The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-24

comnisssry general prior - the outbresk
q she VA and sgb;sqpsnsly ss;asssssSsh st
while At Tampa he participated IN load
ing The trausports. No Refrigerated neet
for the troops was put on board, the
soldiers being furnished with traveI
rations. Leaving Tampa July tth, he was
Al ChickamauRa until August end tesn
, S, - 70 the e1oslisnos OF the refr'ss'a'S'
He esplaised the contract with Swift .
90. q sayinv IL required the bSef 70 Keep
7elhours after being taken from the ship
refrigerator and II taken from tbs CON
Germs refrigerator on shore 1t should seep
"a hours thereafter.
Witness said he had to use some beef on
the hoof, but Il never became nrm ana
Gid not compare favorsbly with the re-
fr igersted beef, nor did IL give mncn
satisfaction.
Witness declared his opinion that many
of the olaims Of officers that refrigerated
beef was spoiled were false. The beef, ne
said. often appeared offensive and spoiled.
whereas II knife were used TO out on the
outside, "the best besf you could hnd
anywhere" would Be found.
Speaking Of the men and their COM
plnints he ssid: "AIl their livers were
out Of whack. ! estimate thai 80 par cent
Of them had enlarged livsrs and they wers
ready to complain ct every thing-wanted
to fed all the time on delicacies.
Major OsRood, Just prior to being ex-
cussd, was entering upon . criticism OF
the equipment Of . convslescent ship, MS
criticism affecting the medical depart
msut, when General Wade stopped him
b. saying that the question was outside
the province of the court.
Capt. g. l. Scott. 9th cavalry, declared
the native beet was unsstisfa Glory,
while the refrigerated beef was highly
pleasing. He had eaten canned roast beef,
but he'd no complaints to make.
Capt. Charles II. Grierson, 10th cavalry,
said no notable complaints were made
did not eat 1t At Tampa he he'd az
perienoe with refrigerated beef. He
believed 1t was satisfactory. tormer
Commissary Eagan. who had Just arrived
from New York, was then presented 70
the court. He said he considered care
army and when beef on the hoof or
refrigerated beef could not be supplied.
He was very fsvorably impressed with
the canned roast beef. and united with
other officers of the department In adopt
ing IT. He understood the navy had
used 10 for many years with entire salts.
faction. In introducing canned roast
beef It was the Intention to use 1t rs
an incident and the men could take 1t OF
not as they liked. The best way, he
said. for Il to be used, was In stew
with vegetables.
The first complaint about this peef
csme from Capt Philip Reed Of the COM
prised and ordered all officers who had
the beef to examine and report. All re-
sponses endorsed the beef
The question Of supplying refrigerat-
ed beef came up at once with the war
and there were many consultations with
.I-. hon be- xftax
OF beef after being taken from the re-
frigerators. Refrigerated beef and frozen
beef were sent to Tampa for test and
witness recollection was that the fruzen
spoiled first Mind, you. however,"
said Gen. Eagan, 'this WAS not process
beef-that is beef treated with chemi-
Gals. -
Gen. EaRan said the department never
considered IL possible to get native beef
in Cuba aud the proposition for the gov
eminent to buy and take its own herds
to Cuba WAS never considered seriously.
Col. Davis read the contract with
Swift g. Co, for the Porto Rican supply
identified the copy. The beef concern
was required to put in refrigerating
plants on ships where necessary. Beef
was to be from steers Weighing not less
than 800 pounds, dressed, md should be-
so preserved by the refrigersting process
az W Uo BoOd hb0 III loT urc -
hours after delivery from the refrigera-
tor on ship," or "a hours' delivery from
any refrigerator the beef concern might
erect at any port to the proper officer Of
the United States A similar contract
for the supply for the forces In Cuba
was presented.
swift q Co. were the lowest bidders. I"
said Gen. Eagsn. Explaining further,
he said:
my understanding WINS that the beef
should be perfectly good for ~ hours af-
ter IL left the ship or from their plant
ON shore and the "a hours in the contract
must have been originally the result of
clerical error"
Gen. Eagan said when the war came
there were three plans for fresh beef
supply--refrigerated beef, beef on the
houf TO be furnished by contractors and
( or the government to own Its own nerd
All his experience taught him the I'M
dersirabiiity OF the governments own
ing Its own herd the exrense and tror
BILE, straying Of the cattle and moon
venience of slaughter all arguing against
1t. Refrigerated beef he considered first
choice and when the beef concerns offered
IL and guaranteed its preservation he ac-
cepted 1t.
Without concluding the hearing of Gen.
Eagan's testimony the court adjourned
till tomorrow morning