The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-23
More Testimony Concerning the
Meat Supplied to Soldiers.
ROAST BEEF NAUSEATING
GENERAL KENT SAYS 1T WAS
Unsatisfactory.
Susgeon DAILY Not Permitted to Tes-
tify Concerning the Embalmed
Beef Until the Contractors Could
Be Present-Chemically Preserved
Beef as an Experiment at Tampa.

Washington, Feb. 22.-Today's pro-
ceedings of the court of inquiry investi-
eating the beef controversy developed
little that was new. The testimony.
with the exception of that of DIR. DAILY.
surgeon on the staff of General Miles
during the war, and of Colonel Wood
ruff, assistant commissary general, was
generally in line with that of yester-
day. The canned roast beef was gen.
orally condemned as unsatisfactory,
while the refrigerator beef was COM
mended. the chief complaint being that
it often decomposed en- route to camp.
The testimony of representatives of the
subsistence department was bsgdn, that
of Colonel Woodruff, assistant commits
Sary general, being the most notable.
He purchased more than 10000 pounds
of canned beef and told of the method
OF purchase and the reasons that
prompted it. He took issue with Gener-
al Miles contention that beef on the
hoof was the usual source of fresh meat
supply in the army.
Another feature OF the day was the
introduction Of Mr.. Daily, who charged
before the war commission that refrig-
Grated beef at Chickamausa, Jackson
vile, Tampa and in Porto Rico had
examined, however, in regard to this
charge, Colonel Davis announcing that
the contractors who were attacked were
entitled TO be notified of the eXamina-
ton upon this point, that they might
have ample time in which to appear
should thev decide TO do so. The law
required this, he said. Accordingly. DR..
Daily was excused. after a partial eX-
animation. and will be recalled later.
The investigation viii proceed tomOr-
row, when General Eagan, former COM
missary general, is expected to appear
and tell the story of the beef supply,
as view by this department
When the court met this morning.
Colonel Davis, the recorder, announced
that the examination of witnesses SO
far summoned and reported was about
concluded. The court should consider
now, he thought, the questions of furth-
er summons and procedure, and, at his
suggestion, the court went into secret
session.
SURGEON DAILY CALLED.
When the executive session conclud-
ed Dr. William II. DAILY of PittSburg,
who was major and chief surgeon OF
volunteers during the war and teStihed
before the commission that he had dis
covered by chemical analysis boracic
acid and salycilic acid in refrigerated
beef furnished the army, was intro
duced. His examination by the record
er was conducted slowly and with great
care. developing with minuteneSs all of
DR.. Days duties while attached to
General Miles staff These, besides
those of an army surgeon, consisted in
making special reports to General Miles
on camp sites, water supply and the
like. When the witness had been chro-
nologically carried through his term of
Office and was out of service, the re-
corder handed him the famous EN-
balmed beef" report, and asked him If
he recognized it. DR.. DAILY said that he
did, and that it was all right except,
perhaps. the date, which in the copy
was Sept. 81. He said. to the best of
his recollection, the exact date was Oct.
IA. The date, however, he said, was
not essential, the report being genuine
and, in the opinion of DR.. DAY. perfect
ly accurate.
Colonel Davis then addressed the
court briefly, saying it was only within
twenty-four hours that he had been
able, personally, to study this report OF
Dr. Daily, and he found therein certain
allegations against certain persons who
had made contracts for supplying food
material to the government. To con-
tinue the examination of the witness on
this subject, in the absence OF those
persons against whom his charges were
would be to deprive them of
rights accorded them by law. He there
fore suggested that the other parties
(the meat contractors
should be given reasonable notice of
the proceedings, and that the witness
be excused. subject to recall when the
examination could be continued with
the other interested parties present.
EXPERIMENT AT TAMPA.
Prior to leaving the stand. however,
DR.. DAILY was examined in regard TO the
Powell experiment with beef preserva- /
tives at Tampa, Colonel Davis pointing
out that it was merely experimental, |
and no contractor was involved. DIR. |
Daily said J. F. Weston called his at
tentiOn to a quarter of beef which was
hanging on board snip and which Wes- !
ton said had been for sixty hours in |
the open air, and he was waiting to see I
what would eventuate. DR.. DAILY did /
not recall anything of Colonel Weston's /
statement indicating the beef was other /
than a part of the general supply, or
that it had been treated with a chemi- /
cal as an experiment He noticed that |
flies would not remain on the beef, and (
that no larvae We're deposited. He /
thought that strange, and that the beef /
would not purify in the Tampa air at /
ter sixty hours exposure. Witness fin |
ally cut piece from the beef and later |
cooked and ate it.
After riding horseback he became !
He did not suspect preserv- /
atives on the beef, although his taste !
an experience he had with /
some years before while hunt |
ng. Nevertheless, Dr. DAILY said he re- /
marked to no one about the matter.
wanted it made plain that Col
)nel Weston had said nothing about the
quarter of beef being experimental, and
he had no reason to suspect the govern
nent was conducting an experiment as
o the efficacy Of any chemical press rva-
i've
Replying to Colonel Davis. witness
;aid he supposed the beef was a part
If a consignment from the contractors,
TO keep seWenty-twc hours in
he sun, and perhaps Colonel Weston
vas merely curious to see if the beef
would stand the test.
Captain r. II. Breckham of the sub
iiStence department OF volunteers re-