The times., 1899-03-31
ARMY BEEF ROASTED
In ORIGINAL Terms
Canned Meat That Tasted Like
MOonshine Diet.
No. One But Starving Ell Caney
Refugees Would Eat Ii.
A Big Consignment Brought Back
From England Supplied to the
American Troops.

One witness testified before the Beef
Court yesterday that the canned roast heef
contained no more nutriment than moon
shine. and one witness testified that the
refrigerated beef appeared to have been
vanished.
The Court held no public session in the
morning. The first witness called to the
stand during the afternoon session was
Lieut.. George A. J. CAMPER of the First
Ohio Cavalry. He testified that ne was
rcglmental commissary at Lakeland Fla,
from July Is to August 10, 1898. lie stated
that much OF the refrigerated beef issued
to the troops at that point had green spcts
on it. The odor from these spots was not
the odor Of putreseenee. 1t was a sour
smell, one that had never greeted his
nostrils before. The beef, when cut into,
was dark red. At first the witness at
tributed these spots 10 the heat. but later
he understood that they were caused by
chemical process through which the beef
had passed The portions of the meat not
discolored seemed TO have been coated with
something like varnsh The surface of
the quarters was glossy as though some
it. The meat issued to the troops at Lake
land did not have the same appearance as
that issued at Chickamauga and Tampa.
Major Webb, Inspector General or the
Second Division of the Fifth Army Corps,
was next sworn. He did net know hat
The meat component Of the ration was on
the voyage from Florida to Cuba. After
the arrival he thought that bacon and
canned beef we're to be had in about equal
wifi SIC
canned roast beef was not gooi. He saw
none that was putrid, but it was net ap-
petiZing 10 lock at. II had no odor and
no taste IL looked very much as though
the fag-ends Of beefsteaks had been pat
Up in cans. Ii was fibrous and stringy.
1t seemed TO have sustaining or
Strengthening qualities. 1t was in no way
satisfying.
To eat il, he said, was like opening the
mouth and taking in moonshine. I he pal
ates of the men refused it. He did not
think that IL had caused any sickness. but
he did not consider il wholesome from the
fact that he believed 1T to be without nu-
tritive properties. A great deal was issued
10 the Cuban troops, but they, too. refused
10 eat it. The only way il could be made
use of was TO issue it to the refugees at
Ell Caney. These people were starving,
literally. absolutely starving, and these
The Cuban troops rejected it.
Major Webb had tried to eat 1t on sew
eral occasions, but he could not make use
of it. 1T seemed said the witness, ito
have been dessicated. There was no more
nutrition in it than if a man had chewed
nocnshine.
When the witness was examined on the
subject OF refrigerated beef he said that
that issued at Santiago had invariably
been good When it reached the outlying
camps some OF it was more or less decom-
posed The army wagons would start from
the commissary depot at Santiago and un-
der usual conditions could reach the camps
in an hour or two. When this was the
case the meat was wholly good Now and
then rains would come up suddenly and
make the roads temporarily impossible SO
that wagon would require half a day TO
make the trip. Then the sun would come
out suddenly and shine as hotly as before
Because of this contingency the meat
might be in bad condition when il reached
The camp. This had been accepted with
the same philosophy which characterized
the regular soldier all through the Cuban
campaign. He had never heard of en-
balmed beef until after his return 10 this
country.
Colonel Woodruff. Chief Commissarv of
the Department of the East, was recalled
TO the stand. He testified as TO the man
ner OF advertising for bids on canned beef.
lie described how the samples were sub
mitted and how the consignments were ex-
anined and seen to conform to the sample
submitted. He produced letters from a
number Of wholesale grocers in New York
IN which II was stated that the beef sold |
10 the Commissary Department was of the |
same kind as that sold TO the Navy, to the |
european armies, and to many of the ships !
passing out OF the port of New York.
He knew that 10 fill an order of the |
American Government one of the packing |
houses brought back from Liverpool 3OO.- |
oVO pounds OF canned beef which had been |
sent over for sale 10 the English Govern
ment. He had no knowledge that il had |
been rejected by the English Government !
This lot was bought by Col o. NJ. Smith.
purchasing commissary at Chicago, and |
was received at New York by the witness. |
II was rigidly inspected and found to be |
OF good quality. II was his opinion that |
the Gamers used the same parts for can |
ning as were used for corning. namely, the |
Hanks and chucks
he did not know that there was any ma |
terial difference between canned boiled |
beef and canned roast beef II was sub
9eeted TO two processes in cooking II was |
boiled and then partially roasted The Wit
ness was asked by Major Lee. counsel for
General Miles, TO name some of the i'm
portant Indian expeditions in which the
troops had not been furnished with beef
On the hoof Colonel Woodruff said that
no beef on the hoof was carried in the ex-
pedition Of 1874 along the northwest bor-
der; the expedition of General Terry in
1875; the expeditions of Generals Terry.
Gibbon, and Custer. in 1876 or in the va
rious campaigns in New Mexico between
1875 and 1880
He had examined canned beef that had
been sent TO Cuba and Porto Rico and
which had been brought back by the troops |
and had found it good. He had submitted |
it TO the examination Of army surgeons |
and they had pronounced it good, whole |
some meat
NJ. Morehouse, Armour's agent at Tam