New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
THE BEEF INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. POWELL TESTIFIES ABOUT HIS
PREVENTATIVE PROCESS.

MORE REPORTS FROM ARMY OFFICERS
coNpEMNING THE CANNED MEAT
GENERAL MILEss WITNESSES
NOT TO BE CALLED. >.
Washington April s.-The Army Beef Court OF
INQUIRY decided to-day TO adhere to Its decision not
10 call the list OF witnesses submitted by Generai
Miles The reading of the ofical reports was nm
shed Alexander Powell. the owner OF the preserv-
Alive process Of which 20 much has been saio,
rave many details concerning his invention ana
tsid that he made agreement with Armour "
Co. to have them the process In case they
,hould secure the Government contract He said
however that Swift & Co. had not had the use or
h. General Shafter probably will testify early
lext week and the outlook is for the closing OF
testimony by next Saturday
John Rusch of Englewood. n. j.. cook for the
"a New-Jersey Regiment. was called.at the instance
~ Lieutenant Colonel Currie. OF that regiment
Who recently testified regarding the character Of
he beef supplied to the regiment while at Jackson
lille saying that his Information came from Rusch
The latter declared to-day that It was common talk
among the soldiers that all the meat sent South
vas "embeimed" The story became prevalent, and
he men refused 10 eat the meat. which. he testi-
led was rotten often Shiny in appearance. and
here we're frequent complaints that II made the
hen sick" After frying II tasted like straw. and
lad peculiar smell II decayed
Alexander T. Powell. OF New-York proprietor or
he Powell beer preSerNatNe process, IOHoNtu
busch on the stand. Mr. Powell said he had been
dealer In meats in New-York for the last twenty
I've years. He explained at some length that ne
vas the sole owner of the Powell process for pre-
,ervng fresh without the use of ice that the
brmu.a was a secret and that It was not patented
because eminently simple. He declared en-
,hatically that neither boracic nor salcyic acid
tas used IN the process nor. he added. ''s there
my injection immersion in chemicals. The proc
ss is applied by fumigation. There would be no
NEIL except that of sulphur for nalf-hour or so
ifter the application. nor would any taste he no
tceable."
POWELLs PREVENTATIVE PROCESS.
Mr. Powell gave the particulars OF his treatment
n a carload Of Armour's beef which was sent to
tamra in the spring Of 1898 When he heard that
he contract was TO be riven out he reached the
onclusion that the Government ought 10 have the
se Of the process. and he had written TO the Presi-
lent TO General Miles and to General Eagan asking
there he should apply to have the process used
General Eagan had replied, saying the Department
Vas not engaging in purchasing any process but
hat 1t could only deal with those who would supply
he meat and guarantee that II should keep. The
applied 10 a car OF six carcasses OF beer
n Chicago owned by Armour e. Co He had made
he arrangement with Mr. Connors. the superin-
endent for Armour & Co. agreeing that they
hould have the preference In the of the
or the Government. These carcasses were taken to
tampa the latter part of May. and Colonei Weston
ecured four of the carcasses exposing them IN the
nn for about eighty hours 1t was after this ex-
osure that Colonel Weston made his report. which
Tas commendatory. He said later that Armour &
Co. had not 10 his knowledge. used the process
hring the war. nor had It ever been used by any
ne except himself There were, however. other
eef-preservative processes in the market.
Does your process resemble the embalming
eocess at ALP" asked Major Lee.
Not in the least" replied Mr. Powell "but see
o reason why 1t could not be so used-why human
bdies could not be preserved by its use. However.
here Is no resemblance TO the embalming process
Mr. Powell said he had known Of hotels in which
eef prepared by him had been used for the last
I've years and in which II gave the best satisfac-
lon He had only verbal contract with Armour
Co.. but the understanding vas that II that firm
lot the contract they were TO have the exclusive
pntrol OF the process during the continuation of
he contract only. He was to have 30 cents per
hundred for its use-about 800 a carload. He had
lot attempted to make any arrangement with Swift
Co. the successful bidders, at the time, but
Tter the battle of Santiago had written TO Mr..
iwift on the subject. furnishing a sample Of the
eef treated Nothing however. had OF It,
Mr. Powell said he made no claim that HIS process
you'd not discolor beef Any process would
! change IN appearance After the OF his
recess beef would look ike meat that had been in
old storage for two weeks. darkening the grain
md bleaching the fat. There would be a smell OF
ulphur for an hour sulphur OF the
gticles used in the fumigaton. Refrigerated meat
thich had not been kept cool enough would look
irny and be dark of grain. He considered 1t i'm
ossible to keep fresh meat for seventy-two hours
fter leaving a refrigerator without preservative
recess and he OF the opinion that any agree
uent 10 keep It long in the climate Of Cuba
liter taking II out OF the refrigerator must involve
ONE preservative process He thought II thorough
frozen II would keep from twelve to twenty
ours. and not longer.
Captain George B. Davis. who General
sagan's principal assistant in the ComnissaryGen-
rails once. recalled TO give testimony
erning shipment OF canned beef 10 the
roops at Dunn Loring Va He said many
tad been opened in the of1ee and he had never
bund any that did not contain wholesome meat.
Captain Davis asked permission to make a brief
katement In response TO Mr.. De Caindry. He said
nat his charge OF the files OF the Commssary-
Generals office only perfunctory. and that he
had had a search made for the memoranda which
Dr. De Csindry had reported missing and had
bund one Of them He had never removed any
lapers from the flies.
MORE REPORTS OF ARMY OFFICERS.
The reading of the reports of officers was then
resumed by Major Lee. Lieutenant-C Colonel Bsbee
" the ist Infantry forwarded tho reports Of his
company officers saying that he concurred in their
IMPRESSIONS OF opinion. Lieutenant Campbell King
aid all the beef that had come under his observa-
Son was bad; Lieutenant D. G. Berry. that IT had
10 permanent Ill effects but that II promoted
hight nausea: Lieutenant Kibourne. that the beef
vas unpalatsble and Lieutenant McCue. that the