The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-06
BEEF SUPPLY OF H
THREE BOARDS or INQUIRY NOW
CONDUCTING INYEsTTGh TIONS.

lingo, insists That the Refrigerated Heel
WA Good, and snys That No so.CaIle
Embalmed Reef Was Issued to tho Troops
WASHINGTON. Jan. 5.-The three boards Of
inquiry. composed Of the War Investigating
Commission. the Board OF Survey. and tho In
Spector-G Generals Department. continued to-
day tho investigation Into tina beef supply oil
tho American Army II was ut the War Inves-
tigating Commission that the most interesting
Information was secured. II was given by Col.
II. B. Osgood. Depot Commissary ut Santiago.
who revealed the foundation forthe report that
beef supplied tho soldiers was treated with
chemicals,
From the statements Of Major-Gen. Miles.
Commissary-Genera Eagan. and Col. Osgood
IL has boen learned that While the Shafter
expedition was preparing mt Tampa the Com
missary Department investigated the question
OF keeping fresh boef SO that it would be IN
good condition for use in Cuba. Gen. Eagan
said to-day that he had n consultation with
the representatives Of all the large pack
ing houses. They wanted 10 deliver the
beef TO tho Government on board the
vessel In this country and be released from
further responsibility. The COmmissary De-
partment refused to enter into such an ar
rangement, aud insisted that 1t he delivered to
the Government in Cuba and Porto Rico. the
contractors taking all the responsibility until
accepted by the department in those islands.
II was determined to SEQ II refrigerated or
frozen beef would keep better. and an expert
ment was made Of these two classes in Tampa.
After exposing samples Of both kinds to the
sun 1t was discovered that the frozen beef
spoiled sooner than the refrigerated. 1t was
therefore determined to use the refrigerated
kind, which was kept at a temperature OF about
30 to 80 degrees.
1t was about the time OF these experiments
that a man named Powell appeared with an In
vention which. he declared. would kept the beef
IN better ondition than either OF the refriger-
ating treatments. According to Col. Osgood.
he induced Armour h Co. to prepare for
him from his secret formula four quar-
tors of beef that were shipped to Tampa.
He then made applicationlto Gen. Miles for
permission to have his beef experimental
with. Gen. Miles forwarded the application
TO Commissary-General Eagan. who declares |
that he rejected the proposal Immediately.
From the testimony Of Col. Osgood 1t appears
that Powell. after receiving his four quarters
OF beef. exhibited them in Tampa and exposed
the meat to the sun for a considerable length
OF time. He later received permission from
Col. Weston to hang the beef on the deck of
the transport Comal, where it remained on e1-
hibition. |
Col, Osgood swore emphatically to-day that
no part OF this beef had ever been issued to the |
soldiers that 1t was on the vessel merely as an
experiment, and never became the property of
the Government. In his opinion il was treated
by some kind of secret preparation
injected intothe beef, and ne was certain that
Surgeon Days report on cmbalmed beef arose
entirely from seeing this meat that was on ex-
hibitlon; The War lnyestigating Commission
been summoned to appear tomorrow morning
to testify.
Col. Osgood was tho first witness before the
War Investigating Commission to-day. He was
questioned principally about the beeffurnished
the troops, and replied that he first saw the re:
p " r "a a. hnn M Ia m mn Ia n On Nr and rIlA |
at Santiago 4.660.0 00or 5.OO0.000 pounds Of re-
beef and never saw any that was not
Of It would be out of condition. Swift 4
20. Of Chicago had the contract for furnishing
seo p sfip and M fT Was tra az sisrfiaF By q sw Z r & Go. to
refrigerator on shore. Each morning officers
q the Commissary Department would, go to the
1t was inspected. and beef that did
not come, up to the standard was not accepted
Swift L Co." said Col. 0sgood. lost ali the
pad fe Sf III ! had "I,t to Sgetend T sETiit 4 60: more
made e t II look &ui bad, but b FF %hsnS that %4V WA!
n excellent, condition. much better than beef
Col. 0sgood said that frequently boards OF
when the only trouble With i was the green
luently received about the beei. but they were
I've to b Ignorance sIH Of the quality Of the beef
ID eoye Tsa VI With IN? ire B2Eq ii Much y ds!sy
OF beef waited on, a vessel in the harbor
or 0ci A month aIh l. Iva was thought this beef had
ie had the beef examined by Gen, Lawton and |
ron, Wood. and 1t was decided to accept 1t, sub
to Inspection. Nearly all of 1t was issued
Q the men anu there was no special complaint ,
bout IL.
Col. Qsgood said he saw some of the beef
OF beef at Tampa that he thought were
esponsible for the whole hue and cry about
# HTf't" day V Col. we %yes St@G% sSiPea h RsS GaiIsd my nSe at.
s aid f6e TO @it s9me 4col. R%S e!ianS s on t + had shin ssn
Tor two or three days. It did not be- !
Powell. believe that was his name. had
ers OF beef for him with chemicals as an ex- =
eriment. He called i processed beef and Sc .
n tho ship" s
Gen RsavsrnLt was BreRared by armour '
emonstrate that the beef would keep fresh by c
is treatmentf A,-That's It, I
Q.-Ihero was no claim that II was refrige- |
recessed beef. /
Twas II Issued to any Of the soldiers? A I
did # look2 AT had no mould on :
nat it must hayo had something injected into
Col, osgood's attention was called to Surgeon ,
'aly's report about embalmed beef. He said
nat In his opinion Major DAILY saw only the :,
'ur quarters, OF beef which were being expert y
lented with by hanging IN the sun. The wit, 3
was next examined respecting canned d
beef. He said: 1t was anything but a I
food, and the consensus OF opinion in I
10 arm WAS very much against canned roast !
eel, 1t Is much different from corned beef" q
cans 2" asked Col. DENLY. I
" l don't know, exactly. II is cooked in some q
ay. 1t should DO used only as an emergency J
kind OF meat" II
Speaking Of the embarkation OF the troops, p
2 said that the only confusion was caused by b
70 Scventy-first New York. This regiment G.
lied the wrong train at Tampa and had their j
iggage mixed up with thRt Of another regi- b
ent. Then at Port Tampa one of the OIL
OF, tho regiment thought he ranked me Il
Id had some trouble with him, " said Col.
sgoOd.
TIE MASSA CHUSETTs LNQUIRY. q