Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-05
MAJOR HARRISON TELLS OF THE
COMMIssARY STORES.
SAYS BEEF WAS EXCELLENT
MUCH PRAISE FOR THE REFRIGER-
ATED MEATS.
Was Issued to Men and Greatly Ben.
Gifted the Sick-TrOuble Was
With Hoof Meat-Ohnned
Meats Are Also High .
ly Praised.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4-Major Harrison,
Ninth volunteer infantry, whose regiment
was raised near New Orleans. and is now
in service at Santiago, was called before
the war investigating committee to-day.
Concerning commissary stores, he .aid
those in the United States We're the best
that could be bought in the open market.
The refrigerated beef sent from this coun-
try, he said. was excellent. He had had
much experience with refrigerated meat,
and he said that while there was some
disposition on the part of the regimental
cooks to cavil at the appearance of the
meat. it was in reality quite good. He
explained that the sudden change of tenn
perature on removing the meat from the
refrigerator ships produced what is known
as beard greenish growth that had
to be scraped off. When this was done
the meat beneath was perfectly good. 1t
was issued to the men with excellent re-
suits and benefited the sick materially.
The chief trouble came when the change
was made to hoof cattle sent from Porto
Rico. The beef Major Harrison killed him
self and personally superintended its dress
ing and cooling.
But 1t would not cool in that climate
he said, very emphatically. 1.-The meat
never lost its animal heat and with its
use our sickness increased 10 per cent. In
a country where our dead putrefied in six
hours, you will easily understand that
meat killed and exposed to the atmospheric
changes with coagulated blood and the at
tacks of flies, will spoil much sooner. Our
board Of survey had no work to do except
condemning and burning this locally killed
beef"
OF the canned meat, Major Harrison
spoke with equal emphasis, saying it was
fha afrio
none of it had to be condemned
General Beaver asked II a refriGerator
plant were established there whether Gu
ban beef could be killed on the ground and
rendered fit for use by the men. Witness
said he thought this would not be desir-
able. as the Cuban cattle. while fine look
ing, furnished the coarsest and most
stringy beef he had ever seen.
Witness said he was thoroughly familiar
with the processes of refrigerating anG
butchering meat and he was willing tC
state positively that there were no chemi
Gals used in any of the American beef thai
passed under his observation. On the con
trary, he said that there was no chemica
preparation that could be used on the mea,
with advantage to the packers and with
out running their product before they coult
get it to the army. He regarded it as high
ly improbable that anything Of the sor
had been attempted.
Recurring to the hoof killed beef at San
tiago witness said the surgeons in charg,
attributed the 10 per cent increase in in
testinal sickness TO the use of the fresh
killed beef. There was a proportional,
decrease in sickness when the regiment re
turned to refrigerated beef. Major Harri
son said he had no complaint to make a!
to medical supplies or attendance. He con
sidered the whole supply system good.