The silver star., 1899-01-12
PROVISION SHIPS loNo TRIP.
Fresh Meat to supply warships for One
Hundred Days.

Fresh Meat to supply wnrships for One
Hundred Days.
From the National Provisioner: The
great meat concerns Of the United
States. as we'll as the government It.
SELF. have done some unheard Of and
wonderful things recently in the way
OF refrigeration and Of feeding an army
In the field as well as fighting navy
on fresh meat diet AS extraordinary
as this may seem, more unusual cir
cumstance is now transpiring in the
voyage of the battle-ships Oregon and
Iowa, which are at present beyond
Bahia, Brazil, on their way to Manila.
accompanying them is the supply-ship
Celtic, which left New York with the
heet about three weeks ago. The Gel
tic is veritable floating store and
warehouse filled with needed supplies
OF every kind required by a man-o'-war
ana its crew on long voyage through
varying climates But the chief inter-
est of this novel ship centers in her
meat stores and refrigerating cham
bers. Before leaving New York there
were put into her hold 100000 pounds
OF fresh frozen mutton and 250,000
pounds of vegetables. These supplies
are So arranged that the battleships
can at any time take from the cargo
whatever meat and vegetables are
needed for the mess during the long
voyage to the Philippines. These
stores were placed on board for the use
OF the fleets men. Such thing is un-
paralleled and unheard of in naval his
tory. And 1t has been left to this
government and to one of the great
est packing companies to store up and
send with fleet on the longest voyage
OF record ship loaded with fresh sup
plies from which the officers and crew
can be fed, the same as on land, in any
climate. She left in company with the
Oregon and the Iowa, and will feed
them en- route as they go. Besides be-
ing novel in naval history, it is new
departure in the meat trade. The meat
was specially gotten up for this ship
ment. 1t is sewn in cheese cloth,
frozen in Chicago, and brought from
there to New York in refrigerator cars
In a frozen state. To thus maintain
carcasses Of beef In frozen state dur
ing SO long freight journey is big
undertaking in itself. 1t is seldom at
tempted by the largest and best
equipped companies even for shorter
distance. The cargo was loaded in a
frozen state, and will be kept at a
frigid temperature until it is consumed
or the residue landed at Manila. Be-
fore the ships-after touching at Hon
olulu-reach their destination the store
ship Celtic will have performed the
most wonderful voyage in the worlds
history in the meat line. She will have
carried in her hold. and through all
climates. a cargo of frozen fresh meats
over the longest voyage of meat ship
in existence. She will have demon
strated the limitless possibilities Of re-
frigeration and OF nautical cold stor-
age for distributing the worlds sur
plus meats and provisions to those
climes and peoples who require them.
This voyage of the warships. and Of
their floating store. the Celtic, will take
more than 100 days. Heretofore a voy-
age Of sixty days for frozen meat ship
has been regarded as a marvel in trade
circles. The whole affair is one Of
great credit to the government at
Washington and to the contractors.
The possibilities in the case indicate in
definite expansion for the meat and
provision industries of the United
States. and the meat trade is under
obligation to the commendable daring
Of our officials and of our enterprising
business concerns.