Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-22
WAS MAusEA1INa.
CONTINUED from page /,

Col Powell, that enlisted men OF the
army are not in the habit of COM
planning. They seem to feel that off,
GERS are doing all that can be done for
them and can't say that received
anything that could be termed COM
plants. The officers discussed the mat
ter freely and the quality OF the can
ned beef was a matter of common
talk" s{its
Regarding the refrigerator beef. Col.
Powell said there was little to be said
against 1t, except that some of 1t spoil
ed before it arrived. The regiment
was very hard worked while in the
city. being on guard duty daily. Some
of them were so sick that they fell
down at their posts and had to be
brought in -@s
You made no official report at the
time, them said Col. Davis. nor any
effort to ameliorate the condition of
the men as to their meat rationg'
mo, sir, made no official report till
after returning to the states. when
was ordered to the war department to
report on the canned roast beef"
Yes, l understand" said the record
err.
Col. Davis then produced report
from Governors Island. Sept. 20. in
which he condemned the canned roast
beef. saying it produced disorders of
the stomach. Col. Powell said he had
adjutant generals Office and it was
based on personal knowledge and re-
ports from the company commanders.
Col. Powell concluded by reviewing
the decrease in sickness after the is
sue of fresh beef and removal of the
camp to the hills. He attributed the
sickness more to hygenic causes than
to the food. His command was over
worked and badly quartered and
clothed and appeared complete
wreck. He expressed inability to esti-
mate the percentage of sickness due 10
the food. He said the beef gave no
pleasure in eating nor source Of
strength to the body.
Col. Powell said To Col. Gillespie that
the beef was generally wholesome but
never thoroughly good when issued in
the morning, and often was putrid
when delivered late in the afternoon.
He had declared to fellow officers
either at Santiago or Montauk Point
that the refrigerated beef tasted as
though 1t had come in contact with
chloroform or kerosene. This was no.
ticeably true when brolled. For years,
he said. he had not personally used
refrigerated beef upon his table. be-
cause he thought it would nauseate
him.
He had never entertained an idea at
Santiago or Montauk that the beef
had been treated chemically to pre-
serve it. Reasoning from his own ex-
perience in the Civil War. when cat
tile on the hoof were slaughtered and
issued at night and satisfaction result
ed. he thought cattle on the hoof in
Cuba would have been preferable to
the refrigerated beef supply.
Col. Albert T. Smith. 18th Infantry,
testified that at Tampa refrigerated
beef was used by his regiment and
continued to be supplied until the regis
ment embarked for the North. 1.-The
beef was good" he said, except one
day when it was spoiled. l understand
that beef had been lying in the sun on
the dock"
Col. Smith said he had reason to be-
lieve that very little canned roast beef
had been eaten except in soup Inves-
tigation made in September showed
that it had given practically no salts
faction in either soup or when eaten
from the can. Col Smith said that he
should not have felt it his duty to
make report had it not been callel
for by the department. as he was not
directly in contact with his regiment
during the time when the most dissat.
isfaction was alleged to have existed.
He had no suspicion while using either
the canned or refrigerated beef that it
had been treated with chemicals. In
general way he said he should have
chosen beef on the hoof in preference
to refrigerated beef had he been given
the choice.
Lieut.. Col. Charles d. Viele of the list
Cavalry, followed. with long recital
of his experience with canned roast
beef
Col. Davis-"What did you have as a
meat ration going down on the trans
port?'
WitnesS-"Canned roast beef
Col. Davis-''What did you have in
Cuba" ,.
Witness-"Canned roast beef. except
for n few days before leaving for home
when we had refrigerated beef"
Col. Davis-'What did you have on
the transports coming home?"
Witness Canned roast beef
Col. Davis-"What satisfaction did Il
give?"
Witness--"Did not give any satisfac
ton at all"
Col. Davis-"What complaints were
made to you as to this beef?"
WitnesS-"There We're no complaints |
There was no chance to get anything |
else and the men took it and said moth
ing"
Col. Davis-''They did use it them"