The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-15
.EACAN GAVE THE ORDER
For Purchase of Roast Beef for
the Army.
G. F. SWIFT ON THE STAND
The Beef on the Manitoba Was Mouldy
1t Had Whiskers-Spoiled on
tho Voyage From the
South.

fled to-day before the government court
of inquiry that the stores of canned
roast beef bought by him during the
Spanish war were all unDn the direct
order of General Eagan, the commits
sary general He also stated that some
purchases of canned beef were made
without his knowledge by the commits
sary general. Another Of the days i'm
portant witnesses was Gustavus F.
Swift e Co. Good progress was
made with the court to-day but the end
Of the list of witnesses to be examined
in Chicago is not yet in sight.
Captain Homer of the Apinwa as
sistant quartermaster and acting COM
missary of volunteers during the Span
ish war, in command of the transport
Manitoba. testified he took on board at
Newport News 1,755 quarters of refrig-
Grated beef The Manitoba left New
port News Aug s. and arrived off
Ponce. Porto Rico, Aug. 10. Homer said
no beef was landed at Ponce, and the
Manitoba proceeded to Miowa. where
large quantities of the meat was issued
and gave good satisfaction, with the
exception of few cases where it was
taken a number of miles into the in
terror. August 81, the Manitoba re-
turned to Ponce, where the beef also
proved satisfactory. September I, the
Manitoba was ordered to take some
troops to New York The refrigerator
ship still had on board large quantity
of beef taken on at Newport News. Dur
ing the voyage the meat began to spoil
A board of survey was convened on the
arrival at New York and the meat was
condemned, and taken away by lighter.
which, witness understood. was hired
by Swift G. Co.
Witness said further that when the
beef was taken off on the lighter at New
York itFShad t4whisIters' on it. 1t was
mouldy on the outside. The board of
survey mad several quarters examined,
and the beef inside was perfectly good,
but the board felt that as there was so
much mould on the outside the beef was
bad and that it would be unsafe to is
sue to the troops.
Did you have any occasion to sus-
pect that the beef had been treated
with a preservative?'
mo, sir
Did anything of that kind come to
your knowledge in conversation"
NO, sir"
G. F. Swift. president of Swift &
Co., then testified. The witness
denied that his company used chemicals
in preserving beef. The refrigerator
and nothing else was used.
Mr.. Swift was questioned at length
as to his Interpretation of his firms
contract with the government. and this
questioning developed a marked diff
ference of opinion between Mr.. Swift
and former Commissary General Eagan,
as to the length of time the beef was
guaranteed to keep after being removed
from the refrigerator ship. General
Eagan had testified that the beef was to
keep, under normal conditions remain
ing sweet and proper for food 72 hours
after 1t left the refrigerator ship. Mr..
Swift maintained that his firm had con-
tracts ito furnish beef that would keep
72 hours in the refrigerators ashore
after its delivery from the refrigerator
ships, or "a hours after being issued
from the refrigpra tor buildings on shore,
and he maintained that the contractors
We're not liable for meat condemned
after having been Y hours away from
the ship.
Where there were no refrigerator on
shore he maintained that the contract
ors' liability ceased after "a hours.
The witness stated that chemicals were
not in any way used as a preservative.
He had heard of the Powell process and
other chemical experiments, but had
never tried them. BoraX was used, he
said, in packing and shipping cured
joints of pork. but not on beef. He
said that his company did no canning,
but furnished the beef used by Libby,
Mcneil & Libby for canning.
Major Lee asked if the larger pro-
portion of the poorer beef did not go
to the canners. Mr.. Swift replied that
it did not.
The next witness was Horace c.
Gardner, the manager of the construc-
tion and mechanical department of
Swift & Co. He repeated the in
cidents attending the closing of the
contracted between Swift & Co. and
General Eagan.
What conversation was there as to
the application of your practice of keep
ing meat in Cuba and Porto Rico as to
refrigerator plants?" he was asked.
Il told him that it would be neces-
sary to meet the eXigencies of that eli
mate to erect refrigeratorS on shore:
that I die not think it would be safe
in any other way, but that so far as
treating beef with any process with
chemicals to preserve it. we would not
do it at all; that if we could not get
the business and do it according to
our regular process of refrigeration we
would not take it."
Were shore refrigerators provided
for?"
Yes; we contemplated that in our
original proposal
The witness denied that any chemi-
calls whatever were used in the beef
business. Refrigeration was the only
thing relied upon.
Is IF General Eagan testified that the
limit was 70 hours, how do you recon
cile this conflict with the testimony?'
General Eagan was mistaken"
William Van Widdie, refrigerator
engineer in the employ of Swift &
Co, testified that he had charge of
the meat OF the ship Port Victor, which
reached Port Tampa July 81. The meat
was loaded on the ship there from re-
frieerator cars and was in good con-
dition when received. No chemicals
We're used in the preservation of beef.
The ship went to Santiago, taking a
refrigerator plant. but was kept wait
ing 43 days before the plant could be