Evening star., 1899-04-10

! uouSiy IIOHl Sdl L FdfclSc0. 1t was eX-
pected he would testify before the beef
court of inquiry this morning, but he did
not Other witnesses having reached the
| city. and being most anxious to get away
they were heard first
| Gen. Shafter was excused until later He
| will be examined with particular reference
| to the meat issued to his command in Cuba
| as Gen. Eagan quoted him as having said
| that the beef the army had was the best he
| had ever eaten
Rear Admiral Walker Testifes.
Rear Admiral John C. Walker. stationed
at Mare Island, was the first witness He
| is a man in the prime of life with white
Dundreary whiskers separated by a firm
looking chin. He testified that he was pres
| ident OF the Nicarauga canal commission
that went TO Nicaragua in 1897. The field
parties were fed by the government and
canned roast beef was a part of their ra-
tons. He testified that while there was no
direct objection to the meat, the men did
not like 1t and would not eat it when they
could get any other kind. They preferred
the fresh native beef
Cross-examined by Maj. Lee, the witness
said he does not know the names of the
various brands issued. The beef used was
all the native product and in the form of
steaks and roasts was tough. Used in
haSHes and SteWs the beef was palatable
and there Were no harmful results. The
canned roast beef was not spoiled. he said,
but the men rejected it, and it is no longer
used IN the present ration. He said he WAS
not familiar with it an issue in the navy.
He had never heard of ''SWelled'' cans or
observed any deterioration in the quality of
the meat.
As to Chemical Treatment.
DIR. Charles H. Castle of Cincinnati. Ohio
next testified. He was assistant surg con
of the 1st Ohio Cavalry Volunteers during
the war and served at Chckamauga and
Lakeland, Fla. He had been a practicing
physician before the war and is now in
charge of the Holmes Hospital at Cincn-
natl. He became acquainted with Lieut..
Compiler and Capt. Carmichael at Lake
land. The beef issued to the men came
from Armour &, Co. at Tampa. He began
to hear complaints against it about August
I. Capt. Carmichael. who was brigade COM
missary, came frequently to see him and
asked him to inspect the meat, which he
did, and several reflections Wera made. He
had a conversation at one time with a
man who was introduced to him as the
Tampa representative of Armour * Co,
and he called this mans attention to dis
colorations of the meat. The reply he re-
ceived was that these were caused by the
chemical treatment of the meat before it
was refrigerated The witness said he ask
o.,
the latter stated that it was a secret pro-
cess and that he had no knowledge of the
chemicals composing it. He said he did
not recall the name of this agent, but he
gave a description that tailed exactly with
that of Mr. Morehouse. the Armour agent,
who testified two weeks ago. and who fiat
" contradcted statements by Lieut.. Comp
fer as to the alleged admission of the use
of chemicals.
Thinks FOrmaIdchydc Was Used.
Dr. Castle stated that he had written to
the chief commissary at Tampa asking to
be allowed to buy beef at Lakeland, as the
meat sent from Tampa was unfit for use.
This letter was produced and read by Maj.
Lee. 1t stated that the Tampa beef had to
be condemned so often that the men suf-
fered frequently for food 1t was impossi-
bic practically to get the full meat ration,
and the men were for days at a time de-
prived of this component. He said the
neat had an aromatic, acid. sour smell. but
not the disgusting odor OF decomposition
He could make guess as to what chem
icais had been used. They were applied as
a gas for disinfecting rooms and as wash
for preserving anatomical specimens. 1t
diScolored the tissue very little. He said he
thought the discolorations he noticed at
Lakeland indicated that the flesh was dis
integrating He had made no report, be-
cause the agent had spoken so frankly
about it, and he had, therefore thought it
a matter of course. and that it must be
known to the medical and commissary de-
partment of the army.
DR.. Castle said he thought formaldehyde
had been used. 1t is one of the most pow
erful of the known germicdes. For pre-
serving anatomical specimens it is used in
10 per cent solution, commonly called
'formaline.' He said he believed the meat
received at Lakeland had been subjected
to the fumes of this chemical used as a gas.
A gas generator and closed room are
n no he ar
very irritating to mucous membranes. He
thought meat so preserved and then cooked
would not present any sign to the taste.
1t not until he reached Cincinnati and
resumed his laboratory work that he
rived at the conclusion that formaldehyde
had been used.
Gen. Shafter Arrives.
Maj. Gen. Shafter, unaccompanied enter
ed the court chamber at this point and
was warmly greeted by the members. He
was in the fatigue uniform of his rank and
looked to be in health. He was an interest
ed listener of Dr. Castle.
The witness stated that the matter of
supposed chemicals in the meat did not
enter into consideration at the time he
made the reflections at Lakeland. Replying
to Major Lee, he said he thought ii would
be possible to mix formaline with water
and use 1t in tanks to wash down meat 1t
would not be necessary always to use IL IN
gaseous form.
Sydney Riede of Brooklyn, a reporter for
the New York office of the Associated
Press, followed DR.. Castle on the stand.
Miles Interview.
Mr. Reide was the reporter who wrote
the Miles interview circulated by the As
ISOLATED Press on February 1 last. He
testified that he met General Miles in New
York city on January 81 and obtained the
talk in question. He said he had copy
with him.
Major Lee interposed an objection to the
witness, and said he could not see the rele-
vancy of the evidence. He demanded a de-
cision and the court went into executive
session. In few minutes the doors were
opened and Mr.. Reide continued his evil
dence. He said he interviewed General
Miles at the Waldorf Astoria, and he pro-
duced a typewriter copy of the story as
he had written it originally. He said he
turned the original over to the night editor
of the Associated Press and afterward he
saw some parts of it in the New York
Herald, but not all of it. He read the in
terview, and stated that the following para
graph as published. had been written by
him:
Il have overwhelming evidence that the
e1nbalmed beef was treated with ehep,fcaj 10