The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-25
.EACAN STILL PROTESTS
The Beef Was All That Gould Be
Desired.
NO EXPERIMENTS TRIED
Beef on the Hoof He Declared, Was Not
Nearly 50 Satisfactory as the Re-
frigerated Article - Ham
burger Steaks Sent

Washington Feb. 24.-After a session
of little more than two hours the court
of inquiry investigating the beef
charges adjourned until Monday, pend
ing the arrival of witnesses who have
been summoned. Former Commissa"y
General F.agan to-day concluded his tes-
timony, explaining the provisions Of
contracts for supplies to the armies in
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines.
He vigorously denied any knowledge of
any chemical treatment of beef to pre-
serve it and disavowed any connection
whatever of the government of any
such treatment. General Eagan was
followed by Major General S. B. NJ.
Young and other officers who were in
the Santiago campaign and by officers
of the subsistence department.. The re
frigerated beef was commended, while
the canned roast beef. on the whole, .
rather suffered.
Former COmmissary General Charles
F. Eagan resumed his testimony before
| the court. Recurring to the contract re-
quirements, he explained that Swift &
Co. We're wholly responsible for the beef
until delivered to the government Off
cals at the points designated by the de-
| partment The clause requiring beef to
| keep - hours after leaving the refriger-
ator was inserted, he said at his in
, stance, after the concerns declared they
could prepare it so as to keep that lolg.
Speaking Of arrangements for the
Porto Rican expedition Eagan said he
understood General Brooke was to COM
mand it. and he accordingly consulted
with General Brooke. reaching COM
plete and satisfactory understanding as
to refrigerator beef Subsequently he
learned that General Miles assumed
command but he never consulted with
him. and he did not know that General
Miles knew of the beef arrangements.
He said that Colonel Sharp, chief COM
missary for that expedition, was fur
ntshed something like $3.50. 600 credits on
! the United States. An offer to send cash
! was made, but declined This statement
| was intended to bear upon General
Miles statement that funds for the pu"-
chase of supplies in Porto Rico We're not
available. p4 III
He read telegram between General
Eagan and Colonel Weston, the latter
! in Tampa relative to the sending by a
packing firm of beef refrigerated to test
how long it would keep after removal
from the ice box and with view to the
making of contracts after the breaking
out of the war. The beef, when re-
moved from the ice box and hung up.
| was declared serviceable within As
hours whereas that left in the box after
| the ice disappeared coulu not De usea
after IS hours.
| Frozen beef was declared by the COM
missary officials at Tampa as the best
solution of the fresh beef problem until
| circumstances We're such as would ad-
nit the prompt delivery and use of re-
frigeratOr beef.
Ample and complete declared Cen
eral Eagan, was the authority of the
commissaries in Cuba and Porto Rico to
purchase beef on the hoof for any emer-
gencies, or at the will of their respective
| commanders
Reports received, he said, showed
without exception that the native beef
was not nearly SO satisfactory as tne
refrigerated beef. The latter tends to
displace beef on the hoof wherever both
are equally available.
Were any rations of any kind ask
| ed Colonel Davis, "sent to the troops
at any time as an experiment.?
Five thousand pounds of the Dold
beef responded General Eagan, "a
canned preparation that made nice
Hamburger steak, We're sent. 1t found
it's way to Porto Rico was used and
everybody was delighted with it. 1t
was very expensive and was not pur-
chased any further.
He then reviewed the first shipment
of refrigerated beef to Santiago which
he considered as experimental. because
the value of refrigerated beef had not
then been established finally. Aside
from these absolutely no other expert
mental shipments were made. General
Eagan declared, with great emphasis.
ION the contrary, he added, Il
fought all the time against it.
Was anything furnished on the pre-
tense of experiment.? asked Colonel
Davis. suggesting General Miles nota-
Bile allegation.
NO sir; never: not to the value of a
penny" replied General Eagan, without
Indicating consciousness of the query's
suggestiVeness.