The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-19
TN CENTS 4 CARLOAD
Would be the Cost of an AL
legged Embalming Gas
WHICH is CHEMIST-PROOF
Twenty Spoiled Beef Cans
Smelled for a TrainIoad.

Washington, April 1S.-The Wade court
| Of inquiry held three sessioss today, de-
| voting the forenoon to an executive meet
| ing, the afternoon to hearing testimony
! and the evening to the reading of repor IS
| Of army officers. General Weston relat-
| ed the provision made for victualing the
| soldiers during the war and costended that
! beef on the hoof could not have been
| landed at Siboney. George I. Taylor, a
Philadelphia chemist, said he had detected
the presence Of formaldehyde on the meat
while on his way to Porto Rico last
fall as an officer in the First volunteer
| cavalry.
The court spent the forenoon behind
closed doors, in an effort to agree upon
a plant for bringing the inquiry to a
close. Major Lee was present part Of
the time on behalf of General miles. He
made a plea for the sunmoning of a
number of additional witnesses, and the
conference ended without reaching any
conclusion. The board also have under
consideration the ACCESSIBILITY of visiting
Pittsburg before closing the inquiry, for
the purpose of securing testimony which
cannot be had in Washington. The ma
ture of this evidence the court will not
disclose.
Captain Irvine took the stand. Under
Mr.. Daily he was in command of the trans
port Panama when the refrigerator beef
was thrown overheard on the trip from
Ponce to the United States last fall. He
said he had asked for the board of survey,
which condemned the beef, and that he
made this request because of the putrid
odor from the refrigerator, which was
near one Of the wards occupied by con-
vi oil Nt1A
fresh beef on the vessel, 900 pounds. This
occurred on the third day out. Previous
to that time the officers and men had
eaten the beef and found it good.
General Weston was then recalled. He
said General Shafter had no designated
the rations to be carried to Santiago, but
that he General Weston had informed
him daily of what he was doing. At San
tiago there was no exact system for Civ
ing out food supplies. They were given
to all who came and in the confusion it
was more than likely that some of the
commands received all beef and others all
bacon.
II believe he said, "our meat ration is
entirely too big, and I am now arranging
to cut it down materially, adding vegeta-
bles to supply the deficiency. The people
in the tropics do not eat much meat;
and our soldiers do not require much
w QUA the uedllu OF SldliulHB VI any
firm, in your opinion, justify any officer
in making his inspection of its meat less
rigid9s" Major Lee asked.
mo, SIR" General Weston replied, en-
phatcally. He then said that he had a
good deal to do with some of the Kansas |
City packing firms, and he had found |
that they always delivered food Of as good |
quality as they had bargained to supply.
Speaking of the canned roast beef, Gen. |
Ill il
it emitted a horrible odor. He told Of |
one instance on which five entire carloads |
were rejected by one officer which upon |
inspection furnished only twenty spoiled /
cans. As a matter of fact, the beef canned !
for the army last year was the best beef |
ever put up in cans, but it had been put |
up hurriedly. General Weston said he did |
not agree with those who believed that it |
would have been practicable to land live
cattle at Siboney. In conclusion, enerai |
Weston furnished the court a schedule
of the delicacies supplied to the troops
at Montauk Among these were over a
million pounds of ice, q, 900 dozen eggs,
l69, 900 quarts of milk, 1000 barrels OF
pickles, and butter. hams, fruits of all
kinds, cocoa, soda crackers, oatmeal, soup,
peas, dressed chicken, lime juice, olives,
lemons and oranges in abundant quanti-
ties.
NcOISS L. dNlOE. d Sanitary GLSulCSI
and chemist Of Philadelphia, who went to
Porto Rico last July as a lieutenant of the
First volunteer cavalry, said he had dis
covered the presence Of formaldehyde in
he refrigerator beef on the transport
Chester. He and many members of the
had been attacked by gastritis
after eating the meat. This gas was, he
said, the base of nearly all embalming
fluids When used as a preservative on
organic substances its presence could NOT
pc detected by chemical analysis. With
o cents worth OF the gas an entire car
cad of heat could be preserved. Used in
he did not consider the gas
INJURIOUS to meat.
Between sixty and seventy reports from
army officers bearing upon the ration
erved to the army in Cuba were read
turing the night session of the court,
which lasted until nearly half-past 10
o'clock. The reports read by Major Lee
we're along the same lines as those here
Ofore submitted to the court. As a rule,
hey were unanimous in condemnation Of
he canned roast beef and discussed the
general question of food supplied to the
rmy, from the point Of view of their in
ividual experiences. Colonel Davis also
cad a large batch of reports, among
hem one from Major General Sumner.
n which he stated that 10 the euw Of
relief his command a no time hao SUI
cred for want Of food during the Cuban