The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-12
MAGG0TS IN THE SLIME
Manure Wagons Used to Garry
the Beef.
THEY DIDN'T CLEAN THEM
The Commissaries at Camp Thomas Were
to Blame for the Condition of
Affairs-Msjor Lee on
the Stand.

III "iAlSu 6dIDdSC iido DeSll SdLlIcup llit
bottoms of which were covered with
slime in which maggots were crawling,
were used to carry fresh meat to the
soldiers at Camp Thomas, Chicka-
mauga, last summer Colonel Sharp was
stationed at Chickamauga from April
% to July 20 and was later chief COM
missary with General Brooke in Porto
Rico. The blame for this condition of
things, said Colonel Sharp, lay on the
shoulders Of the commissaries, who
sent their wagons for their meat with
out having properly cleaned them, ac-
cording to orders. AS soon as he learned
of the matter he ordered the wagons
cleaned Immediately. The meat issued
to the troops, the witness said, was of
good quality and in good condition, but
after it had been carried in wagons in
the condition described it was, of
course, impossible for the troops to use
it. Six witnesses were examined at the
first sitting of the court to-day, the evil
dence given by Lieutenant Colonel
Sharpe being the most important of the
day.
The court will reconvene Monday
morning. There are a number of wit
nesses yet to be examined in Chicago,
have been exhausted by Monday or
| Tuesday at the latest
From best information obtainable the
| court Will confine the inquiry while in
this city to these points:
First-kind of beef used in preparing
| roast beef.
second-Process of canning, the pur-
pose being to determine whether nutri-
ment is extracted from the meat
| Tnlr0-DiSDOSal of rOndpnne1 i
mails.
Fourth--Explanation of contracts
from packers.
/ Major Lee. who is looking after the
! Interests of Miles, occupied chair with
| the board.
The first witness was Major Fred A..
Smith, chief commissary of the depart
ment of the Great Lakes. 1t was the
duty of Smith to purchase all supplies
used by soldiers, both while in camp in
various parts Of this country and also
supplies used in Cuba and Porto Rico
Smith was on Skaters staff during the
entire Cuban campaign. He said:
Il never heard of any complaints be-
ing received at headquarters ON the
subject of rations. had in charge the
unloading of beef brought to Cuba on
the transports Mississippi and Port
Victor. I saw it every day and it made
favorable impression upon me. I
thought the beef of excellent quality
and had no reason to change my mind
during all the time I continued to issue
it. In point of preservation it's condi-
ton was good. 1t was as good as l
| ever saw. There We're no complaints
received while was there. There were
never any complaints received with re-
spect to canned roast beef so far as my
knowledge goes. l saw it used fire..
quently and ate it myself. No official
complaint reached me. l arrived in
New York on Aug. IA and was ordered
to Chicago as chief commissary for the
department of the lakes.'
The witness was asked:
WAS it practicable to have furnished
refrigerator beef fresh to the troops in
operation before the surrender"
Yes, sir
WAS any effort to furnish it made?"
mot to my knowledge"
In answer to questions from Major
Lee, witness said he had heard that
some of the meat was not in first-class
condition when it reached the camps,
but always thought it was due to negli-
gence of the division commander.
DO you wish the court to infer the
unsatisfactory condition of the meat
was due to neglect of those officers or
to conditions under which they had got
the beef out there?"
II presume it was due to conditions
|
| ''If under the terms of contract that
beef was to last 72 hours, were there
any facilities in these camps around
Santiago to enable the troops to carry
out that provision Of the contract"
| mo, sir"
thing for that beef to last As or 72
hours?"
mo, sir: 1 do not"
Major Lee oss-questioned the wit
ness as to the methods of handling the
! refrigerator beef in Cuba from the time
| it left the transports until it reached
| the troops in the field. The witness was
| then dismissed.
Lieutenant Colonel H. B. Sharp was
next called. He was in Camp Thomas
| from April 23 until General Brooke was
ordered to Porto Rico, about July 20,
! when he was ordered to accompany him
as chief commissary of the first corps.
After he had told of the filthy condition
! of the wagons used for hauling meat at
| Chickamauga, the witness was asked:
Had yuu any reason to believe or
! suspect, during your stay at Chicka-
mauga, that the beef had been treated
with preservatives?"
No, sir"
The witness then explained to the
court how fresh beef was furnished the
troops when they first landed in Porto
! Rico. He arrived at Ponce about Aug.
3 and was there about a day while Cen
| eral Brooke was in consultation with
General Miles. The beef furnished the
troops at that time was taken from
native cattle which had been purchase
in open market. He examined the beef
| in the refrigerator room of the Mas
sachusetts. The Temperatures o.
| the room being below zero. The beef
was in perfect condition and as far as
he could judge he had no reason to
| suppose it had been treated with pre-
| serVative.
"All spoke of the excellent quality o.
| the beef he said. adding: "A grs sat
many complaints Were received from til :
| troops as to the native beef"
| In regard to the canned roast beef he