The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-09
THE COURT OF INQUIRY.
n Testimony II Witnesses Requested BY
Miles viii Not Be Taken.
POWELL EXPLAINS PRESERVING PROCESS
Yves oRersd to Armour, but Was Not
usea-Refrigerated Beef VIII
Spell In ~ TO 20 Hours.

to call the list OF witnesses submitted by
General Miles The reading Of the official
reports was concluded
Mr.. Alexander Powell. the owner Of the
beef process OF which so much has been
said, was heard at the forenoon session.
He rave many details concerning his In
vention and stated that he made an agree
ment with Armour Co. to have them
use tie process In case they could secure
the government contract He stated, how
ever. that Swift Co. had not had the
use Of It. General shafter probably VIII 1
Testify early next week and the outlook 1
is for the closing OF testimony by Saturday I
next.
At the forenoon session MIR. Powell stat
ed that he had been dealer In meats In |
New York for the past twenty-five years 4
He explained at some length that he was |
the sole owner OF the Powell process for I
preserving fresh meats without the use OF
Ice. that the formula was n secret and |
that II was not patented because so en-
insntly simple.
He declared emphatically that neither
boracic nor salicylic acid was used in the 7
process. nor. he added. sis there any In
lection or immersion In chemicals. The
process is applied by fumigation.
There would be no smell except that OF
sulphur for 2 half hour or SO after the
application. Nor would any taste be no
ticsable."
Mr.. Powell gave the particulars OF his
treatment OF car OF Armour's beef which
was sent to Tampa in the spring of 1898.
When he heard that the contract was TO
be given by the government he had reached
the conclusion that the government ought
10 have the use of the process ana he had
written TO the president. TO General Miles
and 10 General Eagan asking when he
should apply to have the process used.
General Eagan had replied saying the
department was not engaged In purchasing
any process, but that Il could only deal
with those wLo would supply the meat and
guarantee that II should keep.
He said the process was applied TO
car OF six carcasses OF beef at Chicago.
owned by Armour & Co. He made the
arrangement with Mr. Connors, the super
intendent OF Armour e. Co. agreeing that
they should have the preference ia the use
OF the process for the use OF the gorern-
ment The carcasses were taken to Tampa
the latter part OF May last aud Colonel
Weston secured four OF the carcassss. ex-
posing them In the sun for about eighty
hours. II was after this exposure that
Colonel Weston. of the commissary depart
fnent made his report, which was COM
mandatory. He said later that not 10 his
knowledge had Armour & Co. used the
process during the war; nor had u ever
been used by any one except h'nselt.
There were. however other beef pre-
sentative processes In the market.
Does your process resemble the en-
balming process at ALP 1stcd Major Ice.
mot in the least" replied Mr.. Powell,
rbut I see no reason why It could not be
SO used--why human bodies could not be
preserved by its use. However, there Is
no resemblance to the embalmins pro-
cess"
Mr. Powell said he had known of hotels
in which beef prepared by him had bseI
used for the past Ave years and in wnlcn
Il gave the best satisfaction, Re he'd trer
shipping meat for ten years iie ma only
verbal contract with Armour & Co., bu'
the understanding was that II the hrni
~ot the contract they were to have the
exclusive control Of the process during tne
continuation OF that contract Only. re
was TO have 30 cents per nundrsu lor W.
use, about $500 per car load. lie nad n s,'
attempted to make any arrangement WIZ N
swift A. Co. the successful bidders at tne
time but after the battle ~ santiago heu
written TO Mr. swift on the Euhlect tur-
nishing him a piece of beer tnat hau ueyn
treated Nothing, however, had come OF !. ~.
Mr. Powell said he made no claim lndt
his process would not discolor peet' Any
nrocess would cause o change in appear
ance The beef would look like meat tnaE
hud been in cold storage for Two WEEKS
darlening the grain and bleacning ,le
fat There would be smell OF su!puui
for an hour. as sulphur vas one OF ne
sr,iclcr used In the tumigation Tho VII
ness said that refrigerated meat wnien
had not been kent cool enough would loon
Shiny and be dark OF grain. he eaneia-
cred II impossible TO KEEP fresh inca, ior
seventy-two hours after leaving fesfis,
orator without preservative process, shu
he was OF the opinion that any asreemeh'
to keep II so long in the climate OF CUBA,
after taking u from the refrigerator, mus'
involve Some preservative process ne
thought that II thoroughly frozen IL wouio
frof t.NalNa 20 hours ana not
longer.
CAPTAIN George y. Davis who was Gen
eral Eagan's principal assistant IN the
commissary generals ofAce during the
war, was recalled 10 give testimony con
corning shipment OF canned roast bee
TO the troops at Dunn l-oring, Va, III
said many cans Of the canned beef has
been opened in the office and he had neye
found any that contained unwholesome
meat.
Colonel Davis announced at the begin
ming OF the afternoon session that the
court had decided to adhere TO It's forme
decision TO summon only such OF the addl
tional witnesses suggested by Genera
Miles as could give testimony upon point
not already covered by the inquiry. Til
reading of the reports OF army officer
upon the canned roast beof as an arm
ration was then resumed and conclude
The reports read today included sixty G
seventy statements from army officers
among them the following from GaEers
Lloyd Wheaton, dated at Fort Leayen
worth January 10. last;
Having recently Joined the Twentlct
infantry to report the experiences OF III
regiment during the recent campaign
Cuba. ! have consulted Lieutenant Coli
mel W. S. Mecaskey, the Twentieth inian
try, the officer who commanded the reg
ment during the active operations at Sal
tiago de Cuba. and its movements 20 II
present date. The following Is the exp,
rience OF the regiment:
Canned roast beef Is not suitable I,
issue to troops in Cuba during the hot hea
son.
The meat becomes soft and filthy an
iinless the stomachs Of the men arc /
the healthiest condition II can not be cate
or retained. II can Is once opened
must be used or II viii become mould
Enlisted men prefer any other meats
my experience while commanding n
First brigade. First division, Seventh
army corps. In Georgia aud Florida, WI
much as that reported by Colonel Mecca,
key"