The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-01
PREFERRED BACON
TO CANNED BEEF
Lieut.. Ramsay UphOldS the Charges oil
General Miles.
UNFIT FOR SICK OR WELL
Entire Car Loads We're Rejected on
Account Of the Stencil.
THE MEN WERE UNABLE TO EAT IT
Witness Regarded the Canned Roast
Beef Responsible for the Extra
ordinary Number OF Sick
Among Regiments. |
THE MEN WERE UNABLE TO EAT IT

washington, FeDruary B.-Ine feature OF
the court of inquiry into General Miles
beef charges today was an object lesson
in canned meats prepared by the court and
served to the non-commissioned men who
testified at yesterdays hearing.
The most interesting witness of the day
was Lieutenant Ramsay, Ninth infantry,
who had served as a commssary officer
at Baiquiri and Santiago, and who charac-
terlzed the canned roast beef as IAN I'M
palatable and uninviting grade of inferior
meat" which he would not willingly feed TO
any man, sick or we'll
The first witness today was Lieutenant
Ramsay, Ninth infantry, who was one of
Colonel Westons commissary assistants at
Santiago. So far as he knew no COM
plants came from the front as to the sort
of rations that were sent out After fur
Their minute inquiries from the recorder,
intended to develop whether any protests
were made from the front against the
canned beef the witness said that he re
ceived requests for as much bacon as he
could stand" The men preferred bacon to
canned beef and their preference was re-
spected whenever possible.
Better Ahan LuDa Beef
Colonel Davis had can of beef opened
and asked the witness to inspect it, saying
that il had come back from Cupa. Lieuten-
ant Ramsay smelled of it, tested It and
pulled some of it apart saying that 1t was
decidedly better beef than any he had seen
in Cuba.
Witness said he had seen a great many
cans of beef rejected among a tye car lot
at Tampa. The cans had burst and the
stencil in the cars was terrific. The con-
tractors replaced the spoiled cans in this
instance, but there was the same stencil
from more defective cans when the car
goes were broken in Cuba. The witness
had helped TO unload the Mississippi when
she arrived at Santiago The beef was good
and the issue ashore was made as early a
possible and the meat protected from the
heat as much as possible with tarpaulins.
Afterwards witness rejoined his regi-
ment and saw something of the other side
of the beef problem in the camp mess.
When outside of Santiago about half the
meat was lost by trimming off the tainted
parts.
Asked by General Davis as to his per-
sonal experience with canned roast beef,
witness said he had only used 1t at Bal
quiri. He declared it IAN unpalatable and
inferior quality" of badly boiled beef.
UNFIT for Sick Well
Colonel Gillespie questioned the witness
with some asperity when he ventured the
opinion that the meat was unfit for sick
men to use, but witness replied firmly that
he considered it unfit to feed to men either
sick or well. He considered 1t responsible
in considerable part for the sickness and
stomach trouble among the men. He had
1t frequently on his table, but never tasted
1t but once. Neither did his sergeant eat
1t more than a few times.
Leutenant-Colonel A. L. Smith, chief
commissary at Havana, testified in some
detail as to the purchasing arrangements or
the commissary department when the war
broke out, and of the proportion agreed
on between the bacon and the canned meat
in the ration. 1t was finally decided to
make the ration half bacon and half canned
meat, roast beef predominating over can
ned corned beef because there was more
to be had on the market.
Colonel Smith did not go to CUBA with
the Shafter expedition, but he saw great
deal of the loading at Tampa. He had seen
two cars of Armour's canned meat re-
jected because of the stencil arising from
the cars. The contractors had asked leave
to go over the cars and remove the de-
fective cans This was done, so he I'M
derstood. and the cars afterwards ac-
cepted.
Divided In Opinion
The troops in Porto Rico seemed to be
divided in opinion as to the value OF the
refrigerator meat. Some regiments took it
and some refused 1t. Part of the meat was
left on shore and spoiled, and part was
taken back to the United States. witness
inspected the beef only after it came on
Shore Part was mouldy and some was
tainted, but the larger part was perfectly
good.
Col. Smith made contracts for native
beef but as there was complaint as to this
supply and some of the commands asked
for bacon in place of fresh meat. There
were complaints about the canned beef be-
cause of the lack of vegetables to COOK 1t
with Witness said he never heard of the
use of the chemicals with the refrigerator
beef. The afternoon session opened with
surprise for the witnesses On the long
table in the court room there were eight
plates with various stews and compounds of
beef. some of canned beef fresh from the
factory, some of the beef that had gone
To Cuba and back and others of fresh beef
from the washington market, but prepared
as nearly as possible In the same way that
the canned beef which was packed at the
factory. The enlisted men who testified
vesterday were brought in and asked to
nick out IL they could the various sorts OF
beef from the various plates.
II was a trying ordeal for the men, most
of them declaring that none OF the plates
looked like anything they had eaten In
Cuba. By repeated assurances that there
was canned beef In two of the plates, and
after being urged that they should disclose
.sto the best Of their belief" the court sue
ceeded in getting an expression OF op1n-
ion from each of the men, An, army sur
peon. DIR. Bowden, kept tally on the
euesses of the men and changed the posi-
tons of the plates after each witness had
left the room. The result of this record
was not made public, however, and VIII be
reserved until DR.. Bowden testihes, proba-
bly, some time this week.