Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-01-17
NO CHEMICALS USED.
Continued from page ~

Humphreys said that the vessels were
not unloaded because there was plenty
or supplies on shore for the army and
his orders from Secretary Alger We're
to allow nothing to interfere with the
movement Of troops North.
Asked about his experience with re-
frigerated beef, he said the first he saw
was at Santiago. The trouble was.
there was too much of it" said he. but
what saw was pretty good. I heard
some of it spoiled. The timed roast
beef did not give satisfaction, possi-
bly, owing to the intense heat
Did you hear an intimation that it
might have been chemically treated?"
Il did not, In joking way l heard
that Armour had extracted the juice
from the roast beef for his beef ex-
tract"
Capt. Homer F. Aspinwall, quarter
master Of the MANITOBA, which carried
the refrigerated beef that was dumped
overheard on the return voyage from
Ponce, testified that the beef was test
ed when ii was placed aboard ship. His
engineer, he said, was familiar with
shipment of beef in the transatlantic
trade and was a little nervous about
the temperature of the refrigerator. 1t
was new business to him (AspinwalD.
The engineer said it was impossible to
have the temperature of the boxes"
below SO Fahrenheit. The average
temperature on the trip was "a. He ar
rived at Ponce, Aug. 10, and ran
aground. While aground, one of the
pipes choked up for hours. AT Maya
guez he opened the boxes for the first
time. There were 1900 troops there. The
beef was good.
At Ponce Col. Smith, chief quarter
master, agreed to take 5000 pounds a
day. BY mistake the lighter came foI
the first lnstalment of meat at O'Clock
in the evening, instead of O'Clock in
the morning. 1t was Kept ashore over
night and issued. There was one COM
plaint that a portion of the meat had
spoiled. 1t was buried by order of the
surgeon. But the rest was good. Ma
jor Birmingham of the hospital at
Ponce, said it was the best beef issued
to the. hospital. No further beef was
issued at Ponce.
With the quantity used aboard ship
about 100000 of the 100000 pounds )f
beef were issued. Two days before he
reached New York, the steward re-
ported that he was obliged to cut away
a third of each quarter in the boxes
which had spoiled, and throw it over
board.
He said the officers aboard ship con-
tinued to use the meat. He heard no
complaints, although he would not
have been surprised had there been
complaints. At New York he reported
the beef spoiled. A board of survey
was appointed and condemned the beef,
Sept. II. He received orders not to
dispose Of the beef until he got instruc.
tions from Swift & Co. He thought
there was more beef aboard than could
have been consumed by the troops in
Porto Rico before some of it spoiled He
heard no intimation that the beef had
Deen chemically treated. Gen. Gilmore
had told him when he arrived at Ponce
that they did not want the beef, that
they could get plenty of beef in Porto
Rico.
He heard many complaints among
the soldiers about the character of the
fresh beef issued to them. 1t was
slaughtered in the morning and often
issued while the flesh still quivered. II
felt annoyed because the beef from his
own country was being refused and the
bulls of Porto Rico accepted