The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-06

the meat At Jacksonville the men had
found IL necessary to cook the refrigerator
meat as soon as received, as otherwise IL
became tainted In one instance an entire
company of troops had been made sick.
as he believed. by eating the meat.
However, as rule, the beef was
one consignment of canned beef was Very
offensive and would have been cremated
but that IL was rescued by the Armours.
who had furnished II. They took IL and
overhauled II. The one instance of sickness
believed TO have been caused by the refrig-
orator beef occurred in company OF the
Seventh Illinois regiment. Many men had
been made violently sick. the gastrO-intes-
final organs being especially affected. Ii
OF the men thus affected went down with
typhoid fever. II was afterwards developed
that the cook knew the meat was tainted
before ne cooked II. ColOnel Maus was on
duty at Havana during the past winter.
He said the meat supply there had been
entirely satisfactory.
DIR. Samuel A. Currie. lieutenant colonel
of the Second New Jersey. was in charge
OF a detail OF 100 men TO construct a rifle
range at Jacksonville In June and July.
Often the men were compelled 10 throw
away the meat sent them for dinner On
one occasion there was especial trouble and
the next day after eating this meat only
fwenty-four men were able to report for
duty. He had tested "A piece Of this meat
for salicylic acid. getting decided reaction
On another occasion he secured boractc-
acid reaction. "One popularity OF the
meat" he said was that il kept we'll
and Sngf so ndClF. Nlen men WOulu
throw II up often many hours after eating;
IL was still found undecomposed. He had
considered the canned meat unfit for his
men TO eat and had advised them not TO
DIR. Currie expressed the opinion that the
refrigerator beef had been soaked in some
preservative fluid containing salicylic acid,
but he afterwards said his first idea had
been that the acid had been injected. DR..
Currie said he had discovered some ten or
twelve years ago by actual tests. that Swift
& Co. used salicylic acid to preserve their
meats Two months ago ne had made
similar test of beef furnished by Armour &
Co at his own home i'm Englewood. n. j..
and had found that 1t contained sallcyhc
acid.
the rife-range detail be summoned be-
fore the court but the court did not re-
spond TO the request.
MILES'S REQUEST.
Major Lee then read the reply of the
court to General Miles's request for sum-
moning OF 1S1 witnesses named by him, and
General Miles's reply. asking that they be
placed in the record. The letter to General
Miles was written by Recorder Davis. of
the court of inquiry. 1t was dated yester-
day, and read as follows:
II beg to acknowledge the receipt of
your favor of the Sd inst, inclosing the
final list of witnesses. / am directed to
say that such of the persons named as APP
pear. from the statement submitted, TO be
in possession of facts not already covered
by the testimony or witness Will be sum-
moned TO appear with the least possible de-
lay
General Miles's reply said, in part: 1T Is
my belief that at least Zoo men, and un-
dOubtedly much greater number, would
confirm the testimony that has already
been given that a portion OF the food sup
piled the army was unwholesome and un-
suitable for use / therefore request that
the small number of witnesses ODD whose
names have just been submitted may be
called upon to give their testimony before
your court" The general understanding
about the court Is that the request will not
be complied with.
Henry Raphael, manager for Armour &
Co, I'm New York. who had been called at
the instance of General Miles to testify.
said that last May he had in stock 40 600
pounds of canned roast beef. Later in the
season he received more, some coming from
Chicago and some from cities in England.
The beef from abroad had been there from
one to two years. This he had turned over
10 Colonel Woodruff the dock.
Asked II any of the meat sent abroad had
been rejected there. he said: Il know posi-
lively that none of IL was rejected. / know
this from our firm in Chicago and from the
condition of the beef
The meat had been returned to NIL con-
tracts with the government. some going to
the army and some to the navy. Alto
gether. about $4,000 pounds had been sold TO
the army. Mr.. Raphael said the govern
ments purchases were always made on
samples, selected generally by himself.
These were inspected. was also the beef
delivery. Only three cans of the entire
sale TO the army had been refused, and
these had been replaced