The morning news., 1899-04-07
POWELL PROCESS WAS TESTED
ARMOUR's LETTER on THE PRE-
sERVATION or ARMY MEAT.

Used at Tampn-It Was There, Too,
That the Men Were Sick From
EntinG It-Decaindry Tells About
Preparation of COntracts-Papers
Have Disappeared.
Washington April 6.-In the army beef
court Of inquiry to-day the letter OF
Messrs Armour & Co. proposing to use
the Powell process for the preservation
of beef was submitted as evidence by Maj.
Lee, acting for Gen. Miles. 1t was ad-
dressed to the commisary general, dated
at the firms Washington Office July lS,
1895 and reads as follows:
"As supplementary and explanatory to
our bid to supply dressed beef in Cuba
we wish to say that we have the exclusive
control of the Powell process for preserv-
ing fresh meats. and that this process has
been tested at Tampa, Fla. the test hav-
ing been completed with most satisfactory
results.
This test was made under the super
vision of Col. John Weston of your depart
ment, who has advised you OF the results.
We are advised, however, that he receiv-
ed four carcasses of beef which we sent
him from Chicago. duly refrigerated and
treated according TO the Powell process.
part of these carcassos were enveloped
in sacks OF canvas, and part were not.
These carcasses were distributed 10 the
Third Cavalry, the Sixth Cavalry, batter
les of artillery ana the medical depart
ment, and were hung IN the air on the
upper deck of the transport troopshps.
lying at the wharf In the hot sun with
out any benefit of the fresh air, or move
ments of the ships. The pieces that were
not wrapped fermented In less than
seventy-two hours while the pieces that
were covered or wrapped kept about one
hundred hours.
"These practical tests made under tho
supervision of your own officer show that
by means Of this process wrapped pieces
of carcass can be kept longer than the
seventy-two hours required by your spec
| ihcatons
Results Unprecedented.
1--WE believe that we may safely say such
reseults have never before been accom-
| plshed In the history of the fresh meat
| business In view of the tests which we
have made In the past and Of the result
| Of the tests made under the supervision or
| your own officer, we believe that we are
| absolutely safe In the assertion that this II
| the only process or method which will Sc
! cure the results required by your specihca-
| ton Very truly yours Armour a. Co,
"Per T. ]. Conner. Supt."
| The testimony began to-day with Dr. L.
| Clifford Cox, assistant surgeon In the vol
unfeers of the District of Columbia. He
was at Tampa and in Cuba, and testihed
| that the command was attacked with diar-
rhoea to the extent of an epidemic
| rafriparata1 baef AT both
places After the second attack of this
| character the reglmental surgeon had or
| dered that the issue of the beef be stopped.
! This was done. and the diarrhoea ceased
DeCnindry on the Contracts.
Mr. william A. Decaindry, who has been
| chief clerk In the office OF the commissafy
| general OF the war department for twenty
years related his connection with tne
/ work Of letting the beef contracts AZ
| The instance of Gen. Eagan, he had hrst
/ sent our forty or fifty kilograms to deal
ers in beef asking for bids 70 supply refris-
| Grated beef or for beef on the block, Gen.
| Eagan having supplied the form.
Mr.. Decaindry had been instructed by
| Gen Eagan TO prepare the originai nralt
| Of the contract for the beef supply, and
after some rearranging submitted draft,
feeling confident that II was complete IL
/ was then that men whom he considered
| 10 be representatives. OF swift Co..
| brought mp the question as TO the iength
| of time the beef should keep after issue.
| Memorandum for changes containing the
| twenty-four hour clause were brought to
| him by Capt. Davis assistant commissary
| general In one Of the revisions Gen Ia
| gan had interlined In his own handwriting
! a clause referring TO the time reading as
follows:
| (Which shall not be more than seventy
! two hours from the time OF storing the
| aa r,aa In afch refrigpratOrS.
| This clause. Mr. Decaindry said, he had
| not at the time understood. but he had no
authority TO strike II out. When the twen-
| tv-four hour clause was inserted Gen. Ea-
| gan appeared dubious about 1t, but SAID
| nothing more.
Appnrent Inconsistencies.
Mr.. DecainaEy said that he had been so
! worried by the apparent Inconsistencies
| In the contract that he had kept all the
| memoranda relating 10 the matter.
| Are they on file now?" asked Maj. Lee.
'''They are not in the file boxes
The witness then stated in reply to ques-
t,ons that Capt. Davis was in charge OF
these boxes. and that Capt. Davis was
| The especially coniidant Of Gen. Eagan.
| Mr. pecaindry gave some OF the par
| tic,,lars concerning the trial OF the Pow
| ell preservative process in Florida. he
| anolse of a letter of Armour g. Co, In whicn
| tbev argued that they should be awarded
| the contract D1No"'V N'Ny -,
| powell process Notwithstanding their bid
was somewhat higher than that of Swift
/ & co.
Part of "a Letter Missing.
"What became Of that letter?' asked
| Mai. Lee.
| * portion of Il Is in the files" said Mr..
| Decaindry. "but~th the bulk of II was re-
| turned TO the writer az his request The
nortion returned was the last page, con-
| tafnlng the endorsement of the Secretary
/ ~ War. and the commissary general An
| Office copy was however, retained
| The witness was then requested TO- and
| ala read the letter from Armour g. Co,
| dated July l3, bearing on this subject, but
he said he had no remembrance of ever
/ having seen the letter before. This letter
| was then put In as evidence.
| Or. Richard A. Pyles, chief surgeon of
/ the District OF Columbia Volunteers, testi-
| eoA that 4he refrigerator beef supDlicd