The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-17
Appears to Have Been a Sub
ject Of Constant Mirth.
BELIEF PREVAILED
That All the Juice Had Been
Removed From the Roast
In Cans to Be Used in Making
Beef Extract.

Humphreys, who was in charge of the
water transportation at Tampa for
Santiago, was chief quartermaster on
Gen. Miles staff and was with General
Shafter prior to Gen. Miles arrival, was
the main witness before the war invest
dgating commission yesterday.
Prior to his appearance, Capt. r. J.
c. Irvine, Eleventh United States in
fantry, commissary on the Panama at
the time that transport was in charge
of Surgeon DAILY, who wrote a report on
the beef, condemning it in the most SEN
sational language, testified that the YES
sci sailed from Ponce on September 1 OF
and on the 18th there was a well mark
ed odor as OF something that had been
closed up" He was not prepared to
say the odor was like that emanating
from dead human body injected with
chemical personalities. as Surgeon DAILY
had reported. AS soon as complaint
was made of the beef he said it was ex-
amined and found to be very odorous.
The beer was thrown overheard. The
men were then put on the rest of the
ratlonS, living without fresh beef. The
witness said the lack of it was not felt
by the men. All the beef carried was
refrigerated beef. The ice taken aboard
had not been sufficient to preserve the
beef, ''even," as the commission asked,
IF 1T had been received in good condi-
ton" 1t was received in fairly good
condition, however, witness said.
After the beef was thrown overheard
he had thought it must have undergone
some change before it was brought
aboard or while aboard, before it was
put on the ice. The board of survey ex-
amined the beef and condemned it, be-
cause it was spoiled, nothing to any
other effect being adduced. It's report
said the beef was not received in good
condition and it exonerated Capt. Irvine
from responsibility therefor Despite
this finding, witness said he insisted
that he believed the beef was in condi-
ton for immediate use when received
and it was used for three or four days.
He cited the absence of refrigerating
facilities aboard and admitted the beef
was not as good as could be gotten at a
frSt-claSS restaurant, as it had not the
fresh flavor
GEN. HUMPHREYS TESTIFIES.
Gen. Humphreys, the chief witness of
the day said the congestion at Tampa
was due to inability of the roads to
handle the cars.
did you assign the troops in advance
of their arrival at Tampa to the differ
ent vessels?'' asked Gen. Wilson.
mo, SIR"
when these troops came to you were
they then assigned for the first timer
yes, sir, because that was neces-
sary."
He said that under the circumstances
the transports at Tampa were as well
fitted out as they could have been. Each
vessel carried it's full complement of
ordnance. quartermasted's and commits
sary's stores; in fact all that could be
taken. There were ia mule wagons
and seven ambulances taken.
'Why were no more wagons and am
balances taken?" queried General Will
son.
Because the vessels were full was
the answer.
would your reply then be lack of
transportation? '
81 would not like to say that"
All the wagons, said the witness,
were landed at Santiago. but all were
not set up. Litters, he said, should have
been landed before the battle of Ell
Caney, because they were regimentaI
and he believed they must have been.
Witness was aboard the Seneca for two
days and said she looked all right to
him.
81 know there were people aboard the
Concho who ought not to have been,'
he said in reply to queries as to passes
for outsiders to come north on these
vessels. He thought duplicate issuance,
of passes for foreign attaches and 9TH
ers might overcrowd the vessels and
had protested that only one person
should furnish passes. After the vessel
was turned over to the medical depart
ment he said he had nothing to do with
these ships. Asked as to serious COM
plants that had been made of the i'm
proper condition of the Seneca, Concho,
Breakwater and the City of Washing
ton, witness insisted that responsibility
rested with the medical department.
When the Seneca, Iroquofs or the City
of Washington sailed for home with the
Red Cross had a little. The first ice
schooner, he said, reached Santiago
July 80.
There was a long wrangle over the re-
sponsibility for the loading of the trans
ports for the sick.
OVERCROWDING.
eff the Concho;" asked Ex-Governor
Woodbury., was overcrowded, was it
because the government had not pro-
vided sufficient transportation or
through error of judgment of the
medical department.
''Why, the medical department, GER
tainly," replied Gen. Humphreys en-
phatically, because there were two
more ships each as good as the Concho
available
Speaking of the Santiago expedition,
he said it was easy enough now to look
back on things which might have been
done, but there were a thousand and
one things which happened which could
not have been anticipated. He was
closely questioned by DR.. Common as to
the supply of medical stores and the
transportation furnished to convey
the transportation, the pack trains
used before the wagon trains were I'M
loaded, were under the direction OF the
commanding general, with orders to get
ammunition and stores to the front,
preferably ammunition, but there was
in his opinion no reason why the medi-
cal stores should not have reached the
front.
1.-The medical corps WERE" said he,
denied nothing when it was possible
to give it to them.'
General Humphreys said medical
chests belonging to many surgeons were
not landed with the troops, as they
should have been. Tons and tons of
regimental property were landed in
some cases, but not the surgeons medi-
cine chests. Why, he could not under
stand. Asked if all the supplies were
landed by July 10, General Humphreys
said he could not say. IT don't know
"a IN