New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-24
ON THE HOOP. THEY SAY.

,,or PRACTICABLE TO SUPPLY BEEF
az THE HOOP. THEY SAY.
.,.r,on Feb 23.-The testimony OF Colo
- p Weston who was Assistant Co"i'"is-
ne cororsl Of the outbreak Of the war. and
.ow the successor of COMMENCEMENT
S,, ,.J p Eagan. and the appearance or Cen
u" raran were the features OF to-days pro-
ga '-,,rrs Of the Court Of Inquiry investigating
p. o,arces Of General Miles as 10 the beef sup
" -. % the Army while in Cuba and Porto kico.
~ = oontended that the canned roast beef was
N~-so,esor,e and nutritious component OF the
-s,ion which was furnished to the San
o." e,5 Porto Rican expeditions. and took
80. with the Regular Army officers who have
-,.,,,sad H. Regarding the refrigerated beef
-. testimony Of to-day tended 10 show that II
..s satisfactory.
va Eacan went into the circumstances
...,d,,e the contracts with the beef concerns
will finish his testimony tomorrow. He ap-
Cd IN fuu-dress uniform. greeted the Court
F~n,,qlv and proceeded TO testify He took is
Nth General Miles in regard TO beef on
- ho,f being the best. insisting that it was
'--..ac,,cable In cuba. and especially undesirs-
90 orv country where the animal heat in the
~, could not disappear before cooking.
THE EVIDENCE IN DETAIL.
-. Alexander r. Piper OF the Subsistence
-ar-,,sr- WIS the FIRST witness. He was as
- os co-,r,issary OF the Second Brigade. First
ss Cor,s er1harkirg with General Brookes eX-
~ eo- Porto Rico. lie said that IN Porto Rico
-, n, the hoof. native cattle. in connection with
..,,ss corned and roast beef was issued. Native
s..f was issued he thought. five days out OF ten
81 August Il. after which. under instructions
=, colone SHARP corps c0mmssary. ne Grew re-
.a,.-s,sd beef from the Massachusetts. Some
.,r,rla,nt against the canned roast beef was made
~, /. amounted 10 Little. The men had deteriorated
= condition and were In mood 10 complain OF
.rv eve-,-thire No action was taken. The
-, cornr.ained q the native beef being TOO fresh
rxss slaughtered between shutdown and midnight
a. Was issued early in The morning Native
,r,,be-s furnished the cattle under contract and
,,,v we're required 10 Doe neither oxen nor mich
,ous. there was an age limit, and thorough IN
s,.con and slaughter regulations. When thN
ws.sachuse-ts sailed about August q native cattle
v,-e use6 again until January. when refrteerators
~. ,isced ~ san Juan and Ponce. and under
oss-s from the ommissary-General refrigerated
49, was Issued 10 all troops when It prac-
ncsbe
Replying 10 Colonel Davis. witness sa.d there
were no complaints against The beef issued from
the Massachusetts. but. on the contrary. the men
were delighted with g. and. as q captain declared
che men did NOS leave even the bones Only one
complaint against the refrigerated beef was ever
fled and that because o. some having spoiled
Captain Piper to.o o. IRE method Of siausht-rins
and issuing native beef he said that the animal
heat never left Il as rule and he never - IN
& condition that he would care 70 eat IT, He knew
that the sentiment q the majority OF the men was
favora ME 70 refrigerated rather than 70 native beef
The witness said that there q great di-
vers.ty OF opinion among officers and men as 10 the
cause OF sickness in Porto Rico. Some lad II 10
fresh beef some 10 canned roast beef. some 10
native fruits and others canned tomatoes. So
sure were they g, one time that the tomatoes were
70 blame that the issue was stopped. Personally
he though large proportion Of sickness was due
u the native fruits cheap run and cocoanut candy
WIKI which the men stuffed themselves The wit
ness had used 81 sorts OF beef and canned ma
ieral ana Eas never sick al all
COLONEL WESTONS TESTIMONY.
Colonel Weston. successor to General Eagan
Commissary-General. was then called Colonol
Weston Assistant Commissary- General lust
before the war and ne told Of some problems that
discussed and settled in the ONCE before the
fighting actually began. The whole question of
fresh meat was thoroughly gone over and the De
psrtment decided that the canned roast beef was
ne best thing obtainabe. Colonel Weston said
they had tried get fresh beef canned wiki vege-
tables make # more palatahle for the men
IN case they We're confined for some time 70
limited he'd menu. one company submitted beef
canned witt potatoes and onions bur f. was nor
equal n the plain canned beef He thought 81 the
tine. and haa never changed his opinion tha, II
;rigereted beef or native beef fresh N the block
could nor ta furnished 20 the troops IN q cam
pa!gr Ike that ~ Santiago the canned roast beef
vas the mex; best thing The War Department
had made honest and thorough investigation Of
ne subject and took the only course open 20 IT,
Colonel Weston went AZ some length into the
history of the errbarkation a. Tampa. and said the
rsf1gerated beef furnished the troops IN camp
there as fine as he had ever seen anywhere
There was tremendous rush and crush ia loading
ne expedition. force AZ Tampa and although
here was ar immense amount OF supplies there
ne 'aclities for loading and the time ~ command
made Il Impossible 20 take many things that we've
wanted There was a touch u humorous pathos in
Colonel Westors voice a. ne lamentod the neces-
Sly Of leaving behind nearly all Of She tobacco he
lad secured for "fhe boys"
MEN GOT WHAT THEY ASKED FOR.
Regarding The use Of canned roast beef in Cuba
Co.onel Weston SAID the commissary officers never
sn full RATION from the depot commssary. be-
ause they could not carry it. He had personal
'-srss Of unloading all the transports. with the
Va c h-i.t steam NBllcf anu iDl Ol pOo4
NsVsaores There We're three days when no boats
@sld land because ~ he surf. There were all
ways both canned roast beef and bacon Oh hand
sao The men cor whatever they asked for. The
HA'sI.s IN the Depot connssury stOrehOuse was
''shsd TO me froat as fast as the packJrains could
tske H.
0o.one Davis asked what arrangements were
|Aoe Tor exchaas eng The meat ration when IT WAS
spoiled
colonel Weston replied that at that time there
Us never any qu-stouq about whether stun was
'poeo Or not. AS fast trains or packtrains
-o come IN 20 get rstions they were supplied.
"' was g.ad 20 see II 90 out 70 them said
e witness, emraeticany. General Shsfter un-
'"'o the situation. and the regimenta com
v Officers were notified that there would be
t-Oolng over acquisitions The first business
- ICED the troops" Colonel Weston SAID he
n, 80 10 Complaints as 20 the meat ration while
Charge a. Sib0ney
Wines then reviewed the first arrival Of re-
''' beef ne Mississippi bringing 10000
Immediately after the surrender he said
e4 oil ~. . two ~