Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-04-02

Washington, April 1.-The army beef
| inquiry court continued the eXamina-
ton of members of the medical corps
of the army to-day. Major Blair Z.
Taylor. in charge of the hospital at Fort
Mcpherson, said the beef furnished the
hospital was all of excellent quality.
| Major Charles L. Hermann, who was
in charge of the general hospital at
Montauk Point, testified that all intes
| final troubles there were attributed to
malaria and not to food. The food
| question did not arise at all.
Lieut.. Col. Calvin Dewitt, in charge
of the general hospital at Fortress Mon
roe, said that very few intestinal dis
eases were treated at that institution,
and that these were not attributed to
insufficient or poor diet. No canned
| beef was used.
| Major w. r. Hall, who was in control
of the general hospital at Key West,
had had no experience there with either
|
attributed the intestinal diseases gen.
| orally to the fact that the men had
been exposed to tropical climate. He
| heard some complaint that the men had
been short of rations in Cuba, and they
were much run down.
Major H. P. Birmingham told of the
| oo, ditionc of tho popca erenaral hos
pital, of which he was in charge. He
| had used both refrigerated beef and
canned roast beef there, as well as the
| native beef. 1t was necessary to use
| the native beef the day it was killed to
| prevent spelling and the refrigerator
beef was preferred to the native article
He had found the canned beef satisfac-
tory in stews, and had heard no com
plant concerning it. Typhoid was the
principal disease, but there were many
cases of dysentery and diarrhoea
| The latter cases he attributed gener-
| ally to the eating of the native fruits
and not to the meats.
Major George H. Torney, who had
charge of the hospital ship Relief dur
ing the hostilities, said that about 500
sick men had been transported on the
vessel, and that he did not attribute
any of these causes to the use of i'm
proper food or to the want of food.
He had never used canned roast beef.
Major D. w. Appel told if his exper-
fence during the war at Mobile, Miami
and in New York. He had been in
charge of the hospitals at the two first
named places, and of the distribution
of the sick. He had heary many COM
plants from the men and the surgeons
concerning the meat supplied, especial
ly on the transports, and he thought 1t
probable that some internal troubles
had been thus caused. The surgeons
complained especially of the lack OF
proper food for the sick
Mr.. Greenleaf w. Simpson, of BOS-
ton, present contractor for supplying
beeef on the block in Cuba, and who is
largely interested in live cattle stock
yards and refrigerator lines, related his
experience in connection with the let
ting of contracts for supplying beef
during the Spanish war. He had been
|
to the opening of the bids had had a
conference with Gen. Eagan, who was
a personal acquaintance, and who had
wired for him to come to Washington
on the eighth of June. Mr.. Simpson
had in 1897, visited Cuba as food
commissioner for the United States for
the purpose of investigating the supply
of cattle in that country. He had in
formed the General that he considered
it impossible to use refrigerated beef in
Cuba, explaining the conditions and
difficulties, and after the first CONVEX
sation, Gen. Eagan had asked him to
remain over another day. The next
morning when he called the General
had told him that he must purchase
refrigerated beef for Cuba, but he did
not indicate that this position was TAX
en- at the instance of any superior Of
| ficer. He (Mr. Simpson, had not there
fore put in bid. He also stated that
he had had more or less talk with Gen.
! Eagan and the agent of Armour & Co.,
concerning the use of preservatives.
| This question was discussed in gen.
eral way with Mr. Eagan, who told him
that some Investigations were being
made both in the interest of the gov
eminent and the packers. The witness
did not believe it possible to keep beef
in good condition out of a refriger-
ator for "a hours. 1t would change in
appearance in two hours and mould
soon afterwards.
Lieut. w. B. Conrad, Of the Twenty
third infantry, who had charge of the
cooking mess on the transport Indiana,
said the refrigerator beef had kept
good for about two weeks. but that
after this time it became so badly faint
ed that many of the men would not
use it, A number of them also object
ed to the canned roast beef. The In
diana carried fresh food supplies for
Admiral Simpsons fleet, but much of
them were spoiled by the beef. The
| odor from the hold was like that from
| horse that had been dead for week
, or two and was so strong that the men
! would get out of the way when the
! door was opened. Eight thousand
pounds were thrown overheard, but the
remainder was issued to the fleet,
! though considerable Of it was tainted.
Major VIM. Williams, of the New
York State troops, who was commits
| sary at Ponce, said he was familiar
with the distribution of the beef from
the transport Manitoba, and that he
had understood that the beef was per-