The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-06

Washington, January 4-Another
disagreeable consequence of the late
war has been the presentation to the
government of claims Of cable COM
panies for damages sustained through
the suspension of their business by the
United States military and naval forces
What the aggregate amount OF these
claims will be cannot be foretold. The
companies in each case base their
claims upon the number of days of in
terruption to business, estimating the
loss each day by the records of busi-
ness transacted in corresponding pc
riods in former years. The state de-
partment is puzzled in dealing with
these claims. There is no exact prece-
dent for them and it is realized we
must make some more international
law to meet the cases. The companies
believe they have a precedent for their
demands in he attitude assumed by
the United States in the claim of the
Central and South American Telegraph
Company, whose cables were cut off
the coast Of Chile by the congressional
party which succeeded in overthrow
ing the Balmaceda party in Chile. The
Chilean claims commission allowed the
cable company about one-fourth OF It's
claim.t
The principal argument against the
allowance of the claims in the pending
cases based upon a denial that they
are parallel with the South American
case. 1t is also asserted that at Ma
inla for instance the cable was being
used as a weapon by the Spanish gar
rison and that the United States was
justified in destroying this weapon.
A
MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT.
The cost of the porposed military es-
Establishment under the Hull bill, re-
ported to the house, as compared with
'the present regular military establish
ment, not counting the volunteer forces
incident to the war, is shown in letters
sent by Adjutant General Corbin to
Chairman Hull of the military COM
mittee.
They give the present cost of the reg
ular army at 4,343, 434; cost under the
proposed bill $50, ,053,665; increase of
cost $57,710,231.
A GOOD WORD FOR REFRIG-
GRATED BEEF.
Major Hopkins, military aide to the
secretary of war, testified before the
war investigating commission regard
ing the sanitary conditions at the
ca7mDN~at Tampa, Camp Thomas and
Camp Arger. 1t was the old question
of sinks, drainage and camp police, and
the testimony If the witness was little
different from preceding witnesses.
Major Harrison, Ninth volunteer in
fantry, whose {regiment was raised
. near New Orleans and is now in SER
vice at Santiago was next called. Con-
corning commisSary stores, he said
those in the UAited States were the
hest that could be bought in the open
market. The refrigerated beef sent
from this country,> he said, was excel
lent He had much experience with
refrigerator meat, ard said that while
there was some disposition on the part
of the regiment cooks to cavil at the
appearance of the meat, it was in re-
atty quite good He explained that
the sudden change of temperature on
removing the meat from refrigerator
ships produced what is kknown as a
beard greenish growth that had to
be scraped off. When this was done,
the meat beneath was perfectly good.
1t was served to the men With excellent
results and benefited the sick ma
terially. The chief trouble came when
the change was made toh hoof cattle
sent from Porto Rico. This beef Ma
jor Harrison killed himself and per-
sonally superintended it's fessins and
cooling. But it would not cool in that
climate" he said very empnat1cally.
1.-The meat never lost it's animal heat
and our sickness increased 10 per cent
Our board of survey had ne work to
do except condemning and burylns
this local killed beef
OF the canned meat Major Harrison
spoke with equal emphasis. saying that
ii was fully as good as the refrigerator
beef, was we'll received by the men
and none Of it had to be condemned
The witness said he was thoroughly IA
miiiar with the processes of refrtgerat-
ing and butchering meat and he was
willing to state positively that there
We're no chemicals used in any Of the
American beef that passed under his
observation. He regarded it as highly
improbable that anything of thel sort
had been attempted
CAVALRY ORDERED TO CUBA.
Orders were issued today for Troops
ID. q. f. III. K and L, of fne-Eighth
cavalry, now at Huntsville, Ala, to
proceed at once to Savannah, CD, for
embarkation on the transport Michi-
gan to Neuvitas. The troops will be
1uby armed and equipped for fieid ser
VICE and will carry rations and forage
for thirty days in addition to what
may be necessary for the trip. The
other s,roops of this regiment are al
ready IL Cuba. distributed bet1een
Neuvitas and Puerto Principe
NO GROUND FOR ExCITEMFSNT
AT SANTIAGO.
Regarding the sensational re v$brts
from Santiago that the whole pro<kince
has been inflaimed by the receN or
der of the war department .o9ncen-
trating all customs money in II&vana''
thus threatening a stoppage of ll pub