The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-07

beef court. Of inquiry to-day the letter
of Messrs Armour and Company, pro-
posing to use the Powell process foG the
preservation of beef was submitted as
evidence by Major Lee. acting foc Gen
eral Miles. 1t was addressed to the
Commissary General dated at the hrms
Washington office, July 18th, 1858, 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 ex-
elusive control of the Powell process for
preserving fresh meats and that this pro-
cess has been tested at Tampa, the test
having been completed with most salts
factory results.
This test was made under the super
vision of Colonel John Weston, of your
department, who has advised you of rhe
result. We are advised however, that
he received four carcasses of beef which
we sent him from Chicago duly refrig-
Grated and treated according 10 the
Powell process.
part Of these carcasses We're enyel-
oped in sacks or canvass and part were
not These carcasses wtGe distributed
to the Third cavalry, the Sixth cavalry,
batteries or artillery and the medical
department and were hung in the air
ON the upper deck of the transport troop
ships, lying at the wharf i'll the hot sun,
without any benefit of the fresh air or
movement of the ships. The pieces that
were not wrapped fermented in less
than - hours, while the pieces that were
covered or wrappeca kept about 100
hours.
These practical tests made under the
supervision of your own orn~pr show
that by means of this process Nranped
pieces Of carcasses can be kept lorirer
than the II hours required by yonl
specifications.
1--WE believe that we may safely say
such results have never before been
accomplished in the history of the fresh
meat business. In view of the tests
which we hava made in the past and
of the result of the tests made under
the supervision of your own officer, we
believe that we are absolutely safe in
the assertion that this is the only pro-
cess or method which wall secure the
results required by your specifications.
Very truly yours,
CSignedJ ARMOUR & co,
Per T. j. CONNOR, Supt."
The testimony began to-day with DR..
l.. Clifford Cox, Assistant Surgeon in
the volunteers of the District of Column
bia. He was at Tampa and in Cuba and
testified that the command was attacked
with diarrhoea to the extent of an ep-
demic after eating refrigerator 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 diar.
rhoea ceased.
Mr.. William A. Decaindry, who has
been chief clerk in the office of the Com
missary General of the War Depart
ment, for twenty years, related his con-
nection with the work of letting the
beef contracts. At the instance of Gen
eral Eagan he had first sent out 40 or
80 kilograms 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 sup
ply, and after some rearranging sub
mitted draft, feeling confident that it
w
whom he understood to be representa-
tives of Swift & Company brought up
the question as to the length of time
the beef should keep after issue. Memo
randa for changes containing the twenty
four hour clause were brought to him
by Captain Davis, Assistant Commits
sary General. In one of the revisions
General Eagan had interlined in his own
/ IL 20 fp fhn
time reading as follows:
(Which shall not be more than y
hours from the time of storing the same
in such refrigerators."
This clause, Mr.. Decaindry said he
had not at the time understood, but he
had no authority to strike it out. When
the "a hour clause was inserted General
Eagan appeared dubious about it, but
said nothing more.
Mr.. Decaindry said that he had been
so worried by the apparent inconsisten-
cies in the contract that he had kept all
the memoranda relating to the matter.
Are they on file now?" asked Major
Lee.
"1'hey aregnot in the file boxes.
The witness then stated in reply to
questions that Captain Davis was i'm
charge oil 1neSe boxes. anu thdt tiptslH
Davis was the especial confident of Gen
eral Eagan.
Mr.. Decaindry gave some Of the parti-
culars concerning the trial of the Powell
perservative process in Florida. He
spoke of letter of Armour q Company.
III which they argued that they should
be awarded the contract because they
controlled this Powell process, notwith-
standing their bid was somewhat higher
than that of Swift & Co.
what became of that letter." asked
Major Lee.
"a portion of it is in the files, said
A.. nocaindr,- ..hut tho b,ilLs of II us,e