Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-02-23

sistence department Of volunteers. Re-
ported as brigade commissary of the
First brigade cavalry at Tampa June
6. 1898. He had no knowledge of any
experiment upon beef al Tampa. He ac-
companied the expedition to Cuba ard
issued canned roast beef on the VOYAGE
and after the landing. On the TRANSPORT
Rio GranG5 four quarters of fresh beef
were placed. he understood. for the pur-
pose of experiment. though he had no
knowledge of any treatment and knew
nothing of its origin. He was instructed
to see how long il would keep General
Sumner gave him instructions to care
for and watch it. Some of it was thrown
overheard the second day out and the
remainder on the third day. II had been
on the dock several hours before placed
or board ard when thrown overheard il
was very offensive. None Of il was eat
en- by any one.
Lieutenant Cole. Sixth cavalry. who
was also aboard the Rio Grande which
carried General Summers Headquarters
and the four experimental quarters of
beef to Cuba. was much clearer in his
recollection of the beef quarters than
Captain Beckham. 1t was. he said.
from some firm of meat packers" and
was sent expressly for experimental use
by the soldiers with the knowledge that
il was chemically prepared. The beef
lasted only three days. after which it
decayed and was thrown overheard
Some of il was cooked before il spoiled
Witness saw the piece cooked but did
not eat it 1t looked well and the men
who tasted it said 1T was all right"
The officers discussed it freely but none
of them knew how the beef had been
treated. the process being secret
Lieutenant Cole said he ate some of
the canned roast beef aboard the trans
port before il had been subjected to the
trOpic heat and il was then fairly good
and he ate it with Il relish as a relief
from bacon. After il had been heated in
the southern climate il became Shiny
and rather repulsive looking. Lieutenant
Colonel n II. Humphreys. Twenty-sec-
ond infantry, said canned roast beef was
issued to his command in small quanti-
ties prior TO the surrender of Santiaso
but he had heard then no complaints
about il. When refrigerated beef was
furnished il was at first satisfactory
but il spoiled in large quantities and the
men finally ceased to care for it The
roast beef was then used in a
stew but the mer could not eat it Wit
ness did not know why. He attempted
to eat the beef from the can. 1t did not
taste right. 1t gagged him. He gave il
up.
Brigadier General J. F. Kent. VINO |
division in the Santiago
campaign, said complaints of canned |
roast beef came from the men-it seem
ngly Eauseated them but he took no |
action. considering r1ese complaints IN |
lvoidable incidents of the campaign. He |
much of the refrigerated |
beef spoiled en- route from the docks to |
he troops because OF the delay incident |
10 transporting it. The canred roast |
jecI was tasteless. he declared. and oft |
m repulsive in appearance and appar |
'ntly had all the Ifutriment extracted. |
Jnus~ the circumstances General Kent |
;aid he did not consider the beef defects |
demanded any special report. He did |
lot attribute any of the sickness to want /
e or character of food. General Kent. |
'eplying to General Davis. said beef on |
he hoof would have been preferable to
'efTigerated beef