The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-29
THAT BEEF CONTRACT
Is the Subject of Inquiry by
the Beef Court.
TIME BEEF WAS To KEEP
Is the Point in Doubt Eagan
Will Testify.
TIME BEEF WAS To KEEP

Washington. March 2s-Captain George
B. Davis, commissary of subsistence, was
the first witness TO appear before the beef
inquiry court today. He was on duty
in the office Of the eommissary general
| and assisted in preparing the Santiago
beef contract with Swift Co., dealing
especially withe the preparation of the
clause covering the time the beef was
be kept in refrigerators on shore. He
had talked whit General Eagan on this
subject when the contract was in course
of preparation and had understood from
him that the beef was 10 be kept in re-
frigerators for seyenty-two hours after
arrival and twenty-four hours after its
removal from them. Captain Davis de-
tailed some instances in which boards of
survey had examined beef which had been
complained OF while in the refrigerator.
One instance occurred at ManzanilIo and
another a Santiago. In the first the beef
was condemned and in the latter a parr
Of It was.
In reply to Major Lee Captain Davis said
the understanding in the commissary gen.
erals office was that the beef was TO be
kept good for seyenty-two hours by the
contractors after leaving the ship. pro-
vided good care was taken of it. This
he said, was the extreme limit, but 1t
was not supposed that the beef would
be kept for more than twenty-four
hours
Captain Davis said he had heard some
thing of the Powell process for preserv-
ing beef; that proposition was made be-
fore the beginning of the war and after
General Weston had brought the proceed
ings to the attention Of the department as
the result of the experiment made with
it at Tampa about the time of the sail
ing Of the Santiago expedition.
Major Lee pointed out the apparent dis
crepancy in Captain Davis and General
Eagans testimony as to the conditions
under which beef was TO be kept for y
hours after the arrival of the beef at
its point Of destination. He read Cen
eral Eagan's statement, saying it was his
intention that the beef should be good
for Y hours, mo difference where taken
FROM" and saying that the twenty-four
hour clause must be clerical error. He
asked Captain Davis to reconcile the two
statements, to which request the captain
responded by saying: General Eagan
had simply forgotten. Probably he had
not seen the contract for six months. II
is not customary in such cases to depend
upon the memory, the contracts being on
usual"
The witness said there had been con-
siderable discussion in the office Of the
commissary general of the feasibility Of
shipping beef on the hoof, but It had
been decided not to try the experiment,
because of the difficulty of getting ships,
Of landing the cattle, and of taking care
of them after landed. The subsistence de-
partment had. however, gone so far as
to gather the names of persons who might
desire to bid.
Bernard f. Mertagh, also an agent OF
Armour Co. at Lakeland during the
presence of the troops, gave the details
of the supply there. He said the beef was
generally held in the cars for three days,
the cars being well iced. About one-third
of the contents OF one car had been re-
jected and after this the meat was ship
ped in refrigerator boxes.
Some of this boxed meat was also re-
jected Both Messrs. Murtagh and Smith
testified that they had never known any
thing of the use of preservatives and both
state that Sergeant Mason, who had testi-
fed that preservatiyes had been used,
had praised the quality of the beef.
Charles H. Morehouse. manager Of the
Tampa branch of Armour & Co.'S estab-
Iishment, also testified. He said that from
May 20 to June l, 5000 pounds OF ice
was used at Lakeland. He said the beef
supplied to the troops was of the same
quality as that supplied TO the Florida
hotels. No personalities had been used
on the beef. He was willing to take oath
as TO that. The principal trouble was
that some of the commissary officers
knew nothing of beef.
George W. Watson. railroad agent at
Lakeland, said he had often gone into the
cars in which the beef was carried, and
that the meat did not present any unusual
appearance. He had eaten some OF the
rejected meat and had'found it to be as
good beef as ne had ever tasted.
The afternoon session was executive in /
character and was devoted principally TO |
the consideration Of witnesses 10 be called /
in the future. Il is expected that MAJOR /
Black. who was a member Of General i
Niles staff in Porto Rico. and Captain |
Pomeroy. who accompanied the expedi- /
ton as a commissary officer, will be heard /
tomorrow. and that later in the week soma 4
Of the medical officers OF the army VIII /
appear on the stand.
General Pagan formerly commissary |
general Of subsistence. arrived here today. /
He viii testify before the board, prob |
ably Wednesday.