Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-01
Army Beef in Various Forms
Served to Witnesses.
Enlisted Men Sample Il and Pick Out
the Cuban Article.
Lieut.. Ramsay Wouldni Give Canned Roast
10 Sick Or Well Men.

court and served to the non-commis-
stoned men who testified. yesterday
The court had prepared eight plates OF
heef. fresh beef, canned beef that had
heen sent to Cuba and back, and can
ned beef fresh from the factory. Four
plates were prepared hot in stew and
four cold as. they came from the can
the fresh beef being boiled to make II
resemble the others.
The enlisted men were ordered to
sample each and say which was the
sort they had had in Cuba. 1t was
trying ordeal for the men. most OF
them declaring that none of the plates
looked anything like what they had
eaten in Cuba. BY repeated assur-
ances that there was campaign beef IN
two Of the plates and after being urged
that they should at least choose Ito
the best Of their belief the court sue
ceeded in getting an expression Of
opinion from each of the men.
An army surgeon, DIR. Bowden. kept
tally on the guesses of the men and
changed the position of the plates af-
ter each witness had left the room.
The result of this record was not made
till DR. Bowden testities, probably some
time this week.
The interesting witness of the day
was Lieut.. Ramsey. 9th Infantry. who
had served as commissary officer at
Paiduiri and Santiago. and who char
acterized the canned roast beef as IAN
unpalatable and uninviting grade OF
inferior meat which he would not
willingly feed to any man. sick or we'll.
The first witness was Lieutenant Ram
sey, 9th Infantry. who acted as com
pany commssary at Tampa and depo.
commissary at various times. He was
also one of Colonel Wesion's assistants
after the capture of Santiago
He told OF the unloading of supplies
at Baiquiri and Siboney and their
transportation to the front. He said
that the order in which the supplies
went to the front had been largely de-
termined by the way the ships were
loaded at Tampa.
The commssary officers sent forward
the articles of food which could be
first unloaded. Ration returns and
like tormalities We're dispensed with
and food was sent to the front as rap
luly as possible.
so far as he knew no complaints
came from the front as to the sort Of
rations that We're being sent out. TIE
men, he said. preferred bacon TO can
ned beef. and their preference was re-
spcted whenever possible
Col Davis then had a can of beef
opened and asked Lieut.. Ramsey to in
spect it. saying that 1t had come back
from Cuba. Lieut.. Ramsey smelled it.
tasted it, and pulled some of ii apart
saying that it was decidedly better
beef than any he had seen in Cuba.
1t was more like that he had handled
at his barracks but he still did nor
feel like recommending it as good
thing to feed soldiers.
Witness said he had seen a grea [
many cans of beef rejected among a
iive-car lot at Tampa The cans ha!
burst and the stencil in the cars was
terrific. The contractors replaced the
spoiled cans in this instance. but there
was the same stencil from more defec-
tive cans when the cargoes were brok-
en- open in Cuba. He had reported his
opinion of the canned roast beef TO Col.
Weston who, as he remembered, said
he had not received any similar
reports but he would investigate the
subject.
In quality the beef on the Mississippi
and the Port Victor. which witness
personally inspected. was of better
grade than that usually found at army
posts. He did not think any of the
meat he saw, had been a chemically
treated. When outside of Santiago
about half the meat was lost by trim
ming off the tainted parts
Witness was asked if he had had any
reason to believe that any of the meat
issued in Cuba had been chemically
treated only as matter of genera |
knowledge" he replied.
What do you mean by that" said
the recorder
Well. l have been informed bv
butchers and others and have general
~ understood that it is the practice Of
the large packing houses to treat the
exterior of the meat chemically with
A preparation which will coagulate the
albumen and thus protect the interior.
IL IS the custom to trim Of the outer
surface beef always before it is used. .
He had seen canned roast beef fire.
quentiy in his own post canteen and
in the consolidated mess of which he
had been in charge
was it the same in the canteen
that you have in Cuba?" asked Gen.
Davis.
The outside of the package was the
same. but not the inside The beef we
had at the cantesn at~Nadison bar
racks was quite popular for picnics
and the like 1t was beef that could
De sliced down. 1t was good and pala-
Table. That ! saw in Cuba was evil
IDENTITY from the plates, chucks and
necks. don't think in the cans | saw
there was single piece that weighed
an ounce
He considered it responsible in con-
siderabl part for the sickness and
stomach trouble among the men.
Lieut.. Col A. l.. Smith. chief commits
safE at Havana. testified that he nsuect-
Ell the beef only after it came on shore.
Part was mouldy and some was tainted.
bnt the larger part was perfectly good
Col Smith said he made contracts for ma
live beef but there was complaint as to
this supply and some OF the commands
asked for bacon in place of fresh meat.
beef because of the lack of vegetables to
cook with ii. Witness said that where
the troops under his observation could gel
both sorts. the refrigerated beef tended
to disDlace the native beef
Witness said he never heard of the Use