Evening star., 1899-03-01
MEAT MEN HEARD
Western Ccnesra's Manager Before
Army Reef Court.
COLD AIR IS The PRBSERVAflVE
Col. Gallagher Testifies Against
the Canned Roast Article.
DIR. RDI1N'S EVID CE

The repre- SSntatives Of western meat con-
Germs were given their day in court be
fore the beef court Of inquiry today. Ar
thur Meeker. general manager for Armour
& Co., was the first of these to be called.
and he detailed lengthily the process of
chilling the refrigerated beef marketed by
his firm. He said no other agent but cold
air is used.
Other witnesses were Scrgt. Hatcher and
Gel A. L. Smith. recalled; Col. Gallagher,
Maj Sands and DIR. Borden, who gave wide
ly diverging testimony.
Col. Smith tod Of the trip of the trans
port Manitoba. Col. Gallagher described
the tasteless canned roast beef and the
issuing of -ations in Cuba. Maj. Sands
testified that he ate this canned article
with relish.' sersst. Hatcher only identi-
fled a case of cans that were brought by
his regiment from Cuba. DR.. Borden sub
mitted his report on the non-commlssloned
officers test yesterday of canned roast peer
Stewed and cold.
Mai Jesse NJ Lee who is acting for Gen.
Miles at the court was present today and
submitted. through Recorder Davis. CUES
tions to the witnesses or took notes of the
evidence.
Witnesses Recalled.
Sergeant Hatcher of the 9th Infantry was
recalled to the witness stand at the open
ing of the session today. He was asked 10
identify an old and travel-stained case OF
canned roast beef that had been issued to
his regiment at Santiago and that had been
brought home with it. He did it.
Then Lieutenant Colonel A. l.. Smith or
the subsistence department, at present COM
misSary at Havana, was brought IN a sec
ond time and questioned. He was asked
about the history of meat transport Mani
toba, which was sent to Porto Rico while
Colonel Smith was there. He said she was
ordered to unload and return TO the United
States with sick soldiers as rapidly as pos
sible. Troops were informed that they
would be supplied with fresh beef as long
as she remained at Ponce. Colonel Smith
thought she was discharging beef during
six days. Only enough was taken off each
day to satisfy the days demand, as there
was also a large cargo of other stores.
These were very much needed and were
taken off before she departed, but there
was yet upon her large amount of the
fresh beef He supposed she was returned
to the United States by order OF General
Wilson. but he did not know whether Cen
eral Wilson was aware that she carried
100000 pounds of fresh beef with her.
Col. GaIIagher's Testimony.
Col. Gallagher of the subsistence depart
ment. who was field commissary at Gen.
Shafter's headquarters in Cuba was called
next and questioned with regard to the
officer who determined the components of
the meat ration in Cuba. He said he did
not know. As to the distribution of sup
plies from the depot at Siboney he said
that as fast as meat. coffee, sugar, hard
tack and other necessary articles We're re-
celYed they were rushed to the front as
fast as the transportation facilities permit
ted Explaining the inadequacy of trans
DortatiOn,. he said it would have sufficed
for carrying the subsistence stores. but
that it had also to transfer the medical and
ouartermasters' stores, wounded and sick
Gn1t
Insufficient Landing Facilities
Col. Gallagher said that the facilities for
landing the supplies from the transports
were painfully small and insufficient Only
small boats were employed to bring the
supplies to the shore. and the steyedores
had to wade out to them and remove the
goods on their shoulders to the beach Some
were subjected to wetting and were dam
aged, but there was less loss from this
cause than was expected.
At the beginning the canned roast beef
and the bacon We're sent to the front in
equal quantities When complaints about
the roast beef began to reach the supply
depot increased efforts were made to swell
the supply of bacon for the men.
The witness said he was transferred to
Gen. Skaters headquarters after July l.
1t six eight miles nearer the front
and pack trains delivered the supplies along
the firing line" as fast as they were
brought in by wagons from Siboney.
He was able there to supply bacon to the
troops in every instance where they asked
it in place of canned roast beef. There
was a large amount of this canned article
on hand, but it was fed to the Cuban troops
and refugees, who chose it in place OF
bacon. AS there were more OF these to be
fed than there were soldiers the canned
roast beef was not wasted. After the cap
ture of Santiago and when the army moved
in. the witness said, he began the issue of
refrigerated beef by order of Colonel Wes-
ton.
Refrigerated Reef Condemned.
He acknowledged that there were some