River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-02-16

warded. and that il seemed Impossible for a
time to determine where absolutely neces-
sary articles were located Col Bird of the
quartermaster' department, testii1es that
this was corrected later on, when the con-
tents Of cars were clearly marked upon
them and bills of lading promptly forward
ed The condition of the railroad conges-
ton during the early portion OF the time
Tampa was occupied by troops seems un-
paralleled, showing an almost ineXcusabIe
lack of executive ability on the part of
those charged with the loading, unloading
and handling of the trains. Col. Bird and
Gen. Humphrey testify that there were
very poor facilities for transferring troops
and supplies arriving at Tampa via the
Florida Central railroad TO the Plant sys-
TEN, leading direct TO Port Tampa. Order
was finally brought out of chaos, the cars
unloaded, the congestion overcome and a
vast amount OF supplies of every character
delivered at this immense encampment.
water Transportation.
with reference to the vessels used to
transport troops to Cuba, the report says
''it was shown by evidence that their ca
pacity had been largely oVerrated and II
was impossible to carry upon them, with
out great discomfort and danger. more
than 16 600 instead of 5000, men, with their
eduipments artillery, ammunition, sub
sistence, medical supplies and 2,295 animals
for a voyage of coo miles.
"The quartermasters department ought
to have been able TO more thoroughly
equip these vessels, and surely ii should
have been more certain OF their carrying
capacity. A sufficient number of vessels
for transporting $4,000 men, with the re-
quired lighters for their Decentralization
should have been promptly furnished, even
had such action rendered necessary the
seizure of every steamer on the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts sailing under the American
flag.
Land Transportation.
owing to the lack of necessary trans
ports the means of land transportation dur
ing the Santiago campaign was painfully
deficient. The testimany shows that the
transports arrived off the south coast of
Cuba near Santiago on June q; that the
pack trains were landed on June % that
the first wagons were landed on June 25,
and that the landing of the latter was CON
tinued more rapidly than they could be
set up on shore, and that in fact some
of those that We're landed were never set
up at all Gen. Chaffee testifies that on
July l. al the battle of lei Caney, ten days
after the arrival of the fleet there were
no ambulanceS or wagons available and
that the roads were so horrible that they
could not reach the front.
ut is plainly evident that this army of
II 600 men disembarked in the face of an
enemy in a hostile country, and rapidly
thrown forward against we'll armed
force, was painfully deficient in land trans
portation, but In spite OF the absence of this
almost absolutely necessary portion of the
eouipment of a well-trained command IL
drove the enemy before it, captured their
outposts pushed them behind their main
defenses drove their fleet from Santiago
bay to absolute destruction il faced the
navy of our country, and finally after most
gallant lighting under a tropical sun,
amidst most adverse conditions, captured
n strongly fortified city and received as
prisoners of war over $4,000 Spanish SOL
diers. ,
OF the department under charge of Gen.
Eagan a s commissary general, the report
saws: THE commission has carefully in
Vestigated the subject of the condition
quality and quantity of the food supplied
to the army. Almost without exception it
that wherever the troops were ordered
whether to the various camps in the United
the rations prescribed by law we're on the
transports and at the camps with the SOL
diers. So far as we have been able 10 as
certain there was but one occasion, that of
a day in front OF Santiago, when the troops
were seriously short of rations: these had
been supplied, but thrown aside when the
men went into action; the condition of
roads and lack of transportation prevent
ed prompt reissue. Al times the vegetable
ration was rot Of good quality, the pota-
toes and onions being spoiled. Condemned
by a board of survey, such vegetables were
destroyed and an equivalent part of the
ration issued. Some trouble occurred be-
ranse such vegetables and other damag ed
food were disposed of by the company
without the warrant of board of survey.
This was done through ignorance, their
officers not knowing what was necessary
to be done.
Refrigerated beef.
This commission was organized the
oath day of September last, Up to the 21st
day of December its members had taken
testimony in II different towns and cities
and nine camps 1t had also received many
hundred letters, communica lions and
newspaper clippings from persons living
in all parts of the country Examinations
of numerous officers and enlisted men had
been made to the quality and condition
of the meat issued to the troops. The
testimony, with some exceptions, showed
that the refrigerated beef issued was pure
sound and wholesome.
ION the 2lst day of December last Mai
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, upon the written re-
quest of the president of this commission,
| rod haf 10 of h1
sworn, as all other witnesses had been eX-
cept one, who affirmed, stating that he
would make his statements without being
sworn and was responsible for what he
said He proceeded. and fer the first time
in the history of this investigation the al
! legation was made that refrigerated beef
issued to the troops had been chemically
Gen. Miles Charge.
I'm the statement, revised by himself,
Rico 337 tons of what Is known as so called
| refrigerated beef which YOU might call en-
| balmed beef HI proceeded to read COM
munication from DR.. W H. DAILY, major
and chief surgeon United States volun-
teers. on his staff. bearing date of Sep
| TENDER q, 1898. wherein DIR. DAILY stated
| that: In the several inspections | made in
| the various camps and troopships at Tam
| pa, Jacksonville, ChiCkamauga and Porto
| Rico ! found the fresh beef TO be appar-
| emily preserved with secret chemicals
| which destroy it's natural flavor. and which
! | also believe to be detrimental to the
| health of the troops.
Although DR.. DAILY swears that he in
| formed Gen. Miles about the LIST of August,
| 1898, that he suspected that the Tefriger-
| ated beef was chemically treated it does
| not appear that the general informed the
war department that an officer of his staff
| had made this discovery, nor does 1t appear
| that he at the time ordered any of the
| officers under his command to probe to the
! bottom an allegation which, If true, CON
| cerned the health Of 275,000 soldiers of the
| United States II appears from the report
of DR.. DAILY, which he handed to Gen. Miles
| October q last that he then specifically
stated that the refrigerated beef furnished
| to the troops was apparently chemically
| treated. 1t does not appear that when
J this charge was made October q, ii hav-
| ing been already made to him in August,
| 1898 that Gen Miles communicated to the
| secretary of war or to the commissary gen
| eral the belief or suspicion entertained by
| him that refrigerated meat, dangerous TO
| health, was issued every day to the troops
in failure to do which there was dereliction
| Of duty. 1t is true that on September 20
| he had directed that an order should he
| issued asking for reports relative to meats
| issued, but the order specifically mentions
| canned fresh roast beef, and nothing else
! and it was the reports received in answer
| to this that were presented in abstract by
| the general at the time of his appearance
! before the commission and since.
DIR. DAILY Criticised
"Tn his report DR.. DAILY does not make the
all-mportant statement that he had al
! ready chemically analyzed any meat, al
| though he suggests that such analysis
| should be made. He does state that in the
! several inspections made by him Tampa
jacksonville, Chickamauga and Porto Rico
| he found the fresh beef to be apparently
| preserved with secret chemicals. He said
! that at Ponce the beef he examined was
/ also of the same character being apparent
| " preserved by injected chemicals For
| months. as it appears, DR.. DAILY concealed
| the commission of a crime affecting men
under his charge, whom as officer and
| a physician he was bound to protect"
The report theTst after quoting from the
/ regulations of the agricultural depart
ment prescribing the manner in which in
| spectiOns are made (and no packing house
| in the country is allowed TO do business
| without governmental Inspection. after de-
| failing the processes pursued by our Off
| cials and showing the practical impossi-
! bility of putting impure meat upon the
market goes on to say;
1.-THE commission has not confined itself
! 10 merely verbal or written proof I'M
media;ely upon hearing the testimony of
| " ere sent TO all issuing cCmmissaries in
| cuba Porto Rico and al the various home
camps occupied by troops. asking that
samples of refrigerated beef be AT once
taken placed in glass jars, securely sealed
and forwarded TO the commission. These
samples were to be of one pound weight
! from the outside and one pound weight
( from the inside of a quarter. In response
10 this request many samples have been
/ received, and later sent to the chemists of
| The agricultural and interior departments
for careful chemical examination. The re-
suit of analysis has been reported to us in
/ 81 eases and as will be seen by the reports
| Al pended, ia no specimen examined has
! either horic or salicylic acid or other dele
FERROUS chemicals been found
No "EmbaImed" Beef.
I'm view of the facts above set forth the
commission is of the opinion that no re-
/ frigerated beef furnished by contractors
and issued to the troops during the war