Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-21
THEY SAY IT MADE MEN SICK
DIR. NICHOLAS Semi TO TESTIFY ne.
FORE BEEF COURT TODAY.
Court Likely to Finish Its Work In
Chicago and Leave for New York
Tomorrow NiEht-TestimO.
NY Given by Yester-
days witnesses.

ness on the liat to appear before the gov
eminent court of inquiry to-day, DR.. Mich.
olas Sem. was unable to be in the city
whereupon the court recessed at noon unit
6 O'Clock tomorrow eveyning. when DIR
Sem will be heard. During its short SEES
sion to-day, the court received the evil
dence of four witnesses who had been called
upon request of Major Lee. the representa-
tive OF Major General Miles. According IL
their testimony the canine beef was al
ways unpalatable and distasteful, and. in
their judgment, 1t was a contributory cause
Of sickness among the soldiers and unfl
for an army ration. Critical reference tc
the refrigerated beef was also made by the
witnesses.
1t seems probable that the court will be
able to terminate its Chicago work in time
to leave Wednesday evening for New York
The first witness examined to-day was
Colonel d. Jack Foster. of the Sixth Hill
nois infantry. He testified that at Ponce
he drew refrigerator beef once. When the
meat reached amp it was pronounced bad
and q board Of inquiry condemned 1t and il
was buried. He did not try 1t again. Th.
regiment was about six miles from the
port.
Captain Edward J. Kemmick. of the First
Illinois, testified that some of the canned
roast beef he saw was spoiled n was
thrown overheard on the voyage to Cuba
After the surrender OF Santiago refriger-
ator beef was issued. The regiment was
about three miles from port. One lot was
buried as soon as unloaded and this &C,
CURED Of two other occasions. We thought
the condition of the mat was due to failure
TO receive it promptly.
About % per cent had to be buried, and
about . per cent of the rest had to be cut
of and thrown away. Some of the mer
thought they discovered "a peculiar odor
but there were no suspicious that the meal
had been chemically treated. On the voyage
home, canned roast beef was issued. but
the men would not touch 1t.
'One day at Santiago" witness said, u
went into a restaurant and met a gentle
man in citizens clothes who made himself
known to ME as Swifts representative
He said he was in trouble: he had just go,
a cargo of beef in and the Refrigerator
plant had stopped. He said he was going
to General Shafter TO get that beef ac'
Cepted. 1 told him l thought poor heel
came to our camp invariably. but he said
it was not poor beef. simply discOlored on
tie outside. and. by cutting away the dis
eolOred parts, the inside would be found per,
fectly good. I was in General headquarters
an hour later and saw him there waiting
for an interview with General Shafter. ]
did not learn whether he succeeded in get
ting that beef accepted or not, but l under
stood from outside parties that they threw
overheard several tons of 1t anG accepted
the b%alance.'
Major Lee-''What effect. II any. did the
canned roast beef have upon the health
Of the menu
THE beef ~naseuatesi a great many Of the
men; l am satisfied it caused diarrhoea
also"
WAS there any suggestion that it was
best to discontinue the use of that meat?'
NO. sir. We made the lest of it,"
You regard this canned roast beef az
wholesome or unwholesome as an army
ration?"
"Unwholesome."
DR.. William G. Willard. surgeon major
of the First Illinois volunteers. testified
that in Cuba the health of his command
was good up to July %: then the sick call
began to increase very rapidly. and by the
18th or 18th 1t was as high as 800 per dav.
In his Judgment. this sickness was due Ia
q combination of circumstances. of which
the condition of the canned roast beef was
one. He had no occasion to believe that
any of the beef had been treated with
chemicals. Canned roast beef. so called.
was never a fit ration. in his opinion. and
i. was especially unfit for men in the con-
dition of the troops coming back from Cuba
Replying to questions from Major Lee.
DR.. Willard said:
o opening a can of beef there was usr-
ally some vacant space: the meat was in
strips or scraps. more or les. covered with
a layer OF granular fat, uninviting in APP
p~earance. The meat itself had a blotcned
appearance and was very tough ami
stringy.. ! do not recall any other brand
axRApf rtr NJ res -
You used the term 'so-called' with ref
erence to this canned roast beef. In your
Judgment as L medical officer. inspecting
this meat cay after day, state whether or
the expression so called roast beef"
From what ! have heard OF it's prepara-
ton and from its appearance. l should say
II was boiled beef. l had one case or
scurvy. a man who had been eating hard
tack. sowbelly and canned roast beef regu-
larry for -lirty-three days. He was u
member of the Seventh infantry"
please state whether or not, in your
opinion. the sO-called roast beef of the kind
furnished the army is Il wholesome or I'M
wholesome ration for the American SOL
der"
Il do not think it is a good ration under
any circumstance and totally unfit in a
tropical climate"
Oliver 4. Olson. quartermaster and act
ing commissary of the First Illinois volun-
.teers, corroborated the testimony of Or
Willard regarding the appearance OF the
canned roast beef when taken from the
can. He also did not regard 1t as roast
beef. As a ration for n soldier. he consid-
cred it inferior and would place the meat
in the third grade. The labels he saw were.
those of Armour & Co. Libby. Mcneil &.
Libby and a Kansas City firm whose nam.
he did not recollect. He also saw tho
Prairie State Packing Company's brand.
which. in his opinion. was the worst of ali
and should be placed in a grade lower than
the others.
A number of witnesses WHO had been
summoned were on hand at 2 o'clock. hui,