The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-10
INSPECTING CANNED BEEF.
THE CELEBRATED PRODUCT is IN
DERGOING AN EXAMINATION.


Is Having 6OO,OOO Pounds of
Canned Roast Beef Carefully In
spected-Heard That some of That
Last sent to Cuba ON the COmal
Was SDOiled-Wants to see This
Avoided in the Next shipment.
Mai. Huthers Thinks the Beef 81
Good Thing-The Meat would Have
Been Found Invaluable in n Con-
tinued Cuban Campaign.
There are 100000 pounds of canned roast |
beef at the depot commissary officers
storehouses and all of it is being subjected |
to a careful inspection to see that il is in
good condition. Maj. Ruthers ordered
this inspection made TO satisfy himself
that the beef is all right and in proper con- !
dition- to supply TO the Cubahs. He read
in the papers few days ago that a-supply
of the celebrated food whichswas sent to
Cuba a short time since aboard the Comal |
was not in prime order, and he wants no
repetition OF the complaint
The roast beef comes in tBo-pound
cans. Maj Ruthers says the percentage
Of cans that contain spoiled meat is very
small In the investigation that has been
storehouses he has found but comparauVe i
ly few that are not all right When the
meat is spoiled or tainted ii is due TO
there having been some little break In the
can. These are supposed to be heTmeti- |
cal, The entrance of aiF being sure means
of bringing about decay. As long as the
cans are kept unpunctured, the snajor !
says, there is little, if any, danger OF Inc
meat becoming spoiled.
The last shipment that went out from
here aboard the Comal was secured by
Mai. Ruthers from the supply house at
Atlanta. Such an inspection as is now
being made of the cans now on hand
was not had before the shipment went on
by the Comal. Had it been there would
have been no bad cans found among the
lot Maj Ruthers has not been instructed
to make this inspection. He is merely do
ing il through his own desire TO see that
the provisions that go out from his Office
are in good condition.
Mai Ruthers is a believer in canned
roast beef. He regards ID as a wise proVis-
ion of the commissary department and be-
leves it would have been found of great
value to the army in Cuba had 1t been
obliged to carry on a continued campaign.
He said beeves could not have been OBJ
tanned in the island and there would have
been no other meat to be had. He insists
that with the proper care on the part of
the officers who had the handling of the
beef, there should never he any trouble on
account of a poor quality of the stuff be-
ing issued. Every care should be eXercis-
ed to guard against this. Had these Of
fcers, Maj. Ruthers says, attended to
their duties as they should and seen to it
that every can that passed through their
hands was good, there would not have
been all the trouble there has been about
this meat. 1t is a good quality of beef,
he says and is not unwholesome. He does
not regard it as a food that should be
used as the sole meat diet in travelling
and has himself always made il a point
to issue it together with corned beef, the
latter being little in excess. Pepper and
salt. too, he issues with supplies of the
beef, as he considers that it should be
well seasoned when eaten.
Mai Rut1ers does not believe there Is
any more of this beef spoiled than there
is of any other canned goods that are
handled in the same quantities. He re-
CARDS it as no more than might be expect
ed for a number of cans out Of say, $780,,
900. to be found in bad shape. great
quantity of canned tomatoess or canned
baked beans or any canned meat, picked
up indiscrimnately among the stores of
the city he says, would have spoiled ones
among them as trial would show. Much
of the talk and trouble that has come up
through the beef Investigations, he main
tains followed the failure of some of the
commissary officers to look properly after
their duties, and also the kicks Of officers
and men when they happened to get spoil
ed meat that had slipped through the
hands of these commissaries without the
proper care having been taken to prevent
it, The major is a great believer in. con-
demning food supplies, about which there
is any doubt of their being in condition
that would prove wholesome for the men
if eaten. He says it would be better
pIan every time to condemn 81 900 worth of
food than to have il kill a soldier through
being issued.
When the employees of the depot commits
sarv are at work looking through the cans
for those that contain spoiled meat they
have no trouble in deciding when one
comes under their noses. If the puncture
through which the air entered and caused
the putrefaction is not evident that makes
no difference. There is all-pervading
odor that brands the can as bad. Maj.
Ruthers says he does not know anything
that smells just as bad as this meat when
II is spoiled. A few bad cans in an inn
mense pile viii lend their perfume to an
entire store room.
The Comal IS expected to arrive about
Feb. Is to take out another supply of pro-
visions for the Cubans BY this time the
inspection of the meat will have been con
cluded and it will be ready to go on the
vessel.