The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-17
INSPECTED THE PLANTS
The Court OF Inquiry Takes Tes-
timony in Omaha.
SAME OLD STORY TOLD
The Canned Beef Was so Vile and Maui
seating That the Men Could :.
Not Eat the Wrstch-
ed Stuff

Omaha, Neb., March 16-The board
of inquiry appointed by the president to
look into the charges of General Miles
that the beef issued during the late war
was of an inferior quality, unhealthy
and at times 'embalmed," arrived this
morning from Chicago. spent the Iay
in the city and left for Kansas CITY
this evening. The morning was spent
in South Omaha, where the plants Of
Cudahy and Swift were inspected and
testimony taken. after which investiga-
ton was continued in the court martial
rooms at the headquarters of the de-
partment of the Missouri At both
SWift's and Cudahy's the visitors were
given every opportunity to make a
thorough inspection of the plants.
returning to the Office of the Cudahy
plant, the board took testimony for an
hour. The first witness called was AL
bert Christian, assistant Superintendent
IN Cudahy's beef department. He testi-
fled as to the quality of refrigerated
peer sent to the army last summer and
said that no chemicals of any sort We're
used to preserve the beef.
Dr. ID. c. Aver, superintendent Of the
bureau of animal industry at South
Omaha, testified to the inspection of the
animals. He stated that there were two
inspections, the ante mortem and the
post-mortem. After the post-mortem
examination the inspector had nothing
more to do with the meat. He did nol
think 1t would be possible for any con-
demned meat to pass into the house.
The manner in which condemned ami
mals are gotten rid of by the inspector
was gone into at length. He stated that
a r6 he IN he
vat in which condemned meat was
placed, and If 1t was taken out of this
vat 1t would be too filthy to be used as
food. He had no knowledge of the use
of chemicals for the preservation of
beef.
Superintendent Cameron was next
called. He stated that the meat used,
particularly for canning, were the
chucks and plates and that the beef
was not of an inferior grade. The COM
pany furnished this same quality Of
roast beef to the English army last year
and had no complaints, nor was there
ever any of the cases returned.
After leaving Cudahy's the party
drove to the Swift plant, where the de-
partment in which the hams are cured
was thoroughly inspected. DR.. Christine
of Philadelphia had testified that while
here he had been shown through the
Swift plant and saw some sort Of a
liquid being INSPECTED into the meat
Thomas Adams. foreman of the de-
partment, was called and testified that
the operation was the curing of hams.
and not used in beef at any time The
liquid injected was saltpetre and water
and its only purpose was to cure the
ham more quickly.
After hearing this testimony the board
adjourned and came to Omaha. After
lunch it reconvened at the army head
M nd he fnct Sc
soldiers who had been through the
campaign of Santiago.
Captain S. w. Dunning of the 10th
infantry said that after their arrival at
Santiago the men complained that they
could not eat the meat and did not like
!. He was not prepared to say whether
any sickness occurred by reason of the
use of the canned beef. His command
was insufiiciently rationed from July 5
until it left Cuba. The rations consist
ed of beef, hard bread, coffee and sugar.
and when the beef was not used it left
them short. Insufficient transportation
caused part Of this shortage.
Captain w. H. Beck, acting inspector
general of the department of the Mis-
souri,, said the canned beef used on the
voyage to Cuba was a new ration to
him. The men said the beef nauseated
them. The first supply of refrigerator
befe was remarked upon favorably. Per
sonally he thought it fine. Later a
quantity of it was found to be spoiled
which was attributed to exposure. He
said that he would not attribute the i'll
health of the troops directly to he beef.
He had no reason to believe that any
of the beef had been treated chemically
First Lieutenant Isaac Irwin, Ser
geant Albert T. Kase, Quartemaster
Sergeant McGiffen and Sergeant John
P. Deihle, all of the 10th infantry, fol-
1o,y- l. +Nrt rio To-, -
already given. They agreed that the
canned beef was almost universally bad
while at first the refrigerator beef was
very fine, but spoiled. This closed the
work the board had before it in Omaha
and this evening it left for Kansas City.