The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-07
RAGAN's FIGURES AGAIN.
Strange DISAPPEARANCE Of Some Data
Relating to Contracts.

Was Pat in File Boxes At Commissary
Genssal's Once But II Now Missing
Testimony Of Dr. Dc Candry Before
Beef Inquiry Court.
washintgon, April 6.-In the army beef
court Of inquiry today the letters Of
Messra Armour g. company. proposing to
uss the Powell PROCESS for the preserva-
tion Of beef. was submitted as evidence
BY Major Lee. acting for General Miles.
1t was addressed to the oommissary gen.
eral, dated at the firms Washington
offics, July IS. 1898. 1t ia IN part as fol-
lows;
"As explanatory and supplementary OF
our bid to supply dressed beef in Cuba,
we Wish to say that we have the exclusive
control of the Powell process for prs
serving fresh meats and that this process
has been tested st Tampa. Florida, the
test having been completed with most
satisfactory results.
"This ssst was made under the super
vision of CsIouei John Weston of your de-
partment, VINO has advised you Of the re-
sults. We are advised, however, that he
sent him from Chicago duly refrigerated
and located according to the Powell
process.
Part Of these carcasses were enveloped
In sacks or canvas and part were not.
These csrcasses were distributed to the
third cavalry. the sixth cavalry. batteries
Of artillery and the medical department
! l,x &AA L.
deck Of the transport sroopshtrs, lying at
the wharf in the bot sun, without any
benefit Of the fresh air or movement of
the ships. Tho pieces that where not
wrapped fermented In less than 70 hours,
whils the pieces that were covered or
wrapped kept about one hundred hours
"Thsss practical tests made under the
by means Of this process wrapped pieces or
oaroasses can be kept longer than the 10
hours required by your Specifications.
"We believe we may safely cay that
such results have never before been &C.
complished in tle history Of the bust
nesS."
The testimony began today with Dr.. L.
volunteers of the District Of Columbia.
He was ut Tampa and in Cuba and
testified that the command was attacked
with diarrhoea to the extent of an cpl
demic after eating refrigerator beef at
both PLACES. After the second attack OF
this character the Iegimental surgeon had
ordered that the issue Of the beef BE-
stopped. When this was dor the diarrhoea
ceased.
Dr. William De CanAry, who has been
chtef clerk In tbs Ofase a tha comuzinaaxy
general Of the war department. for twenty
years related hio oon1ection with the
work Of letting the beef contracts. At the
instance Of General KAgsn he had first
sent out forty or fifty. telssrams to dealers
in::bsef sskiis for bids T. supply refrigsr.
atsd besf or for beef on the block, General
Esgan having supplied tho form. Mr.. De
Candry had been instructed by General
EagAn to prepare the ORIGINAL draft of the
contract for the beef supply and after
some considerati on submitted Q draft
feeling confident that 1t was complete. 1t
was then that men whom he understood
toibs representatives Of Swift & Com
pany brought up the questions to as the
length Of tho time the beef should keep
after issue.
Memoranda for charges containing the
"a hour clAuss were brought to him BY
Captain Davis, assistant oommissary
suggestions made seemedssto3be conflicting.
he had tried to get directions from Cap
tain Davis in regard to the twenty -four
hour clause and was told by him that the
understanding was that rsfTigerators were
to be built on shore and In the rear OF the
moving troops, the intention being to
have the beef exposed for minimum
time only. He had at the time pointed
out the apparent conflict between the "a
and - hour clauses In one of the re-
visions Generel Eagan had entered In his
own hand writing . clauss referring to
the tims reading as follows:
(Which shall not bs moro than % hours
from the time of slowing tho came In such
refrigerators.
This clause Mr.. De Candry said he had
not at the time understood but he had no
authority to strike 1t out.
Whan the % hour clause was inserted
General Eagsn appeared dubious about
1t, but said nothing more. MIR. De. Can
dry said that he had been so worried BY
the apparent iuoon sistenciss in the con
tract that he had kept all the memoranda
relating to the matter.
"Are they on file now?" asked Major
Lee.
"rhey are not in the file boxes"
The witness then stated Ia reply to
questions that Captain Davis was In
charge Of these boxes and that Captain
Davis was the especial confldante Of
General Ea8an. Asked II he had any
drawn to suspect that any Of the data had
been withheld by Eagan or Davis, Mr..
De Candry replied that he had no such
suspicion then and that he had none now.
His impression was that they were under
taking to do something which they had
not digested sufficiently to know just how
they wanted to do 1t. Major Les asked
Mr. De Candry whether he had ever
rendered his resignation as an officer OF
the war department ana the witness re-
piled that he had done So
"I tsndered my resignation on the day
following General Eagan's appearance
before the war commission" he said.
Major Lce was about TO proceed with
this line Of questions when Colonel Davis
objected on the ground that the inquiries
were not pertinent Major Lee then with
drew the FIRST question.
DIR. Richard A. Pyles, chief surgeon Of
the. District of Columbia volunteers, testi-
fed that refrigerator beef supplied the
troops in Cuba had given them dysentery
but expressed the opinion that this was
due to the fact that they ate too much Of
it. He expressed disapprOval OF the canned
beef. The court then adjourned until to-
morrow.
A BOOK BY BRYAN.