The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-05
TINT REFRIGERATED BEEF.
eve ARMY OFFICER WHO FOUND
TT OBJECTIONABLE.
MAI Harrison Says That IL Was far
Preferable TO the Native Beef.
which w0nld Not Keep I'm Gu
ban Climate. and Caused sickness

WASHINGTON, Jan Anal. Hopkins,
military aide TO the secretary OF war, test
lied before the war INVESTIGATION commas
sion regarding sanitary conditions AZ tae
camps at Tampa. Camp Aiger and Camp
Thomas. IL was the old question Of ssnks-
drainage and camp police. ana the lesss-
mony OF ths witness vas little dlaereni
from preceding witnesses He had not APP
proved Of the conditions al Camp Taomas.
and IN accordance with his report an oTsser
was issued ON August Is for its abandon
rnen; He knew OF no adverse report ever
having been made 70 the secretary OF war
ON Camp Alger. II there were any COM
plants they were merely individual. He
knew OF no complain, as 10 any camp
that was not properly investigated
What action was aiken, II any,
Well. for enc instance. | was appoint
ed with DR.. Reed 10 investigate the cofdt-
ton OF the hospitals. The surgeon gem
eral told US to report daily and he would
act at once on our recomrnendatons-
This ended Maj. Hopkins testimony
Nal Harrison Ninth volunteer infantry.
whose regiment was raised near New cf-
leans and Is now in service az Santiago.
was next called.
Concerning commissary stores, ne said
those in the United States were the best
that could be bought in the open market
The refrigerated beef sent from this coun-
try ne said. WAS excellent, He had had
much experience with refrigerated meats
and he SAID that. while there was some
disposition on the part Of the reglmentai
cooks 10 cavH at the apps arancs OK the
meat, II was in reality quite good tie
explained that the sudden change OF tenn
perature on removing the meat from the
refrigerator ships produced what Is known
as a beard" q gfeenish growth that had
10 be scraped off. When this vas done
the meat beneath was perfectly good. II
vas issued to the men with excellent re-
suits. and benefited the sick materially
The chief trouble came when the chaRse
was made to hoof cattle sent from Porte
Rico This beef Maj. Harrison killed
himself and DerSnnaliy supfytnfGuded Its
dressing and cooling.
But IL would MT cool In that climate"
he said, very empha Ideally. The meat
never lost lis animal heat. and with Its Use
our sickness increased 10 per cent In a
country where our dead putriiied IN six
hours. you will easily understand that meat
killed and exposed 10 the atmospheric
changes. with the attacks of flies, viii spoil
much sooner. Our board of survey had 10
work to do except condemnlng and burn
ing this local killed beef"
OF the canned meat Maj. Harrison spoke
with equal emphasis. saying IL was fully as
good as. the refrigerated beef, and thai
none OF IL had 10 be condemned. Gen.
Beaver asked If refrigerating plant was
established there, whether Cuban beef could
be killed on the ground and rendered tit
for use by the men Witness said he
Cuban cattle. while ine locking. furnished
the coarsest and most stringy beef he had
ever seen. Witness said he was thorough
~ familiar with the processes OF raf-iger-
ating and bQtaaersag meat. and he was will
ing 10 state positively that there were no
chemicals used In any of the beef that
passed under his observation. On the con-
trary. he said that there was no chemical
preparation that could be used on she meat
with advantage 10 the packers and with
out running the product before thew could
get ii 10 the army. He regarded IL rs high
~ improbable that anything of the sort
had been attempted
Recurring. TO the beef killed at Santiago.
witness said the surgeons IN charge attrib-
uted the 10 per cent increase Of Intestinal
sickness to the use of the freshly Killed
beef. There was Il proportionate decrease
IN sickness when the regiment returned to
refrigeuafed beef
Maj. Harrison said he had no complaint
10 make as Ia tire medical supplies or at
tendance. He considered the whole supply
system good