Evening star., 1899-03-15
Surgeon of Sd Illinois Declares Canned
Beef Was Bad.
mS MEN WOULD NOT EAT IT
Arbitrary and Illegal Acts Attributed
to Gen. Grant.
REFRIGERATOR BEEF SPOILED

CHICAGO, March 15.-Dr. John B. Shaw
of Joliet, ILL.,, surgeon of the Sd Illinois Vol
unteers. testified before the army beef in
quiry court today that on the voyage from
Newport News to Porto Rico canned roast
beef was issued. and there was a great
deal of complaint about it. 1t was stringy,
pulpy and nauseatng, and did not seem to
nourish the men. Much diarrhoea followed
the use Of it. The witness attributed
the sickness to ptomaine poisoning. He be-
lieved ptomaines would develop in the hot
sun in five or six minutes after a can was
opened. If the meat were properly steril-
lied ptomafnes would not develop.
While in Porto Rico, twenty-five miles
from Ponce, the matter of rations was
taken out of the regiments hands to a
great extent. Gen. Grant seemed to know
more about it than anybody else. The wit
ness took no particular interest in them
because of the action of Gen. Grant.
In Violation of the Law.
HE cannot violate the law?"
He did
did he issue orders?"
'He issued whatever he saw fit."
THE law required the surgeon to super
wise the cooking of that which is issued
Did you interest yourself to ascertain what
was being issued to the enlisted menu
I'VE saw what was issued and took it be-
cause we could not get anything else. We
had canned roast beef nearly all the while
and the men refused to eat 1t. 1t was
ordered condemned. and we buried lot
Of it. One of the men said If we didn't
bury 1t, 1t would bury US. board of sur
vey was ordered. but the witness never
heard anything more about it,"
AS to the refrigerator beef, very little of
it was used, as at least three-Quarters OF
1t would have to be cut off. 1 do not think
any chemicals had been used on the meat.
1t was simply spoiled. The meat had un-
which had softened it. The fat and grease
and gelatine had all intermingled with the
nber.
Late Testimony Yesterday.
After Gustavus Smith testified yesterday
afternoon the next witness called was Hor-
ace c. Gardner, manager of the construc-
ton and mechanical department of Swift
& Co. He repeated the incidents attending
the closing of the contract between Swift
& Co. and Gen. Eagan.
He said: Il told Gen. Eagan it would be
necessary, to meet the eXigencies of that
that didn't think it would be safe in any
other way, but that, so far as treating beef
with any process with chemicals to pre-
serve it, we would not do 1t at all; that if
we could not get the business and do it ac-
cording to our regular process of refrigera-
ton. We would not take it,
The witness denied that any chemicals
whatever were used in the beef business
Refrigeration was the only thing relied
upon.
''If Gen. Eagan testified that the limit
was seventytwo hours, how do you recon-
cile this conflict with the testimony ask
ed Maj. Lee.
Eagan Was Mistaken.
Gen. Eagan is mistaken"
William Van Widdie. refrigerator en-
gin eer in the employ of Swift & Co., testi-
fled that he had charge of the meat on
board the ship Port Victor which reached
Port Tampa July q. The meat was loaded
on the ship there from refrigerator cars
and was in good condition when received
No ch emicals were used in the preservation
of beef. The ship went to Santiago, taking
refrigerator plant, but was kept waiting
forty-three days before the plant could be
taken ashore In eight days it was in work
ing order. He did not know who caused
the delay. Witness went himself to Col
Humphreys two or three times, and Col
Humphreys said he would get around to it
in time
Col. O. NJ. Smith, who has been the pur-
chasing commssary of the government at
Chicago since 1885, was the next witness.
He said he purchased between May IL and
July 8, 1898. 2.759.272 pounds of canned
roast beef. The orders for purchase came
from the commissary general in every case.
At the request of Col. Davis witness pro-
orders were all rush orders. The recorder
read a large number of kilograms between
Gen. Eagan and other officers of the sub
sistence department at Washington and
Col Smith with reference to the purchase
of canned roast beef last year
Inspected by Sample.
What inspection were these purchases
subjected to?" asked Col. Davis.
'"They were only inspected by sample
I he of oil
cries the same day varies one or two
cents a pound. What is the reason for
that?"
Those were not my purchases. They
were made from Washington"
Did you make any purchases of Libby.
the Emory brandt"
Il myself never bought any Of the second
grade of Libby's meat; this was purchased
direct from Washington.
Did you buy any canned meat of the Sec
ond grader
We'll, the Hammond company submitted
to me some samples which seemed good
and I bought them, not knowing until af-
terward that 1t was what they call their
second grade"
Ibid you purchase any refrigerated
beef?"
mo, sir; but paid for good deal of it
On cross-examination Maj. Lee said: ::
You speak of purchasing this by sample
under these rush orders that you received
w nat course OF mStnOQ was pursued as to
comparing these samples brought to you
with the stores purchased?"
Relied on Inspectors.
None. 1 took it for granted that they
supplied the same stores that were repre-
sented by the samples
with all of these rush orders with this
great demand for canned roast beef, new
thing to be furnished to the army, what
assurance did you have that beef might
not be put in that was unsatisfactory, un-
less inspection was made by your"
Il was satisfied that the beef was all in
spected by the government inspectors ald
1 relied upon the responsibility of the pack
ing houses
Do you mean that the bureau of animal
industry made inspection of the kind of
meat that went into these cans?"
mo, sir. l mean that they made inves-
tigaticn of the meat at the time of killing
Col Gillespie-"What reason was there
for the commissary general making pur-
chases in tins market without your knowl-
edge?''
Il am sure 1 don't know
Gen. DayiS-"Uid ne ask you to send any
samples of the En.ory brand to him?''
He simply notified me that he had Dur
chased it, and asked me to ship it."