The evening times., 1899-01-28
GENERAL NILES INSISTS
UPON HIS CHARGES
WILL HAVE BEEF ANALYzED
Sends n supply of the Canned Mate
rial for Inspection by Chemists
of the Medical Museum

Though the AIger Relief Commis-
sion tasted and pronounced good the can
ned roast beef furnished to Major Cen
eral Miles by Francis C. Bean, command
ing Battery C of the Pennsylvania Volun-
teer Artillery. the Commanding General OF
the Army has determined to prove con-
clusively that it was unfit for issue to
troops. He has referred several cans 10
the Army Medical Museum in this city
for careful analysis. The medical officers
will not only analyze the meat, but they
will analyze the metal that forms the co2t-
ing of the can.
1t is believed by General Miles that lead
is mixed with the tin. and that a chemi-
cal analysis will demonstrate the unfitness
OF the cans fer use well-informed OFF,
Ger called attention to the fact that il the
can were left open by defective soldering
the air entering the can would set up fer
mentation in the beef. Fermentation" ."
he continued. means the presence OF an
acid. which, acting on the lead in the can,
might have produced a compound injuri-
Gus to health
General Miles opened in his Office yes.
terday can of the roast beef. II was
nauseating, and, as Captain Bean stated il
his report, absolutely unfit to throw TO
dog. 1t looked rancid. The fat appeared
to be mushy and watery, and some Shreds
of red meat showed above the surface
The reports received by General Miles
indicated that the men were able to eat
the top portions of it when compelled by
stress of hunger to do so, but they could
not go any further in the can than the
surface. 1T was all well enough" said
an officer who inspected IL, FOR the Com
mission to taste it and pronounce the stuff
all right. but hope they will not forget
that in Cuba and Porto Rico the cans were
in an extremely hot climate. The men did
not merely taste the meat, but were COM
PEELED to endeayor TO live on it for four
teen days"
Evidence of the foul character OF the
beef supplied to the service is simply over
whelming. General Miles forwarded TO the
Alger Relief Commission yesterday num-
Der of additional papers, all verifying the
reports of putrid food.
Great contrast is furnished in the beef
supplied TO the navy. Officers and men at
the New York navy yard are BOW eating
lot of refrigerated beef and mutton brought
north on the ship Glacier and supplied to
the navy last July. This meat is declared
TO be superior to any that can be bought
now. Lieut.. Col. E. A Darlington. Acting
Inspector General, who is making the beel
investigation ordered by Major General
Miles, has received from Paymaster Cen
eral Edwin Stewart, OF the navy, COM
plete report of the operations of his de-
partment in the matter of supplying meat
to the navy during the recent war. This
is a synopsis of the Paymaster Generals 5
report:
During the war with Spain the navy
supplied its fleets with fresh beef and veg
etables from regular refrigerator supply
vessels. Purchases OF beef were made un-
der specifications requiring the very best
quality Of beef. which should be delivered
into the refrigerating vessels from refrig
Grated lighters in such frozen condition as
to make il impossible TO put knife into it.
The temperature OF the refrigeTatOrs
aboard ship was kept sufficiently low
about 20 degrees-to insure the preserva
tion of the meats in the same condition
as when placed on board. Beef was load
ed on the Glacier last July. when it was
expected that vessel would accompany the
Eastern squadron on its trip abroad. No
complaints have ever reached the depart
ment from any source as TO the inadequa-
cy of the system now in operation