New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-15
BEEF INQUIRY CLOSING.
FEW MORE WITNESSES REMAIN TO BE
HEARD.
GENERAL MILES AND SOME OF THOSE SUG
GEsTED BY HIM MAY APPEAR-YES-
TERDAY'S EVIDENCE

GENERAL MILES AND SOME OF lffOSE SUI
GEsTED BY HIM MAY APPEAR-YEs-
TERDAY's EVIDENCE.
washington. April H.-The Beef Court OF Inquiry
has decided to examine more witnesses after
this week unless in exceptional cases where men
expected were unavodably delayed. General Miles
will not be heard II at all. until next week but he
will not be called except upon his request.
In order TO expedite the work the Court will not
hear all the additional witnesses whose names
have been suggested by General Miles. Some of
tben, will however be called. among them Inspec-
tor-General Breckenridge. The two hundred addi-
,onal reports of officers will be received except
where made by officers who have already testified
or whose reports have been read. and excepting,
also reports OF officers who were not on duty at
Santiago In Porto Rico.
DIT c. F. Adams surgeon of the "a NeT-Jersey
Regiment. the first witness OF the day he
and other witnesses called to testify concern
ing the condition of affairs in that regiment COM
n,ained of by DR.. Currie. DR.. Adams said that ne
did not in any case attribute the sickness OF the
troops at Jacksonville TO the Government ration
He had heard nothing from DR.. Currie during tho
stay there Of his chemical tests with the fresh peer
He had been told of the doctors observations
concerning the effects Of the butchers knife BLADE IN
discooring the meat. but investigation had faiieo
70 corroborate his statement
DR. Charles r. Blundell. assistant surgeon OF the
"a Sew-Jersey. agreed with DR.. Adams that no
,ickness had been caused by the food nor had ne
heard OF any cnemlCdl tests ny ~ NN'''N'
ta had heard nothing of this matter until his re-
g., home He had charge Of the sick OF the resi-
mont while the rifle range was In course OF con-
s,rjction and there was no such sickness IN inc
Attachment as had been testified to- lie ala not
I'LL the men could have been so sick as was
t''I"N - n,,bout his knowledge DR.. Blundell
oiA he had found the meat bad In some instances
hut as rule 1t was wholesome. .
colonel Edwin W. Hine. who commanded 'he ~
%ew-Jerscy also testified that Dr. Currie had not
told him that all the rifle range detali were s'0"
~ a few occasions there had been complaints OF
-. hof b,,, this was due the climate In MS
o,,r,or lie had never suspected the use Of pre-
servatves
DR. WILEY TELLS OF CHEMICAL TESTS
DR. Harvey W. Wiley, chief chemist oil the Asri,
cultural Department. who had general charge OF
tho chemical analyses of the canned roast peei
the details OF which were left 10 Dr biselo"' was
called and questioned not only concerning the 'es's
I'D ~ this meat but as to the entire range OF
tho preservation OF food. He said that wheh 'his
investigation was begun Secretary wilson -,
struction had simply been to find out the truth
He found that the canned beer was not ooiAP
human food. being deficient in carDo-hy u'@e''
Some of the mineral salts OF meat "ouiu oe re-
moved bv the heating necessary In canning Dut
these contained no nutrtye Valus, any ~ O zine
auently their removal would not aileSt uiv ~
of the beef as a nutrient. 1t would howeveer al
iect Ns the canned beef should be
served with rice or potatoes. ana ~ snou'H JoS
about One-elRntn OF OHt-stNSH'H VI I"
pr Wiley denied the charge that DR.. Bigelows
%hefher the meat submitted canned beef or
hoehesh and IN s iSe De
psrtment who could not detect the presence. OF
wod Not have been possible under made
for maggots worms or bacteria 10 escape Gerg ges
Examined Us showed the presence Of such things Re
rrg Incidentally to one OF the PoH'sD mage % e
said that hogs any other herbivorous animal
would Il fed or upon how e cooked ONLY" "
m" on Ne cross-examnation DR.. Wiley said that q
s Sst and dns 6at the S0% n%tive value
on s tor es eSkas s S
the Ordinary analysis would not determine whether
Piece sy0 in Of or the
for Co. said that Ice and rock hs salt h.t, We're
not subjected to any chemical process while on the
way to the He W sTre If m Wo5 had beSa
known it. He had never heard of Mr.. Powell or
ms T. p F EDWARDS Of Jacksonville Fla agent in
that State for Armour & Co. said that his firm
The Army in Florida. There had been some minor
'iainis, but comparatively few His instructions c
u been to do everything possible 10 satisfy the
same quality as IS SIS supplied to the general trade
ment at Tampa. but he also knew that Armour &
except that Of cold air He related the particulars
OF The condemnation OF two carloads OF capned
been Immediately overhauled and the bad
mated He thought these did not exceed Il per cent.
The first witness Of the afternoon session was
John j. Murphy. superintendent Of the ice depart
ment OF Swift & Co. He said that no chemicals had
ever TO his knowledge been used by Swift co. for
the preservation of beef He had superintended the
transfer 10 the steamer Of the OF beef carried
Porto Rico by the Manitoba last August. rms
beef was sound at that time
BAD BEEF ON THE MANITOBA.
Captain Francis NJ Dean. late of the Pennsy-
vania Artillery who Porto Rico on the
transport Manitoba. said he had heard that the
frigerator of the vessel choked up by an acct
dent I'm the harbor at Ponce. The battery had
ceived some of the beef from the Manitoba after
arriving at Ponce but II had to be buried. II had
bad odor and covered with mould. giving II a
hairy appearance. After meat was cooked n
There much complaint concerning the canned
roast beef, ii also made the men who ate II
sick. He had eaten IT and had become sick and
had recovered after ceasing to II. Many Of the
swollen, and when opened emitted a dis
agreeable odor.
Captain Bean said that the return trip to the
United States forty cases Of canned beef had been
condemned and thrown overheard because OF the
stencil The refused absolutely 10 eat the bee
He thought that half OF the issue thrown away
The refrigerated beef smelled like dead body and
musty." The doctor had forbidden the sick men
TO IT, attrbuting the sickness their use OF H.
The command In Porto Rico a month and dur
ing that entire time did not receive of good
beef.
Professor Mallett was recalled and asked some
technical questions bearing on the testimony of DIR
10 predict In advance OF actual whether any
article would be useful food. In other words
experience was the only decisive test, as palatabi-
tty. dgestoility etc, must be considered. Accord
many cans OF beef short OF weight. one Of