Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-24
Invited to Appear Before the War
Commission.
He MAY GIVE EVIDENCE TOMORROW
Interesting Test Of a Sample Can
From Porto Rico.
FURNISHED BY MILE s


fore 1t and make a statement concerning
the conduct of the war. he Secretary has
not yet rtplied 10 the commission but it is
believed he will go the stand tomorrow
or shortly thereafter.
Major Rufus VI. Townsend, commissary
Of subsistence U.S.V., was witness be-
fore the commission today. He detailed
lis periods of service at Camp Black. New
York, Chickamauga, Tampa, Montauk and
on the tranyro Seguranca. He was
questioned by Gen. Beaver with particular
reference to his opportunities for observ-
ing and inspecting refrigerated beef and
canned roast and corned beef.
Gen. Beaver-''What has been your ex-
perieuce in a general way as to the CHAR
acter and quality of the refrigerated beef
and the canned beef furnished the army?
Meat Was Excellent.
Witness-"The fresh refrigerated beef was
excellent. The canned beef also ex-
cellent. I never personally heard any COM
plants against them. In the main they
were excellent But. Of course, there were
some who were dissatisfied.
General Beaver Mayor, were You aware
from direct inspection or from reports to
You by others of any fresh beef that was
treated by chemical preseryativcs?"
Wituess-'No. sir,
chemicals to be used without your knowl-
edg-?'
Witness (hesitating)-'I should think So
General Beaver-'Do you know what is
the chemical action of the so-called pre-
servatives?''
Witness-"Only in a general way"
Complaints He Heard.
Asked as to the nature of the complaints
that came to him, Major Townsend stated
that in Porto Rico some officers had stated
that the beef spoiled because it not
used soon enough after being removed from
the refrigerators- The witness was not
aware that anything but the discoIora ton
from climatic influences had been observed
in the meat. He had used a great deal of
the meat at various points and commented
IL.
General Beaver then brought out a can
OF roast beef and asked the witness if it
reSembled in outward appearance the can
ned beef that was furnished the army.
Major Townsend said it did, and then Cen
eTal Beaver said:
1T bears this label on the top. Received
from Mai Gen y \. Miles. L. s. A. Janu-
ary %. 1899. Taken from an express pack
age opened in Cen Miles office in my pres
ence-
(signedD IS. c. MILLS. Recorder"
Gen Beaver added that it would be OPEN
ed and inspected later by the commission
After a few Unimportant questions the wit
ness was excused Then the can was again
produced and the top skinned off. The
brownish ge!atinous surface was smelled
by every member of the commission and
all declared that 1t had 10 "embalmed'
0doF about It, as. indeed 1t did nO1 have
one by one the commission took a pinch of
meat and tasted it.
Tasted the Beef
This is sample of the meat which Capt
Bean said declared Gen. Dodge, was fed
TO a cat at Ponce and killed it, 1t tastes
all right"
For a moment the eaters paused in their
test bites. but the apparent good quality Of
the meat disarmed any fear they may have
momentarily felt.
Don't waste any Of it," said Gen. Beav-
er, y" g VIII nave II chemically anaIyzed."
Some time ago Capt. Bean of a battery OF
pennsylvania Light Artillery upon his re-
turn to this country wrote letter to
Ten Miles cOndemning the refrigerated
and canned meats served n Porto Rico
ana stating that ne had brought back with
nun certain cans which he thought wo2lid
D. idlr samples Of the rest. The war iuves-
uEating commission wrote him for the
cans. and he replied that he had sent them
10 Zen Miles Yesterday afternoon the
SyilInisSicn received a letter from Cen
,L.es oIernE to let them have certain
cans. and Major Mills the recorder. receiv-
CO lheIn i0i examination and test.
Capt Hunts Letter
Ihe commission gave out today the fol-
lowing copies Of letters 1t has received:
WASHINGTON, d. c..
January %, 1889.
MAJ Mills. Recorder Of Commission. &c
81 81 nave the honor 70 transmit here
WIN true extract of 4 letter received from
apt Alfred L. Hunt Of Pittsburgh Pa,
IL regard to canned roast beef
cry respectfully, your obeiient servant
'0-~'v'J /. g SCHERER
Capt. A. A G.
The If;;shU-g Reduction COMPANY Manu-
Iatl4Fris of Pure Aluminium. Alfred E.
r,i. iI-I..; IIrsidsnt
lSBJIt ItG. Pa, I. 5. \. Jan. 10. 1899.
up am ana Assistant Adjutant General
He7o. =. 2GneEer Depot Quartermaster'
Sir; When my command returned from
Icl'" IdS" we mad nine cases of canned
roast beef each case contairing two dozen
cans. hlcA mad rot been used. These cans
81 roast beef are still in my possession.
nave taken one Of these cans of
Armours roast beef 10 the Pitrsb,,rr
Testing laboratory. limited. 3o5 Wafsr
street. fittsbuTg, Pa. and have had n
mere Subjected to chemical analysis; and
they have made the following report signed
ny MI James o Handy, their chief chem
The beef vas marked Prime Roast Reef
Manufactured by the Armour Canning Co
Chicago. H." ana contained no nitrate Of
potash no satlcylc acid. no boracic acid
no hoT2x, salt. II per cent Appearance,
PINK. hbroUs, with yellOwish-white granular
sGeI Odor. fresh Taste, fresh. pleasant
Iy.I-y Tsry respectfully. g your obedient servant.
Late Captain Of ArtilierT. e Command,ro M ma =;
Light Battery b. Pennsylvania VoIun-
teerS. United States Army
Dr. Nurdock's Excuse.
Gol Washington Boulevard.
CHICAGO, January y, 1899
Gen Grenville Dodge
Dear Sir: Answering your telegram I
beg II possible. to be excused. l am not
at this time able TO travel. Have scarcely
recovered from la grippe.
Second-My examinations of canned beef
were made here. and l can only know from
hearsay that Il was the same as that sent
to Porto Rico and Cuba.
Third-My lstter to General Miles was
confidential and based these examina-
uons made at my own option: but they
were correct as to result, but not closely
connected with supplies furnished army to
be evidence The manner OF preserving
however, did show bo-lc acid, nitrate OF
potash and some salicylic acid This how
ever, not being from the rations sent to
the front under my knowledge, would only
be laughed az when offered in evidence
Hoping this explanation will excuse me-
and wishing 10 obey orders when able as
! did IN lS64-5. I am, Very Truly Yours
tbtgneO Z. P. MURDOCH