The evening times., 1899-04-12
ANOTHER DAY IN
THE BEEF COURT
- ss.s9- -
Major General Chaffse Defends
Army Rations.
Con. A. K. Arnsid Relates His Ex-
perienees.
Complaints Made to Him That the
Refrigerated Meat Was
Tainted.

|
| the Beef Court of Enquiry today.
His testimony was very much like that
Of General Shafter. who appeared before
| the court yesterday. :
| The first witness of the day was Gen.
| A. X. Arnold, who commanded the secQpd
division Of the Seventh Army Corps. AAHe
| testified that at Jacksonville. the potatoes
were not good, the onions were not good.
! and many complaints were made to him
that the refrigerated beef was tainted. He
| had on his stan an inspector, medical
| Officer and q commissary. The inspector
made his daily rounds looking In upon the
| company kitchens and the preparations
OF food The commissary had specific in
structions to examine the beef Their re-
ports were In the main favorable. During
the first two months at Jacksonville the
health of the command was good, but the
health after that period rapidly deteriorat-
ed, typhoid fever becoming prevalent.
| He attributed the sickness mainly to the
| method OF disposing OF camp refuse. The
| witness recalled Lieutenant Colonel Cur
rie. He detailed this officer to construct
a rifle range for the division. He was oc-
cupied in this work about one month. This
oficer was selected because Of his peculiar
| fitness for this duty. The men were de-
tailed from the various regiments in this
| camp. They went to the range daily.
The witness said he may have had con-
| ferences with Colonel Currie on the sub
| ject Of the food supply. He could not re-
| call that Colonel Currie ever spoke to him
about the Decentralization of beef. The
| witness never had occasion to suspect
that the beef was chemically treated The
beef was drawn from the refrigerator cars
| at Jacksonville by commissaries, hauled to
| the camp, and turned over to the regimen
| tai commisaries. Colonel Currie continued
in charge OF the rifle practice till he went
| on leave Of absence. He recalled that Col
| onel Currie had at one time reported that
| large percentage Of the detail was sick.
| Colonel Currie's Evidence.
Colonel Currie. who is physician prac-
ticing at Englewood. N. j., appeared be-
| fore the Beef Court few days ago, and
testified that upon analysis Of the so-call-
ed refrigerated beef at Jacksonville he had
found bOric and salicylic acid. The tes-
timony of General Arnold, though it twas
not strongly corroborative OF that or Col
| onel Currie, did not contradict or weaken
DIR. Currie's evidence.
Major General Chaffee was the next wit
| ness. He gave his present station as Ha-
vana. General Chaffee narrated his sery-
ices at Chickamauga and Tampa. He went
to Cuba on the IrOquois. On the voyage
his command used roast canned beef. No
required his company commanders TO be
present at every mess. No complaint was
made. After landing in Cuba his men to *
three days ration OF bacon. Later some
of the so-called canned roast beef was is
| sued. though, In the main, his command
ate bacon He ate canned roast beef but
once. He did not hear solitary COM
plant in his command that the beef was
unfit to eat. His personal opinion of. that
Irrtri inh ho afa hot 1ofa
1t being too fresh; that is 1t was without
salt. The meat was sound. ~ :.
He believed that the refrigerated beef
issued to his command was almost wholly
rejected as spoiled. He thought it was
rejected on its appearance. His command
was about one mile from the landing. The
commissary received ii at about s. O'Clock
in the morning and 1t was issued to his COM
mand about s O'Clock. He ate parts of
this meat daily. and found 1t TO be rer-
fectly pure and sweet. He said the meat
did not look well. it having a green coat
ing. He demonstrated with his medical
officers. and insisted that they were doing
a great injustice to the men. as they need
ed a change of diet from salt and canned
meats.
The colonel of one regiment refused 10
approve the findings of the board of sur.
vey, ordered the meat cooked, and it was
found sweet
Canned Roast Beef.
He had never suspected that the beef
had been chemically treated. He did not
believe now that it had been.
There was a great deal of sickness
among the men. Their stomachs were out
of condition and they suffered from fever.
At present canned roast beef was issued
to the destitute Cubans. AS in the case
with nearly all canned goods. there was a
certain percentage OF "swellers' or bulged
cans. This was due to fermentation which
had been made possible by reason of i'm
perfect canning or an accidental puncture
Of the can.
He recalled on one occasion that 10 200
cans were thrown into the sea, but he was
positive that this had been done without
proper inspection. The cases would be
thrown overheard without being opened
Frequently he had found one can in a
case bad and twenty-three cans good.
Though this one defective can would scent
the whole case, yet the contents of the
remaining cans might be pure and sweet.
Under cross-examination by Major Lee
the witness said that he considered
the green mold on the refrigerated beef
as one of the natural consequences of cold
storage. 1t formed simply a film over the
meat. He believed that of all the fresh
meat issued to his command, that only
one quarter beef was unsound.
Heard No Complaints.
General Chaffee said he did not consid-
er the canned roast beef as roast beef 1t
was his opinion that it was steamed"
meat. II there was any complaint against
the unsoundness of this meat it was rot
brought to his attention
He never heard any commendation Of
this meat on the part Of the troops. He
had found that the canned roast beef was
very much improved by being put in cold
storage, so that the liquid was solidifled.
He had never heard Of the issue Of canned
roast beef to American troops before the
late war. 1t may have been on the shelves
of the commissary depots for ten earS.etNt
he obtained his first personal knowledge
of this part Of the ration during the late
campaign. He thought that If canned
corned beef was nutritive canned roast beef
was also nutritive. In other operations of
the American army fresh beef had been
supplied on the hoof or on the block.
General Chaffee said although it would
have been practicable to have landed beef
cattle with the army Of invasion, it would
not have been justifable. He recited the
difficulties that would have had to be met
and overcome In accomplishing a propo-
sition Of this character. He gave it as his
a.