The Topeka state journal., 1899-01-12
JEANETTE JENNINGS.
Red Cross Nurse Testifies Before the
War Investigation Commission.

Washington, Jan. 12-Several represent
atiyes of the Chicago packers who fur,
Porto Rico testified before the war in
yHestigation commission Yesterday, detal,f
meats and relating the experiences of the
packers packer in supplying beef to the Enghshii ni
of the witnesses maintained that the peer
furnished the army was OF the same quai-
ments and supplied to the trade Of the
world and that the quality was UNIFORM
Jennette Jennings, a newspaper woman
and volunteer worker of the Red Cross,
who was at Santiago on the supply ship
Texas, appeared and varied the monotony
of the chemical beef inquiry by telling her
experience as a nurse aboard the Seneca.
York as a ''horror ship Witness said
that, contrary to the testimony of nu-
merous army surgeons, the Red Cross did
elsewhere in Cuba. and that this aid had
been requested by DR.. La Garde, the sur
gratefully acknowledged at the time.
Regarding the Seneca, witness was sent
returning from Cuba. Her description of
the vessel did not differ essentially from
We're We're aboard al @ the Seneca on ii her -f trip to
New York. She said that except for a
not aboard it a single article for the use
of the sick. The captain was very at
sick soldiers from the passengers table,
but he protested before starting that the
vessel had not been cleaned and was in
no condition to receive sick or conva-
leScentS. and that she had no supplies nor
even eating utensils for the sick aboard.
Witness, seeing this condition. had hasti-
ly collected as many supplies as possible
from the Texas, but time did not permit
getting much.
The ships passengers. who were foreign
attaches and correspondents, gave up their
staterooms to the sick, and with the hast
lily collected supplies the ship managed
to get through without losing patient.
Witness spoke of the lack of surgical in
struments aboard. and Mr.. Conner, who
was conducting the examination, asked
what need there was for surgical instru-
mentS beyond scissors and banda geS.
Witness replied that one soldier had
nearly suffocated. being shot through the
lungs, had ia ounces of liquid pumped out
| of his thorax as soon as they could get
said, We're almost as badly in need of sur
gical attention.
She said further that in spite of the fact
! that the Seneca and other transports un-
were loaded to the utmost for the home
voyage, the Relief. which was fitted to carry
800 sick. came home Immediately after
ward with only 125 patients aboard her.
water. a special agent of the agricultural
J department, who was called an ex-
| pert chemist on the subject of ''embalmed
/ beef" The giSt of Dr. Atwater'S testi-
mOny, which occupied some hours, was
| that he considered the ordinary canned
beef of commerce, both corned and roast,
| excellent food and OF about equal nutri;
| tive value. He considered refrigerated
| beef excellent food and had never heard
of chemicals other than salt and salt
| peter being used in preserving any sort
/ of meat to be found in the general mar
/ ket.
! DR.. Atwater was exceedingly guarded in
| his testimony. however and would not
| give categorical answers He was in
| a long. qualified and explanatory answer
| to almost every query.