The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-02-23
He Had no Information That an Experiment
Was Being Made at Tampa.
DID NOT MAKE REPORT AT THE TIME.
Colonel Woodruff TesiiiIss as 10 Purchases Made
For The Army Osagrsss with Gen. Miles
as 10 Cattle on the Hoof.

washington. Feb. s:.-Yesterdays
proceedings of the court of inquiry in
vestigating the beef controversy de-
veloped little that was new. The tes-
timony, with the exception of that OF
DIR. DAILY. surgeon on the staff OF Gem
eral Miles during the war. and of Col
onel Woodruff assistant commissary
general was generally in line with that
of Tuesday.
The canned beef was generally con-
demned as unsatisfa story. while the re-
frigerated beef was commended the
chief complaint being that il often de-
composed en- route To camp The ties.
timony OF representatives OF the sub
sistence department was begun, that or
Colonel Woodruff. assistant Commissary
general. being the most nota .. He
purchased more than 800. 900 pounds OF
canned roast beef, and told Of the
method or purchase and the reasons
that prompted IL. He took issue with
General Miles contention that beef on
the hoof was the usual source Of fresh
meat supply to the army.
Another feature OF the day was the
Introduction of DR. DAILY who charged
before the war commission that refrig-
Grated beef at Chickamauga. jackson
vile, Tampa and in Porto Rico had been
treated chemically. He was not eX-
amined, however in regard to this
charge. Colonel Davis announcing that
the contractors who were attacked were
entitled to be notified OF the. examina-
tion upon this point, that they might
have ample time in which TO appear
should they desire TO do so. The law
required this, he said. Accordingly DR.
DAILY was excused after a partial ex-
animation, and will be recalled later.
General Eagan. former commissary
general. is expHcted 10 appear today and
tell the story OF the beef supply as
viewed by his department.
Dr. Daly's examination by the recorder
was conducted slowly and with great
care, developing with great minuteness
all OF DIR. Days duties while attached
To General Miles staff. Those, besides
those of an army surgeon. consisted in
making special reports TO General Miles
on camp sites, water supply and the
like. The recorder very carefully de-
veloped the fact that most Of these re-
ports were verbal or telegraphic. there
in differing from the now famous meat
report which has caused DR.. DAILY being
summoned as a witness Therein the
examination differed from that of the
previous witnesses.
In all OF this very detailed recital the
question OF beef was not once broached
by the court but when Dr. DAILY had
been chronoloeically carried through his
term Of service and out of the army, the
recorder handed him the famous "em-
balmed beef report and asked him II
he recognized It. Dr. DAILY said he did.
and 1t was all right, except. perhaps, the
date, which. in the copy was Sept. Il.
He said to the best Of his recollection the
exact date was Oct IA. The date. how
ever he said. was not essential, the report
being genuine. and in the opinion of DR..
DAILY perfectly accurate.
Prior to leaving the stand. however.
DR.. DAILY was examined in regard TO the
Powell experiment with beef preserva-
tives at Tampa, Colonel Davis pointing
out that IL was merely experimental and
no contractor was involved DR.. DAILY
said Colonel ]. +. Weston called his at
tention to a quarter of beef, which was
hanging on a transport and which Col
oItl .NNftOH Sdiu iluu DCtn IOT oU nouns
in the open, and he was waiting TO see
what would eventuate. DIR. DAILY did not
recall anything of Colonel Weston's
statement indicating the beef was other
than a part Of the general supply. or that
II had been treated with chemical as an
experiment. He noticed that flies would
not remain on the beef and that no larvae
We're deposited.
He thought that strange. and that beef
would not purify in the Tampa air af-
ter 60 hours exposure. Witness finally
cut piece from the beef and later
cooked and ate 1t. After riding horse
back he became nauseated He did not
suspect preservatiyes on the beef. al
though his taste suggested an experience
he had with preservatives on antelope
some years before while hunting. Never
tbeless, DIR. DAILY said he remarked to
no one about the matter. Witness want
ed II made plain that Colonel Weston
had said nothing about the quarter Of
beef being experimental. and he had no
reason TO suspect the government was
conducting an experiment as 10 efficacy
OF any chemical preservative.
The supposed beef was a part OF n con
signment from the contractors supposed
60 keep 20 hours I'm the sun. and perhaps
Colonel Weston was merely curious 20
see ~ the beef would stand the test. Re