The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-03-09
BEEF INVESTIGATION.
REGULAR ARMY OFFICERS TES-
TlFY REGARDING MEAT.
Declare II Unfit For Food Men
Compelled to Eat 1t were
Made Terribly Sick.

| began with Colonel w lllafn II. POWER
Of the Seventh infantry. who was sta
toned at Madison barracks at the out
break Of the war. He described tn,
canned roast beef that was issued a!
being entirely unfit for food During
its issuance hundreds OF his command
were stricken with stomach trouble
traceable directly to the eating Of tbs
canned roast beef. He himself had
used bacon in preference to the refrig
Grated beef. He had on one occasion
tried TO partake Of the latter, and was
made violently sick. His testimony was
exhaustive, but all along one line-the
beef. both refrigerated and especially
the canned roast. was bad.
| Lieutenant Colonel Charles ID. Viele
Of the First cavalry another Of the
regular army officers who had been
through the Shafter campaign, fol
| lowed with a long recital Of his expert
| ence with canned roast beef.
| Colonel Davis-What did you have as
meat ration going down on the trans
port?
Witness-Canned roast beef.
| Colonel Davis-What did you have in
| Cuba?
Witness-Canned roast beef, except
tor a few days before going home, when
we had refrigerated beef.
Colonel Davls-What did you have
| on the transport CbllllllB lulilt.
Witness-Canned roast beef.
Colonel Davis-What satisfaction did
1t give?
Wltness-Did not give any satisfac-
| ton at all.
Colonel Davis-What complaints were
made to you as to this beef?
Witness-There were no complaints.
There was no chance to get anything
else, and the men took 1t and said moth
ing.
Colonel Davis-They did use it, then?
Witness--I did not say they used it,,
1t was issued and they took it. | saw
a good deal of it thrown overheard.
Colonel Davis-What did you do to-
ward getting something to replace it.
Witness-I did nothing. There was
nothing to do. There was nothing else
to be had.
Colonel Davis-Have you made any
reports on this subject?
Witness-Yes, l have made three re-
ports.
Colonel Davis-But why was it that
you made no official representations on
this subject while you were in the
field?
Witness-For one reason, that for a
long time there was not a sheet of pa
per in my command,
Colonel Viele said that he did take
up the subject of beef after the com
mand got back to MOntauk, and sent
out a circular letter to his troop com
manders asking for reports. This was
before he received official notice from
the war department that a report on
this subject would be wanted. The re
frigerated beef his command received
in Santiago seemed to be good. He
only remembered one issue which was
tainted. He had no complaints as to
1t from the men.
ONCE ENOUGH FOR HIM.
Did you have any reason to suspect
while you were at Santiago that the
refrigerator beef had been treated with
chenlicals?" asked Colonel Davis.
II had never heard of such a thing
at the time" was the reply, land such
an explanation did not occur to me"
Did you eat any of the refrigerator
meat YOURSELF"
"OnCe-that was enough for me"
Witness explained that the beef had
"close, musty smell as though II had
been shut up in a close ROOM" and it
turned him against the meat, so he took
bacon in preference. He was in good
health at the time, ut many of his mel
were sick.
Replying to Colonel Gillespie he said
he had no reason to believe the other
officers In his mess did not use the
meat, He said the refrigerated beef
at Santiago had a yellow appearance
upon the outside that he had never no
tieed upon the refrigerator beef former
ly furnished at Fort Riley, Kan, where
he was tationed When he ate it at
Santiago he was inclined to nausea.
Referring to the canned roast beef he
said it seemed to be of scraps and the
men would not eat it,
Responding to Colonel Davis request
for his opinion as to the comparative
desirability of beef on the hoof and
refrigerated beef, he thought the for
mer would have been preferable, be-
to the camps, slaughtered, issued and
| cooked. He said he had not sugge ste6
this because no cattle We're near and
the troops We're a long way from the
place where cattle could be secured.
Cattle on the hoof could have beer
! used between the time of landing ant
the surrender while the men We're EN-
| ployed in the siege by being driver
close to the front and then delivered
on packs. This he said in reply TO {
question of Colonel Davis,
HAWKINS ON THE STAND.
Brigadier General Hawkins was mex
/ 1
was colonel of the Twentieth infantry
but was made brigadier general Will,
in Mobile in May, and then his con
nection was severed and he finally com
manded brigade in the first division
of the fifth corps. sailing on June Is 70
Santiago,
He told the story of the journey, de
| harkation and fight, in which he wa
wounded, when he left his command
He said complaints against came,
roast and canned corned beef wer
filed on the transport. He heard n
complaints after landing and knew lit
tie of the beef question. His brigad
included the Sixth and Sixteenth in
fantry regiments and the Seventy-firs
New York
Following General Hawkins. Captai
]. W. Duncan of the Twenty-first in
fantry was introduced. His regiment a
Tampa from April % until about Jun
20, when it sailed for Cuba. He re
viewed the court of his regiment.
left for Montauk August II or IL.
Canned roast beef, according to hi
recollection, was issued as a travel "a
ton at Tampa for the ocean trip an
at Siboney as a component of the fires
meat ration. 1t was replaced abou
July 20 by refrigerated beef and wa
issued as travel ration on the HON
voyage
1t did not, he said. give general sat
tsfaction, the men generally complain
ing. He saw much of il opened an
it was apparently coarse, unseasonet
tasted fiat, was in long strips an
the grease. cor whatever II WAS" Wa
in globules Apparently it was Pre-
served Well Complaints brought {
him, he said, were that the beef wa
repugnant and unpalatable, 1t wa
first eaten out of the can and suhse
quently was cooked in a stew form
tomato cans and camp kettles and /
this latter form was more satisfactor.
He heard no complaints on The retur
trip.
Referring TO refrigerated beef, Car
tain Duncan said IL was very satisfaC
tory, He ate il, saw no difference bt
tween 1t and beef issued at stations
this country and never suspected il