The record-union., 1899-01-05
INQUIRY INTO
CONDUCT OF WAR.
Major Hopkins, Military Aide to
Secretary AIger,
Testifles as to the Sanitary Conditions Of
Southern Camps,
Major Harrison Of the Ninth Vol
unteer Infantry Gives Evidence
Concerning Commissary Stores,
Laying Stress Upon the Good
Quality Furnished the Army.

WASHINGTON, January 4-Major
Hopkins, military aide to the Secretary
Of War, testified before the War Inves-
tigating Commissin regarding sanitary
condition at the camps at Tampa, Camp
Alger and Camp Thomas. 1t was the
old question of sinks, drainage and
camp police, and the testimony Of the
witness was very little different from
preceding witnesses. He had not APP
proved of the conditions at Camp
Thomas, and in accordance with his re-
port an order was issued on August
10Th for it's abandonment He knew of
no adverse report ever having been
made to the Secretary of War on Camp
Alger. If there were any complaints
there were merely individual. He knew
of no complaint as to any camp that
was not promptly investigated.
What action was taken, if any?"
well, for instance, I was appointed
with DR.. Reed to investigate the condi-
ton of the hospitals. The Surgeon
General told US to report daily and he
would act at once on our recommended
TONS
This ended Major Hopkins testimony.
Major Harrison, Ninth Volunteer In
fantry, whose regiment was raised near
New Orleans and is now in service at
Santiago, was next called.
Concerning commissory stores he said
those in the United States were the best
that could be bought in the open mar
ket. The refrigerator beef sent from
this country, he said, was excellent
He had had much experience with re-
frigerated meat, and he said that while
there was some disposition on the part
Of the regimental officers to cavil at the
appearance of the meat, it was in real
ity quite good.
He explained that the sudden change
of temperature ON removing the meat
from the refrigerator ships produced
what is known as beard a greenish
growth that had to be scraped off.
When this was done the meat was per-
fectly good. 1t was issued to the men
with excellent results, and benefited the
sick materially. The chief trouble came
when the change was made to hoof cat
tie sent from Porto Rico. This beef
Major Harrison personally superintend-
ed it's dressing and cooling.
But it would not cool in that eli
mate" he said, very emphatically. "The
meat never lost its animal heat, and
with it's use our sickness increased ten
per cent. In a country where our dead
purified in six hours, you will easy
understand that meat killed and ex-
posed to the atmospheric changes, with
coagulated blood and the attacks Of
flies, will spoil much sooner"
Of the canned meat Major Harrison
spoke with equal emphasis, saying it
was fully as good as the refrigerated
beef, and that none of it had to be con-
demned.
General Beaver asked if a refrigerat-
ing plant were established there wheth-
er Cuban beef could be killed on the
ground and rendered fit for use by the
men.
Witness said he thought this would
not be desirable, as the Cuban cattle,
while fine looking, furnished the coars-
est and most stringy beef he had ever
seen.
Witness said he was thoroughly IA
miliar with the processes of refrigerat-
ing and butchering meat, and he was
willing to state positively that there
were no chemicals used in any Of the
American beef that passed under his
supervision On the contrary, he said
that there was no chemical preparation
that could be used ont meat with advan-
tage to the packers without running
their products before they could get
it to the army. He regarded it as high
improbable that anything of the sort
had been attempted.
Recurring to the fresh killed beef at
Santiago, witness said the surgeons in
charge attributed the ten per cent. in
crease in intestinal sickness to the use
of the fresh killed beef. There was a
proportionate decrease in sickness when
the regiment returned to refrigerated
beef.
Major Harrison said he had no COM
plant to make as to medical supplies
or attendance. He considered the whole
supply system good.