The record-union., 1899-01-17
Two More Witnesses Testify Be-
fore Investigation Commission,
The Chief Quariermaster on 6eneraI Miles
Staff and CommIssary Irvine.
The Latter Examined Some of the
Beef Sent to Ponce, Found It
Very Odorous, and Had It
Thrown Overboard-The Con-
gestion at Tampa Due to the In
ability Of the Roads to Handle
the Cars.

the Cars.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16-General
of the water transportation at Tampa
for Santiago, was Chief Quartermaster
on General Miles staff, and was the
main witness before the War Investiga-
tion Commission to-day
Prior to his appearance, Captain r.
j. c. Irvine, Eleventh Infantry, COM
missary on. the Panama at the time
that transport was in charge of Sur
geon Daily, who wrote a report on the
beef, condemning it in the most sensa-
tional language, testified that the YES
sci sailed from Ponce on September 1st
or I'd, and on the 1th there was a
well marked odOr, as if something had
been CLOSED up" He was not pre-
pared to say the odor was like that
emanating from a dead human body
injected with chemical preservatives,
as Surgeon Daily had reported.
As soon as complaint was made of
the beef, he said, it was examined and
found to be very odorous. The beef
was thrown overheard The men were
living without fresh beef. The witness
said the lack of it was not felt by the
men. All the beef carried was refrig-
- ted beef. The ice taken aboard had
not been sufficient to preserve the beef
'.eveU - as the commission asked, IF it
had pgen received in good condition .
1t was received in fairly good condi-
ton, however, witness said.
After the beef was thrown overheard
he had thought it must have under
gone some change before it was
brought aboard, or while aboard, be-
fore it was put on the ice. The board
of survey that examined the beef con-
demned it because it was spoiled, moth
ing to any other effect being adduced.
Its report said that the beef was not
received in good condition, and it ex-
onerated Captain Irvine from RESPONSE
bility therefor.
Despite this finding, witness said he
insisted that he believed the beef was
in condition for immediate use when
received, and it was used for three or
four days. He cited the absence of re-
frigerating facilities aboard, and ad-
mitted the beef was not as good as
could be gotten at a first class restaur-
ant, as it had not the fresh flavor.
General Humphreys, the chief witness
of the day, said the congestion at
Tampa was due to the inability Of the
roads to handle the cars.
did you assign the troops in ad-
vance of their arrival at Tampa to the
different vessels?" asked General Will
son.
mo, SIR
when these troops came to you, were
they then assigned for the first time?''
Yes, sir, because that was neces-
sary."
He said that under the circumstances
the transports at Tampa were as well
fitted out as they could have been.
Each vessel carried it's full complement
of ordnance, quartermaster's and COM
missary stores; in fact. all that could
be taken. There were ia mule wagons
and seven ambulances taken.
"Why were no more wagons and am
balances taken?" queried General Will
son.
Because the vessels were full" was
the answer.
Would your reply then, be lack of
tranSpOrtdIlOn.
Il would not like to say that. All
the wagons" said the witness, were
landed at Santiago, but all were not
set up. Litters should have been land
ed before the battle of Ell Caney, be-
cause they were regimental, and he
believed they must have been" Wit
mss was aboard the Seneca for two days
and said she looked all right to him.
81 know there were people aboard
the Concho who ought not to have
been," he said, in reply to queries as
to passes to outsiders to come north on
these vessels. He thought duplicate
issuance of passes for foreign attaches
and others might overcrowd the vessels,
and had protested that only one per-
son should furnish passes. After the
vessel was turned over to the medical
department, he said, he had nothing to
do with these ships.
Asked as to complaints that had
been made of improper condition of the
Seneca, Concho, Breakwater and the
City of Washington, witness insisted
that the responsibility rested with the
medical department. When the Seneca,
Iroquois, or the City of Washington
sailed for home with the sick, he said,
they had no ice, unless the Red Cross
had a little. The first ice schooner, he
said, reached Santiago July Both.
There was long wrangle over the
responsibility for the loading of the
transports for the sick
''If the Concho," asked Ex-Governor
Woodbury., was overcrowded, was it
because the Government had not pro-
vided sufficient transportation, or
through an error Of judgment of the
medical department."
why, the medical department, GER
tainly," replied the witness emphat-
ically, because there was two more
ships. each as good as the Concho,
available.
General Humphreys resumed his tes-
timony at the afternoon session. Speak
ing of the Santiago campaign, he said
it was easy enough now to look back
on things which might have been done,
but there were a thousand and one
things which happened which could not
have been anticipated. He was closely
questioned by DR.. Connor as to the
supply of medical stores and the trans