New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-21
ALL SAY BEEF WAS BAD.
THE corRT OF INQUIRY RETURNS TO
CHICAGO
ro1rR WITNESSES DECLARE THAT THE So-
CALLED CANNED ROAST BEEF WAS
NOT FIT FOR An ARMY KATIUN.

NOT FIT FOR AN ARMY RATION.
Chicago March 2O-The principal witness on .hs
liz, 70 appear before the Army Beer cour. % ~
ouirv to-day Or. Nicholas Semi WAS "''""o .r
IN the city so the court took recess ~ "o'' -,
,oIoc,, 70 marrow evening when Or. Sem VIII
be heard At its short session TO-DAY INC ~
heard the evidence Of four witnesses VINO h"u o'en
called on request OF Major Lee. the Representative
Of General Miles According to the'r ueS''i"o''
the canned beef always unpaa'apio III" W.
tasteful and I'm their Judgment. 1t was CONTINUE
tory cause of sickness among the soldiers ana "'''
for an Army ration. Critical reference 10 tne IT,
friperoted beef was also made by the witnesses.
II seems probable that the court will be aoie 10 emu
ia work hero m time 10 start for Ne"-forA
wednesday, evening.
Tho nrst witness was Colonel d. J. Foster. or the
9Th Illinois Infantry lie testified that AT Fohce he
drew refrigerated beef once. when the n''',
reached camp It was pronounced bad. and noaiu
y, inquiry condemned IL and Il was buried lie dld
no, tr,, II again The regiment was about Elk miles
from port ,,,
Captain Edward J. Demmlck, OF the LIST ILLINOIS,
testified that OF tho canned roast peer 10 sa
was spoled, and thrown overDoaru OH '"e
VOYAGE TO Cuba. Alter tho surrender OF santiago
refrigerated beef was used. The regiment "us
about three miles from port. one lot was oni'eu
ne soon as unloadcd and this occurred on TWO
other occasions He thought the condition OF the
meat was due 20 failure 70 receive II p'oI"P'''
About . per cent received had 10 De Dui'ou "''
about % per cent OF the rest had to be cut OH an"
thrown away Some OF the men thought they as
covered n peculiar odor but there was no susPCio"
,ro, tho ,,aat had been chemically treated. on the
,o,aco homo canned roast beef was Issued but the
men would not touch IT,
'One day ut Santiago" the witness said wei.
into n restaurant and met gentleman ]" O..'"..
clothes. who made himself known to me as swirl
representative He said he was In Touhlc' ne h"u
tust got cargo OF beef in and the refrigerator
plant had stopped He said he was going to Cen
aral sbafor 70 get that beef accepted. told him
7 thought poor beef came to our camp Invariably
but ne said It was not poor beef, simply dscoo'e"
on the outside, and by cutting away the disco-
ored parts tho inside would be found perfectly
good was in General Woods headquarters an
hour later and saw him there waiting for an IN
teryew with General shafter. | did not learn
whether he succeeded IN getting that beef accepted
or not. but understood from outside parties That
they threw overheard several tons Of 1t and &C
ceIteH We ee askof What effect II any did the
canned roast beef have upon the health OF the
men" ., ,.o,. rror,, =, the men: 7
a., satiseed that IL caused diarrhna also.
Was there any suggestion nat II was pest 10
discontinue tho use OF that meat
NO sir We made tho best or H.
AN UNwHOLEsOME ARMY RATION
..r,o Won regard this canned roast beef whole
some or unwholesome as an Army ration?
"Unwholesome."
DR. william c. willard surgeon major OF the LIST
Illinois Volunteers testified that in Cuba the health
of his command was good up 70 July ~ then ne
sickness began to increase rapidly and ny me 15t
and 18th It high as 300 per day IN ms Juds.
rr"nf ,bfa sickness was due TO combination %
circumstances OF which tho condition OF the canned
t - ~ ne heef had been treated with chemi-
calls Canned roast beef. sO-called vas never JIG
ration in his opinion. and IT was especlalIy UNI.
for men in the condition OF the troops coming BACK
Replying to the question from Major Lee. Dr. VIII
lard said: , 49,, - ,,s,,o,,,, coma
vacant space: the meat in strips or scraps
moro or less covered with layer %, granular az
Iieacbed anpearance and was very tough and
strirgv I do not recall any other brand except
You used tho term so-called with reference to
this canned roast beef In your judgment, as
medical officer inspecting this meat day aIer day
you used the expression 'so-called roast beef"
From what have heard OF IT'S preParaeio1 an[ G
from its appearance should say that It was Dole
beef I had case OF Scuryy' man VINO nit A..
been eating hardtac SOW belly ana canhed v rcas
member OF the tn Infantry"
please state whether or no. IN your opinioi r1'
socallod roast beef Of the kind furnished inc ATIhN
Is a wholesome or unwholesome ration Tor th'
az don't think It IS a good ration under any cir
cunstances and totally UNIT In topical eli
Siiyar Disc nuartermaster and acting commits
aTv 81 the fst illinois Volunteers. corroborated th
,ot;S,rYcnv of DR. Willard regarding the appearance
Ic9tiloS Uad roast beef when taken from the can
ation for soldier he considered It inferior, an'
w Ta,iGS9 pnce the meat in the third grade The label
and Kansas city hrm whose name ne p pr i,H
recolect. He also saw The Praric Sia1e lax tb
worst Of all and should be placed in grade low
'Hsh u,o - witnesses who had been summone,
rero On hand M 2 o'clock. but none were examined
! tho court holding no session In the afternoon