The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-25
GEN. EAGAN ON THE STAND.
H1s TESTIMONY BEFoRE THE ARMY
COURT or INQUIRY.

as n Makesbift Until Fresh Beef Could
lie supplied-Gen. Young Testihes That
Ills Command In Cuba Rather Liked II.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 24.-To-day's testimony
before the army court OF inquiry oontradicted
the statements OF witnesses that canned roast
beef was not a suitable meat component Of the
army ration. Gen. Miles's charge that IL had
been furnished az a pretense OF experiment.
was denied by Gen. Eagan. former Com
missary-General. who testified that the
first order for 1t was issued by Col. wes-
ton. acting Commissary- General. Just prior
to his assuming charge OF the office.
Canned roast beef had been sent to
Tampa and was experimental with there
by an army officer. who testified to-day that Il
was found palatable and wholesome. Gen.
Eagan declared that IL was never intended as a
regular part OF the ration. nor was II provided
AS a travel ration exclusively. 1t was fur
nishcd the invading army for use in an emer-
rency. as 1t was the most suitable makeshift
that could be used until fresh beef could be
supplied. 1t was not intended to be eaten, as
It was eaton. from the can without proper
condiments.
Major-Gen. s. NJ. B. Young, who was a men,
her OF the court martial that tried Gen. Eagan,
when asked how timed roastlbeef was received
by his command in Cuba testified: I'VE
rather liked it. The only complaint about 1t
was that it lacked seasoning"
Major James NJ. Arrasmith. who was Chief
Commissary at Camp Thomas. Chickamauga,
testified that n small quantity of timed roast
beef received at that place was quickly bought
by officers and men. 1t was so acceptable that
there was quite a demand for 1t.
Capt. Harry Ripley. who conducted at Tampa
an experiment with this beef. pronounced 1t
very palatablc. The only witness TO make OBJ
]jections to it was Major Bowman OF the Second
Infantry. He did not consider it desirable. but
admitted that he had not received any OF the
complaints about it. and he could not attribute
the sickness Of the troops to It's use.
Gen. Eagan. in continuing his testimony.
made further explanation OF the contracts
made by the Subsistence Department with
Swift & Co. for refrigerated beef for the Cuban
and Porto Rican expeditions. The arrange
ment was made with the contractor that he
must he responsible for the beef until delivered
at the point Of delivery. No beef was sent
on any transport that was not in a re-
frigerating room. The Government fur
nished the transports for transportation
Of beef. Some OF them had refrigerating
plants on board. but on those unprovided Swift
4 Co. were required to erect such plants
at their own expense. They were also re-
QulItu fitSll utI ItlIlRtTdJlUR houses at
Santiago and at Ponce. The clause in the con-
tract requiring the beef to keep seventy-two
hours Gen. Eagan insisted upon with the con-
tractor.
Il did not intend that beef should be sent
that would not keep until time for it's use" he
said,
of it spoiled WHO bore the loss? A.-The
contractor.
Q,-Have any payments been made on the
contracts? A.-Oh yes. a great many.
Q,-Have any controversies arisen A.-Yes.
I remember that at Santiago the agent OF Swift
&Co. complained that some of the troops we're
rejecting beef that was perfectly good.
Gen. Eagan then related the occasion when a
BOARD OF survey condemned a cargo OF beef
to have spoiled only on the outside.
Gen: Eagan was asked about the proposition
for supplying the Porto h!can expedition.
Q.WhO did you understand was to COM
nand that expedition ? A.-Gen. Brooke. SIR.
Odd you have any idea that another Gem
eral would supersede him in command? o.
,Q.-Anothcr did assume command later. did
he not; Ayes L understand the General
commanding came over from Cuba and took
command.
o. DO YOU know if he knew what arrange
mments you had made for providing the expe-
Returning. to the question of refrigerated
6eei ara It's Eeeping qualities, Gen: Eagan re-
was doubt expressed by Armour 4 Co. that re-
ih%riGerated beef would Keep seventy-two hours.
The firm then madea proposition, to furnish
samples OF frozen and refrigerated beef for ex-
perinent, TO see how long it would, keep. 1t
pany 10 do this, and a box containing a half
carcass of frozen beef was sent to Tampa and
e~xperimented with by Capt. II. L. Ripley. who
also %indorsed the adverse report, saying the
beef would not do. He recommended that
Gen. Eagan explained the difference between
iIroI'n beef and retriger rated beef; The former
Is nrepared at = temperature below the ireez-
freezing point. He said he did not want to
supply frozen beef to the army. He did not
Ia, what j known as bone faint 1t begins to
decay at the bone, while refrigerated beef
, Q.-Do you know if the navy used the frozen
beef Al think. they did when they could
not get anything else, They should at Manila.
had power to purchase beef on the hoof il no
other could be obtained. This was done in
o.. How desirable was this beef? A.-The
whole trend OF all my information and all my
reports from Porto Rico IS that the native, beef
Is not :? desirable as the refrigerated beef.
dhe native beef is only purchased where they
e.hhnnot get refrigerated beef. My reports show
IIhcy are very. emphatic on that point. The
nlGt practical k4owledGe Of the result Of the
Gen SKATER cabled to the department Els
satisfaction with this beef. and 1t was so salts
factory that the Acknowledgement instructed
-Ff - - NhN hNNb w. bho otpp'- VI ti'
refrigerated beef.
Was any beef furnished the troops as an
SNporimentf Alive thousand pounds of the
I(o'" beef was purchased and sent to Tampa.
u WAS beef put up in cans. and intended to be
cooked like a Hamburger steak. 1t was in.
triuded 10 gOto Santiago. but did not. 1t found
u, WAY back on q transport for Porto Rico, and
was mere found by Col. Smith to be In good
condition.
Gen; Pagan testified that a man named
ioW"ii, proposed to furnish a process that
you'd keep beef from decaying. He did not
pink that Powell mentioned chemicals. but he
t2ok # that way and rejected the, proposition:
Ven ,Eagan said he expected that the beef
would be preserved in the usual refrigerating
way, and never heard that chemicals had been
used until Gen. Miles testified,
Col Dayis-Has anything at any time been
furnished under the ,prctence OF an expert
m"ntt A.-Absolutely none: not even the
value Of one cent.
Yen, Miles while he was in Porto Rico about
thn refrigerated beef2 A,-Absolutely none.
~ l"u received some kilograms from himp
received nothing from him.. A telegram
dated Aug ? TO the War Department and re-
eelyei by The Adlutant- General. was sent me;
tSaying hat Gen. Miles had plenty of beef. and
esgt was then being loaded on the Manitoba.
and thls was sent to Porto Rico. II the tele-
gram had come before the cargo had left Chi