Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-03-03
CONDEMNS ARMY BEEF.
Clarence Walters Tells His Experiences
With II.
SAYS MEAT MADE HIM SICK.
Afirms That One Can He Saw Opened
HID Worms In It-nOesn't Rec
oEnixe Cans Before ln-
Uuiry Court.

Warrington, Mafcn d lie wal NC
partment court of inquiry held long
executive session before beginning the
examination of witnesses. The testi-
mony Of Clarence Walters of the First
volunteer engineers of New York was
rather sensational. He was well edu-
Gated and Intelligent and gave his tes-
timony clearly and calmly, but with pos
Tive directness
He was asked what his experience
with canned beef had been on the voy-
age OF his transport to Porto Rleo ana
replied that the first can he saw opened
had worms in 1t and few minutes after
being opened developed such putr.d
odor that 1t was impossible to have 1t
about. He ate some of 1t and was made
violently sick. He said he had been on
sea trips before and was never seasick
The men of his company complained
Of the meat, and the commissary SER
geant refused to accept it, Some of the
meat was given to the surgeon major,
who tasted ii and said 1t was all right.
The sergeant commissary was COM
PEELED to accept it, but did so under pro-
test. Nearly all the men of his battalion
were sick throughout most Of the voy-
age az IL result VI totiiifo liIi'
Colonel Davis, the recorder. ordered
can opened and asked witness If it was
the same he had used in the service.
Witness said it bore no resemblance to
the campaign article. The cans he had
seen were different form, keystone
shape, and the color. consistency and
odor of the contents We're entirely diff
ferent. A second can was opened for
with the same result. Wit
ness did not recognize it.
Sick For n Week.
After reaching Porto Rico he was sick
for week as a result of the voyage
He was given some medicine and told
he would be all right in a little while.
On shore he got supplies from the Red
Cross and bought milk and eggs from
the natives, practically subsisting him
self during his stay on the island. At
least two-thirds of his company were
fully as sick az he and from the same
cause.
Were you sick before you went aboard
the transport" asked Colonel Gillespie.
mo, SIR"
What business We're you in before
entering the service"
II was in the newspaper business
Captain Herbert O. Hicks of Com
pany NJ, Second Massachusetts, follow
ed with an account of the canned beef
used by his command in Cuba. His de-
scription of the meat did not make it
out quite so bad as that served to Wal
tiers in Porto Rico, but he said it was a
Shiny. stringy mass, nauseating to the
taste, without nutriment and without
form that could be recognized as meat
except by the melted fat with which IL
was soaked.
Witness was shown several of the
cans on hand with the commission, but
said they were not the same that he
had seen In service. He described tho
cans in Cuba as round, dark brown
cans, without paper wrapping.
His command was all sick. first and
last. but he did not attribute their gem
eral breakdown to the food, but to the
climate. They We're made temporarily
sick by the canned meat, but recovered,
and as they ate very little of it it did
not have much chance to affect them.
Coming home with his command, they
lived on prepared soups bought in San
tiago with funds furnished by an indi-
Vluual WnOlH ne WAS NOT AT liberty 10
name.
While stationed in Santiago and after
The surrender, while camped outside Of
own. they had refrigerator beef When
t reached them and was cooked, it was
good otherwise it spoiled very soon.
Lieutenant Taylor Testihes.
Lieutenant Franklin G. Taylor of the
sixth Massachusetts, testified that the
canned roast beef issued to the troops
IT his company on the Yale en- route to
Porto Rico was pronounced by the men
90 fat and tasteless. 1t was not salts
factory, and the men subsisted mainly
IN bacon and canned tomatoes.
Asked as to the sickness, he said it
rave to eat than to what they ate. The |
bacon was sometimes bad, and there was
10 facility for cooking it. The men had |
little food, in his opinion. Two pieces of |
lard tack, slice of bacon and a cup of |
coffee sometimes formed meal o. |
can of tomatoes would be |
livided among three men.
did you have any officers on board?"
yes; General Miles"
Was this state of undertaking re-
ported to General Miles,"
mo; I did not think it could he car
led over the head of our colonel"
WAS it represented to him?"
II think 1t was. and I heard a CONVEX
ation with the commissaty captain on
he subject. The commissary said the
men were getting all they We're going to
ret, and more than they would get aft
# landing"
WAS the condition of the food mat
err of general talk on the vessel?"
"Yes-among the men,
Lieutenant Taylor differed from Mr..
Walters as to the shape Of the cans Of
cast beef supplied in Porto Rico. Lieu
enant Taylor was sure all the cans he
aw were round. Replying to General
Davis. he said that he had never re-
orted to his superior officer that the
men were i'll from hunger He might
ave reported that they needed proper
God, he said.