
| of meat of apparently healthy or whole
| some description, sold, cooked and eaten
| all over the country. The system of re-
| frigeration is very detective, as any per-
son who will undertake to investigate it
| in a practical and a sanitary way will
| discover in few minutes. The refrigera-
tors should have a dry, mot moist. at
/ mesphere.
The cars Of our company will shortly be
| transporting the vegetables and fruits of
| Florida to the more distant portions of
| the country. Tomatoes have been shipped
! from Chicago, ILL.,, to Houston, Texas, in
| these cars, and remained in perfect con-
ditiOn for some time after they were taken
| from the car. They did not rot in transitu
nor Cor some days after they reached their
| destination.