The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-06
Traces Of Salicylic and Boracic Acid
Found.
OF NEW JERSEY Off
GER BEFORE INQUIRY COURT.
Prof Chittenden Of Yale Gives Results
Hfm-Nothing bad I'm Them-Gen.
MiIes's Request That More witnesses
he Heard.

MiIes's Request That More Witnesses
he Heard.
Washington, April 5.-The two prlnci-
pal witnesses before the beef inquiry
court today were Prof. Russell II.
Chittenden of Yale University and DR..
Samuel A. Currie, who was lieutenant
colonel Of the second New Jersey regi-
msnt which was stationed ut Jackson
willie during the war. Prof. Chittenden
Is one of the chemists selected by the
government to analyze the canned roast
beef He presented his report showing
that the beef generally was good
DIR. Maus. chief surgeon of the 9TH army
corps, Col Huntington of the marine
corps, and Mr.. Raphael, Armour's New
York agent, were also heard during the
day.
The court opened TODAY with Col. r.
Huntington, of the United States ma
rine corps on the stand. He was In
charge of the detachment of marines
which made such a fine record at Guam.
tauamo. There had been no complaint,
NC hdiat oehSCh hAbe WHO hood euPPays oDpos
five-sevenths of the meat used being To-
frigerator beef.
Prof. Russell Chittenden OF Yale. to
whom the court entrusted its analysis Of
the canned roast beef of tho various COM
panies froTl whom the government had
made purchase of this article gave the re-
suit of his examination. He stated that
he had made a careful study Of the
samples furnished He had, he said,
found the contents perfectly sweet and
emitting the odor always given out by
cooked meat. In some cans the meat
PARTICLES were large while in others they
were not The fat PARTICLES were general
of the cans. Notwithstanding the meat
had been placed in bottles and exposed to
the warm air Of the laboratory it had re-
tained it's freshness for several Gays 1t
had then developed mould, afterwards de-
composing.
Prof Chittenden had found upon in
vestigation that the fat melted at As de-
grees centigrade or 1l3 Fahrenheit and
some in u lower temperature and that
once melted 1t did not again solidify at
higher temperature than 80 centigrade.
The presence of the melted fat rem iered il
doubtful whether the food was suitable
for n tropical climate except under oon-
ditions where extreme heat could be
guarded against or vegetables to be cooked
Win the meat are AvallaDle-
All the samples HAD shown the presence
of gelatine, but the usual tests had failed
to develop either borio or salicylic acid.
The specimens supplied by the Wilson
lack ing company (which were corned)
showed the presence of salt or salt -petre
Some Of the meats were red, giving rise
to the suspicion that they might have
been colored by dye. as In the case of
sausage. Tests had, however, failed to
show that such was the case. 1t was
made evident that the meat was boiled
rather than roasted.
1t WAS arranged that MIR. Chittenden
should return next Tuesday for cross -ex-
animation.
Major Lee read the reply of the court to
General Miles's request for the summon
General Miles's reply asking that they be
pfaoed in the records. The letter to Gen.
Miles was written to Recorder Davis of
the court of inquiry. 1t was dated yester-
day and read as follows:
~ beg to acknowledge the receipt of
your favor of the third instant enclosing
the fnsl list of witnesses
II am directed to say that such official
persons named as appear, from the state
ment submitted, to be in possession of
facts not already covered by the testimony
Of witnesses will be summoned to appear
with the least possible delay
General Miles's reply was as follows:
'Referring to the list of witnesses, 13l
in number. l would respectfully invite
your attention to my letter OF February
90 in which l stated that l deemed the
matter under Investigation of such vital
i'm, ortance in relation both to the health
and to the honor of the United States
army that l respectfully request that
company commanders and the enlisted
..Ef fk.,s- Il -.
If necessary. every soldier who served in
the field during the war, be called upon
to bear witness before your court (elther
by oral testimony or by answer TO inter
rogatories) as to results of their own per-
sonal experience with the beef ration
issued to them. 1t is my belief that at
least 20, 600 men, and undoubtedly u much
greater number would confirm the testi
mony that has already been given that a
portion of the food supplied the army was
uu wholesome and unsuitable for use.
Therefore l request that the small num-
ber Of witnesses whose names have just
been submitted may be called TO give
their testimony before your court; ana in
regard to Its being final list, as stated
In my letter yesterday. 1 SO consider 1t al
though such additional names may be
added rs circumstances may develope the
necessity therefor"
The genera! understanding about the
court is that the request Will not be COM |
piled with.
Lieut.. Col. l.. NJ. Maus as chief medic |
al officer of the seventh army corps, who |
served in various camps In the southern |
states during the Spanish war said there |
had been very little complaint concerning |
the meat. The one Instance of sickness |
to have been caused by the re- |
frigerator beef occurred in company of |
The seventh Illinois regiment. Many men |
had been made violently sick. 1t was al. |
so noticed that an unusual proportion of |
the men thus affected afterwards went |
iown with typhoid fever. 1t was after |
wards developed that the cook knew the |
meat was tainted before he cooked It.
Col. Maus was on duty at Havana |
iuripg the past winter. He said the meat |
supply then lad been entirely satisfactory.
DIR. Samuel A. Curris, who was
colonel of the second New |
Jersey, was stationed at Jacksonville |
turing the Spanish war. He was in
,harge of detail of one hundred and |
nino men to construct . rifle range in
June and July. Often the men were COM
lloI ~. ~ -