The Portland daily press., 1899-01-17


go long way into the meter which led
up TO the attack contained In Gen.
Ia gan's statement.
STILL THE HoRlTIEs DIFFER.
War oInmission Get More Ideas About
Army Beef
Washington. January 16- Before the
war investigation commission today
Frank Il. Vogel, representing the Nelson
Morris Packing company and Fairbanks
canning company, testified that his con-
Germ had sold about $3.50, 600 worth of
canned roast beef TO the government,
used at ChiokHiuAugh and said 1t was
all Of good quality. No beef products of
his concern had been chem ically treated.
Capt. Il. |. G. Irvine, commissary on
the Panama at the time that transport
was in charge of Surgeon Daley, who ron.
demned the beef in the most sensational
Language, testified that the vessel sailed
from Ponce on September J or ?, and
on the 9TH there was well marked odor.
He was no5 prepared to say the odor
was like that emanating from a dead
human body injected with chemicals pre-
servations, as surgeon Daley bad report
eli. -
beef, he said, it was examined and found
to be very odorous The beef was thrown
overheard All the beef carried WAS re-
frigerated beef. The ice taken aboard
had not been sufficient to preserve the
beet, even, Us the commission asked. eli
IL had been received in good condition"
1t WINS received In fairly good condition,
however, witness said. After the beef
was thrown overheard, he had thought it
must have undergone some change before
IL was brought aboard, or while aboard
before 1t was put on the Ice. The board
of survey that examined the beef con.
demned IL because it was spoiled. nothing
to any other effect being adduced. Its
reports said that the beef was not re .
ceived in good condition and 1t exonerat-
ed Capt Irvine from responsibility there
for. Despite this finding. witness said
he insisted that he believed the beef was
in condition fit for immediate use when
received and Ii was used for three or four
days. lie cited the absence of refrigerat-
ing facilities aboard and admitted the
beef was not AS good as could be got
ten at iirst-class restaurant, as 1t had
not the fresh iiavor.
Gen. Charles II. Humphreys who was
in charge of the water transportation at
Tampa for Santigo. was chief quarter
master on Gen. Miless staff. and was
with Gen. Shafter prior to Gen. Miles 5
arrival. testified that the congestion ut
Tampa was due to the inability OF the
roads TO handle the cars. He said that
under the circumstances the transports
Mt Tampa were as we'll lifted out as they
could have been.
"why were no more wagons and am
balances taken?' queried Sen. Wilson.
hp xASsals full ~ h.4
answer
"Wouid your reply then be lack of
transportation
"Would not like to say that"
All the wagons, said the witness, were
landed at Santiago, but all were not set
up. Litters, he said, should have been
landed before the battle OF El Caney. be-
cause they ware regimental, and he be-
lieyed they must have been. Witness was
aboard the Seneca for two days and said
she looked all right TO him.
~ know there were people aboard the
Concho who ought not TO have been.
he said in reply to queries as TO passes
for outsiders TO come north on these veg
sells.
Asked as to serious complaints that had
been made of improper condition of the
Seneca, Concho, Breakwater and the City
of Washington, witness insisted the re-
sponsibility rested with the medical de-
partment.
III the Concho," asked ex Gov. Wood
bury, twas over crowded, was IL because
the government had not provided suffic-
lent transportation, or through an error
of Judgment OF the medical Department.
"why, the medical department, certain
"" replied Gen. Humphrey, emphatioal-
liz, because there were two more ships,
each as good as the Concho. available"
Gen. Humphreys, speaking of the San
tiago expedition, said IL was easy enough
now to look back on things which might
have been done, but that there We're
thousand and one things which happened
which could not have been anticipated.
Witness said that the transportation
trains used before the wagon trains were
unloaded, were under the direction OF the
commanding general with orders to get
ammunition and stores TO the front
preferably ammunition, but there was in
| his opinion, no reason why the medical
stores should not have reached the front
1.-THE medical corps were," said he,
"denied nothing when 1T was possible to
| give II to them"
Gen. Humphreys said medical chests
belonging to many surgeons were not
landed with the troops as they should
have been.
at don't know what was taken with
| tho expedition" said he, land | don't
think any one knows. This was the re-
suit OF the confusion in which everything