The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-31
THE BEEF CONTROVERSY
The Meat Was Treated With
Deleterious Chemicals.
MEN COULDN'T EAT 1T
Ie Had a Particularly Vile Odor and
Made the Soldiers Sick Who Were
Forced to Eat It-An Inves-
tigation Ordered.

Washington, Dec. 30.-The wal inves-
tigating commission held a brief execu-
tive session to-day. and at noon ad-
journed until Tuesday, Jan. 3. There
was no important action at to-days
meeting. The commission to-day made
public a report omitted in the state
ment given out yesterday. bearing on
the beef controversy. IL is from Major
w. II. DAILY, chief surgeon at Tampa
headquarters prior to the sailing OF the
| Shafter expedition. He gives as a result
| OF experiments the opinion that the
meat was treated with deleterious chem
icals which destroyed the natural havor
| and were very injurious to the health
OF the men. He mentions boric acid and
nitrate OF potash as the chemicals used.
The beef at Ponce was also very in1uri-
| Gus from the same cause. Major Daly
| says that when in charge OF the trans
port Panama he was compelled to ais
| continue the use of beef. DAILY observed
the same bad odor 20 the beef at the
camps at Jacksonville and Chicka-
manga. He recommends the matter De
investigated by competent chemists.
As a result of the issue between Cen
| eral Miles and General Eagan concern
ing the quality of the beef supplied the
| army, and on the written request or
General Eagan, the war department to-
night issued a special order for the as
| sembling of a board of officers in Wash
ington on next Thursday at 10 a. IN. to
inquire into the general subject of the
quality of the beef supplied and par
ticularly as TO the responsibility for the
loss of 300. 900 pounds OF refrigerated
beef sent to Porto Rico. when the ex-
petition under General Miles was there.
The special order is as follows:
by direction of the secretary of war.
a board of survey is hereby ordered to
at the war department, WASH
ington. ID. c.. at 10 n. m, Jan. 8. 1899,
to examine into and report upon the re-
sponslbility for the loss of about 100000
pounds of refrigerated beef. the prop
erty of Swift & Co. of Chicago, To as
certain and report II due and proper
effort was made 10 feed his beef to
the troops I'm Porto Rico m to fix the
responsibility II due and proper effort
was not made; TO ascertain and report
the character and quality OF refriger-
ated beef herein referred to; to ascer-
| tain and report N II was good n Mt
meat for issue. and II IL had been sub
jected to any chemical processes h
ever. and To report whether or not the
United States Is responsible for the loss
of the beef. or who. IL any one. is re-
sponsible for its loss: and whether, in
it's opinion. Swift & Co. should or
should not be reimbursed for the
beef.
"Details for the board: Col. Charles
II. Alden. assistant surgeon general;
Col. James NJ. Moore. assistant quar-
termaster general: Col. Francis l.. Gun
Their. Attn l.. $. artillery; Capt. L. 9.
Scherer. assistant adjutant general, re-
corder."
The 800. 900 pounds Of beef referred TO
was shipped from Newport News TO
Porto Rico about the time that word
came from General Miles that he had
supplied himself with fresh beef, taken
on h island. The refrigerated beef
made the trip to Porto Rico and back.
but by the time IL reached MontaulS
Point II is understood to have spoiled,
owing to the delay and consequent lack
OF refrigerating material.