Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-07
.LETTERFROMARM
The Powell Process for Pre-
serving Fresh Meats,
A SURGEONS EXPERIENCE,
Refrigerated Meat Produced an Epi-
demiC OF Illness.
THE ~ AND 72 HOUR CLAUSES.


1
WASHINGTON, April Gin the army
beef court OF inquiry to-day the letter Of
Messrs Armour & Co.. proposing to use
the Powell process for the preservation
of beef, was submitted as evidence by
Major Lee, acting for General Miles. it
was addressed to the Commissary-Gene-
raj. dated at the firms Washington office,
July 13. 1898. and read as follows:
"As supplementary and explanatory to
our bid to supply dressed beef in cuba,
we wish to say that we have the exclusive
| control Of the Powell process for pre-
serving fresh meats, and that this pro-
cess has been tested at Tampa. Fla, the
test having been completed with very
satisfactory results. This test was made
under the supervision of Colonel John
| Weston. Of your department. who has
advised YOU of the results. We are ad-
vised. however. that he received four
| carcasses Of beef which we sent him from
! Chicago duly refrigerated and treated ac-
Of these carcasses were enveloped i'm
sacks, or canvas. and part were not. These
carcasses were distributed 10 the
| Third Cavalry, the Sixth Cavalry. bat
teries OF artillery. and the medical depart
ment. and We're hung I'm the air on the
| upper deck Of the transport troop-ships,
| lying at the wharf i'm the hot sun, without
any benefit Of fresh air or movement Of
the ships. The pieces that were not wrap
ped fermented in less than seventy-two
hours, while the pieces that were covered.
or wrapped, kept about ona hundred
hours.
WHAT TESTS SHOWED.
"These practical tests, made under the
supervision Of your own officer. show
that by means of this process wrapped
parts of carcasses can be kept longer
than the seventy-two hours required by
your specifications.
I'VE believe that we may safely say
such results have never before been ac-
complshed in the history of the fresh
meat business. In view of the tests which
we have made in the past. and OF the
result of the tests made under the super
We are absolutely safe in the assertion
that this is the only process or method
which Will secure the results required by
your specifications.
Very truly yours,
ARMOUR & CO..
per. T. j. Connor, superintendent.
\ SURGEONS EXPERIENCE.
The testimony began to-day, with DR..
l.. Ia, h..
volunteers Of the District of Columbia
He was at Tampa and in Cuba. and tes-
titled that the command was attacked
with diarrhOea to the extent OF an cpl
demic. after eating refrigerated beef
at both places. After the second attack
of this character the regimental surgeon
had ordered that the issue of the beef
be stopped. This was done, and the
diarrhOca ceased.
CONTRACT INCONSISTENCIES.
Mr.. William DeCaindry. who had been
chief clerk in the office OF the Commits
sary-General of the War Department for
twenty years. related his connection with
the work of letting the beef contracts. At
the instance of General Eagan, he had
first sent out forty or fifty telegrams TO
dealers in beef. asking for bids to supply
refrigerated beef, or for beef on the block.
General Eagan having supplied the form.
Mr. DeCaindry had been instructed by
General Eagan TO prepare the original
draft Of the contract for the beef supply. |
and after some rearranging. submitted
a draft, feeling confident that IL was
complete. 1t was then that men whom
he understood TO be representatives Of
Swift q Co. brought up the question as
TO the length Of time the beef should |
keep after issue. Memoranda for changes |
containing the 2i-hOur clause were brought
TO him by Captain Davis, assistant |
cOmmissary- general. In one of the re- |
visions General Eagan had interlined. i'm |
his own handwriting. a clause referring |
to the time. reading as follows: (Which |
shall not be more than seventy-two hours
from the time OF storing the same In such |
refrigerators." This clause. Mr. DeCain-
dry said. he had not at the time under |
stood. but he had no authority to strike |
il out. When the 2i-hour clause was in
serted General Eagan appeared dubious !
about 1t. but said nothing more.
CLERK WAS WORRIED.
Mr.. DeCaindry said that he had been
so worried by the apparent Inconsistent
cies in the contract that he had kept all |
the memoranda relating 20 the matter.
Are they on file now?" asked Major
Lee.
''They are not i'm the file boxes"
The witness then stated in reply TO
questions. that Captain Davis was i'm
charge Of these boxes. and that Captain
Davis was the special conhdant of Gene
raj Eagan.
ARMOUR RELIED ON "EMBALAIING
Mr.. DeCaindry then gave some of the |
particulars concerning the trial OF the |
Powell preservative process in Florida. |
He spoke of a letter of Armour * Co.'S |
in which they argued that they should be
awarded the contract because they con-
trolled this Powell process, notwithstand-
ing their bid was somewhat higher than
that Of Swift 4 Co.
What became Of that letter." asked |
Major Lee.
"A portion of IL is in the files" said
Mr.. DeCaindry, but the bulk OF II was
returned TO the writer at his request
The portion returned was the last para
graph. containing the endorsement OF the
Secretary OF War and the Commssary-
General An office copy was. however
retained"
The witness then was requested 10 and |
did read the letter from Armour * Co.. |
dated July 18th, bearing on this subject
but he said he had no remembrance of
tff,,.y ha Lott hofn /