The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-23

ported as brigade commissary Of the
First brigade cavalry at Tampa, June
6, 1898. He had no knowledge OF any
experiment upon beef at Tampa He
accompanied the expedition TO Cuba
and issued canned roast beef on the
voyage and after the landing. On the
transport Rio Grande four quarters of
freSn beef were placed, ne understood
TOR the purpose of experiment, though
ne mad no knowledge of any treatment
ana knew nothing of its origin He was
instructed TO see how long it would
Keep. General Sumner gave him in
structons to care for and watch il.
Some of it was thrown overheard the
second day out. and the remainder on
the third day. 1t had been on the dock
several hours before being placed on
board, and when thrown overheard it
was very offensive. None OF it was
eaten by any one.
Lieutenant Cole. Sixth cavalry, who
was also aboard tee Rio Grande, which
carried General Summers headquarters
and the four experimental quarters Of
beef TO Cuba, was much clearer in his
recollection of the beef quarters than
Captain Beckman. 1t was. he said, from
some firm of meat packers" and was
sent expressly for experimental use by
the soldiers, with the knowledge that
II was chemically prepared. The beef
lasted only three days. after which it
decayed and was thrown overheard.
Some of ii was cooked before it spoiled.
Witness sew the piece cooked, but did
not eat it. 1t looked we'll and the men
who tasted it said 1T was all right"
Lieutenant Colonel II. II. Hum
phreyS, Twenty second infantry, said
canned roast beef was issued TO his
command in small quantities prior to
the surrender of Santiago, but he had
heard then no complaints about it.
When refrigerated beef was furnished
It was at first satisfactory, but it spoil
ed in large quantities. and the men
finally ceased to care for ii. The
canned roast beef was hen used in a
stew, but the men would not eat it.
Witness did not know why. He at
tempted to eat the beef from the can.
1t did not taste right. 1t gagged him.
He gave it up.
GENERAL KENT CALLED.
Brigadier General J. G. Kent, who
commanded a division in the Santiago
campaign, said complaints of canned
roast beef came from the men-it SEEM
ingly nauseated them-but he took no
action, considering these complaints
unavoidable incidents of the campaign.
He understood much of the refrigerated
beef spoiled en- route from the docks
TO the troops, because of the delay in
cident TO transporting it.
General Kent, replying to Colonel
Davis, said beef on the hoOf would
have been preferable TO refrigerated
beef, but he doubted very much the
practicability of live cattle sup2ly
about Santiago.
Colonel Charles NJ. Woodruff, assist
ant commissary general and United
States army purchasing agent and de-
pot cOmmissary at Governors Island,
New York, who was prominent in army
supply purchases, testified that he
bought a total of 81 256, 900 worth of
supplies in the first six months of the
war. He bought between SEQ, 900 and
100000 pounds of canned roast beef, at
cost ranging from 111a cents TO IA
cents per pound, according to the size T,
of cans. Principal dealers would bid !
monthly on it, and When he received /
orders to ship canned beef he would |
sample the beef in the market; accept /
and order it at his discretion. All con-
tracts contained clauses providing that I
contractors should replace any beef |
that proved unfit for use, without fault |
of army officers. Each box contained |
a certificate of inspection and approval /
from an official of the agricultural de- /
partment, approving the cattle on hoOf /
and after slaughter. Most of the beef |
~ a. SlAApPEu " e14AAPel l4C CAlLAtG sup
ply in New York and the entire coun- /
try, together with $4,000 pounds |
brought from Europe, where it had /
been shipped, was exhausted, and the |
factories, Colonel Woodruff understood. |
were run night and day to meet the eX- |
traOrdinary demand.
Witness said he understood canned /
roast beef had been brought to the I
front in the recent war because of a
desire to give the soldiers something
besides salt meats in their movements
in The tropics.
Replying to Colonel Davis query,
Colonel Woodruff said ne had been IA
miliar with all campaigns in the past /
twenty-five years. and never had beef
on the hOOf been used as the fresh
meat supply. A statement, ne said,
that beef on the hOOf was the usual
source of supply would not represent
the facts. This was brought
out in response to General Miles state
ment TO the contrary. Colonel Wood
ruff declared that fresh beef was Sc
cured from contractors. and refri$er-
ated beef is now practically universally
used. The beef brought back from
Europe had been shipped for use in the
French and English armies
Captain Howell of the Seventh in
tantry said the canned roast beef WIS
not Dalatable. but he believed was
nutritious and il cooked as a stew,
would be satisfactory. The refrigerated
beef was good. when not spoiled and
he had not suspected the use of chemi-
Gals
AT the conclusion of Captain How
ell's testimony, a can of roast beef that
had been with the troops at Santiago
was opened and examined by the court.
being declared by Captain Howell sim
lar to that issued during the cam