The evening times., 1899-02-24

| Major General Young and Mnjor !
Rowman Appear as Wit
nesses.
Charles Patrick Eagan, who was the
last witness before the Beef Court of En-
quiry yesterday, was the first this morning.
He did not appear in full dress uniform
today but in his service uniform. His man
ner on the stand was calm, though he
/ would accompany his responses to ques-
tions by fiourshes of his hands
He resumed the stand at few minutes
after 10 o'clock. He was first cross exam
ined to the terms of the beef contract.
/ He said that it was the duty of the Gov
ernment to provide the refrigerator ships,
of which there were four or five in the
| service. The refrgerating plants on these
ships were inspected by Swift & Co., and
were run by engineers furnished by the
| contractors, as they were responsible for
the delivery of the meat in good condition.
The reports received by the Commissary
Department indicated that the cold storage
plants worked well.
hour clause. The beef people thought their
product would endure that long after re-
moval from the refrigeratorS 1t the beef
did not it was the loss of the contractor.
A great deal of the beef had been paid
for. He judged that some deductions had
been made from the contractors on account
of beef that had been rejected by boards
OF survey.
The Brooke Expedition.
The refrigerator ships were large vessels
and sometimes carried miscellaneous
stores. The plan for supplying the Brooke
expedition was discussed with General
Brooke fully before the sailing of the
troops. Ali the views of General Brooke
were met. The witness did not know that
General Brooke had informed General Miles
of the arrangements made for the subsist-
ence of the troops in Porto Rico
Lieutenant Colonel Sharpe, was the
chief commissary and was supplied with
funds amounting to about a quarter of
million dollars This money was ayaila-
BILE for the purchase of emergency sup
plies. 1t was for the Commanding Gener-
, al to determine when this emergency
should arise.
, Colonel Davis read to the Court tele
grams and correspondence between the
Commissary General and the beef men
. with regard to the experiment conducted
with view to ascertaining the longevity
} of refrigerated and of frozen beef. The
experiments for the Government were con-
Quoted by Colonel Ripley at Tampa. 1t
l | was aScertained that the refrigerated beef
exposed in the sun endured and remained
} sweet for forty-eight hours Colonel Rip
| lev also reported an experiment conduct
, | ed with canned roast beef. 1t was de-
\ clared TO be the best substitute for fresh
meat while an army was on the move
} Eagan said that it was ascertained that
| frozen
} | cannot well be determined beforehand.
The commercial value of frozen beef was
, less than that of refrigerated beef Amer
/ | ican refrigerated beef outsold Australian
frozen beef in the London market. Eagan
} | testified that it was his understanding
that the American navy used refrigerated
| beef. though no conference on the meat
| question was held between the officers of
the Commissary Department and officers
q | of the navy.
Native Fresh Beef.
;. The witness said that native fresh beef
had been served TO the troops in Cuba and
Porto Rico. Reports from his officers. he
= said, showed conclusively that the troops
e preferred refrigerated beef
n Eagan told how the Dale beef came to
t, find its way to Porto Rico. A consignment
e of this meat was sent to Tampa but it
reached there after the Fifth Army corps
had sailed 1t was put on a transport
there for shipment to Cuba, but it went
- TO Porto Rico and the reports received
u u from that island indicated that it gave
satisfaction. He had avoided the use of
, experimental articles of diet. Many arti-
= cles of this character were brought to the
= attention of the Commssary Department
;, but he reported against them. He did not
- believe in concentrated food for army use.
He denied emphatically that he had ever
made purchase of anything for the use
of the army under 'pretence of expert
ment.'
The beef men, he understood. relied on
=. the ammonia process for refrigeration.
, He never heard any suggestion that beef
= was treated with chemicals till General
= Miles went on the stand as a witness be-
= fore the Alger Relief Commission
, During the he had received several
:, propositions from individuals, one by the
- name of Powell. to furnish the Government
~ with process for preserving meat He
- made no investigation of the subject, but
4 promptly rejected the proposition
,e General Miles Dispatch.
When the dispatch was received from
General Miles, setting forth that no more
=. refrigerated beef should be sent as plenty
&c of native cattle could be had, no more
!, Western meat was sent In connection
h with the fitting out OF the Manila expedi-
V tion the witness said he made arrange
d ments to ship frozen beef to Manila.
II The troops were also supplied with canned
roast beef. He had received complaint
m from the troops in the Philippines against
n the timed roast beef
20 He tried to make contract with parties
in New York, London, and San Francisco.
but he thought these parties were trying
to take advantage of the necessities OF the
Government They wanted IA cents a
Il pound and $500 day for the use Of the
ship. He cabled to the American consuls
at Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. and
'l the meat was procured for 8 cents pound
d and s400 day for the ship. 1t was the
e purpose of the Government, he thought, to
10 erect a cold storage plant at Manila. So
far as he knew, the beef supplied to the
D troops at Manila had been found eminentiy
It satisfactory. He had understood that Cen
! eral Merritt had so testified.
II Speaking of the canned roast beef the
witness said that at times, when this food
was subjected to a high temperature, it
would take on an uninyiting appearance.
ie Canned ROnst Beef.
j, The witness said that canned roast beet
-e was tested and found satisfactory in 1856
IS and was introduced into the army rationz
in 1885, He never expected that it would
- be used by the men without salt or pep
20 per.
In speaking of the meat on the Pana-
| ma il was his opinion that il was nj