The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-23

anna. DR.. DAILY was then excused.
Captain r. H. Beckman of the SUD
sistence department of the volunteers
accompanied the expedition to Cuoa
and issued it canned roast beef en- Voy-
age, and after landing on the transport
Rio Grande four quarters of fresh peer
were placed, he understood, for purpose
of experiment. though he mao no
knowledge of any treatment and knew
nothing of its origin. He was instruct
ed to see how long it would keep.
Genera! Sumner gave him instructions
to care for and watch IT. Some OF III
was thrown overheard the second day
out and the remainder on the third
| day 1t had been on the dock several
| hours before being placed on board ana
| when thrown overheard it was very Of
fensive None of it was eaten by any
one.
Lieutenant Cole. 9Th cavalry, who was
| also aboard the Rio Grande, which car
ried General Summers headquarters
and the four experimental quarters of
| beef to Cuba, was much clearer, in
| his recollection, of the beef quarters
than Captain Beckman. 1t was, he said,
from some firm Of meat packers and
was sent expressly for experimental
use by the soldiers with the knowledge
that 1T was chemically prepared. The
beef lasted only three days, after which
|.
Some of it was cooked before it spoiled.
Witness saw the piece cooked. but did
not eat it. 1t looked well and the men
who tasted it said lit was all right"
The officers discussed freely, but none
of them knew how the beef had been
treated. the process being secret. The
beef that spoiled became very offens-
i've and exuded dark coagulated blood.
Lieutenant Cole said he ate some of the
nod, !
before it had been subjected to the
tropical heat and it was then fairly
good and he ate it with relish as a re-
lief from bacon. After it had been heat
ed in the southern climate it became
Shiny and rather repulsive looking.
Lieutenant Colonel II. III. Humphreys.
22nd infantry. said, canned roast beef
was issued his command in small guam
titles prior ito the surrender of Santa
go. but he had heard then no COM
plants about it When refrigerated
beef was furnished it was at first salts
factory, but it spoiled in large quanti-
ties and the men finally ceased to care
for it. The canned roast beef was then
used in stew, but the men would not
eat it. Witness did not know why. He
attempted to eat the beef from the can.
1t did not taste right. 1t gagged him.
He gave it up.
Brigadier General J. G. Kent, who
commanded a division in the Santiago
campaign, said complaints of the
canned roast beef came from the men.
1t seemingly nauseated them, but he
took no action. considering these COM
plants unavoidable incidents of the
campaign. He understood much of the
refrigerated beef spoiled en- route from
the docks to the troops, because of the
delay incident to transporting it.
II T.xJ-
Davis, said beef on the hoof would have
been preferable to refrigerated beef
but he doubted very much the practi-
cability of the live cattle supply about
Santiago.
Col. Charles M. Woodruff. assistant
commissary general and United States
army purchasing agent and depot COM
missary at Governors Island, N. Y,
who was prominent in army supply
| purchases, testified that he bought a
| total of $2,256,000 worth of supplies in
! the first six months of the war. He
| bought between 100000 and 900,O0O
| pounds of canned roast beef at a cost
ranging from 1l1s cents to IA cents per
pound, according to the size of cans.
Principal dealers would bid monthly on
it, and when he received orders to shin
canned beef he would sample the beef
in the market; accept and order it at
his discretion. All contracts contained
clauses providing that contractors
should replace any beef that proved
unfit for use without fault of the army
officers Each box contained a certifi-
cate of inspection and approval from an
official of the agricultural department
approving the cattle on hoof and after
slaughter. Most of the beef was
shipped to Tampa. The entire supply
in New York and the entire country,
together with 100000 pounds brought
from Europe. where it had been
shipped, was exhausted and the fac
tories, Colonel Woodruff understood,
We're running night and day to meet
the extraordinary demand.
Witness said he understood canned
roast beef had been brought to the
front in the recent war because of a
desire to give the soldiers something
besides salt meat in their movements
in the tropics.
Replying to Colonel Davis query
Colonel Woodruff said he had been
familiar with all campaigns in the past
25 years and never had beef on the hoof
been used as the fresh meat supply
A statement, he said, that beef on the
hoof was the usual source of supply
would not represent correctly the fact.
This was brought out in response to
General Miles statement to the con-
trary. Colonel Woodruff declared that
peer lfeSn was secured from con tr3c-
tors and refrigerated beef is now prac-
tically universally used. The beef
brought back from Europe had been
shipped for use in the French and Eng
lish armies
Captain Howell of the 7th infantry
said the canned roast beef was not
palatable, but he believed was nutrit-
ious and if cooked as a stew would be
satisfactory. The refrigerated beef was
good when not spoiled, and he had not
suspected the use of chemicals At the
conclusion of Captain Howelrs testi-
mony a can of roast beef that had
been with the troops at Santiago was
opened and examined by the court, le-
ing declared by Captain Howell similar
to that issued during the campaign.
Funeral! of Mrs. Woodman.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.