The evening times., 1899-03-01
Representatives of the Beef
Contractors Present.
Subsistence Officers Testify at the
Open Hearing.
DIR. Borden Reports ON the Result of
Experiments Conducted Yes
tcrday-

number of the representatives of the beef
contractors were present.
The first witness was Sergeant Hatcher,
of the Ninth Infantry. He was called upon
TO identify a case of canned roast beef. He
said that to the best OF his belief it was
the original package issued TO his company
in Cuba The case was taken from Santi-
ago TO Montauk Point, and thence 10 Sack
etts Harbor, y. Y 1t was brought down
10 Washington, and so far as he knew 1t
had never been opened.
Lieut. Col. A. L. Smith, OF the Subslst-
ence Department. who was witness yes
terday. was recalled that he might answer
a few questions about the Manitoba, a
transport which carried refrigerated D2et
to Ponce During the time that the Nani-
toba was in port beef was taken from her
and issued TO the troops instead OF native
Porto Rican beef The Manitoba sailed
for the United States with troops and car
Tied with her most of the beef she bad
brought down Why this was he could not
say IL was his understanding that the
Manitoba sailed under orders from General
Wilson The witness did not know that
General Wilson knew that there still re-
mained on this ship a large amount OF re-
frigerated beef The witness testified that
he had reported this condition Of affairs TO
one OF General Wilson's staff officers
ColSncI Gallagher Testifies.
Colonel Gallagher. of the Subsistence
Department was the next witness. He
testified that at The outbreak of the war
ha was stationed al Fort Myer Va. and
that his present station was Augusta, Ga.
lie had served at Tampa. Siboney. Ell Po-
so san Juan Hill. and Santiago, as de-
al Ilr.F.a h.a
was urChasing and shipping commissary.
He went 10 Cuba as the chief commissary
for the cavalry division. On June u. he
was appointed depot commissary al Sib-
oney.
The troops on landing took with them
three days supplies When the depot al
Siboney was established, rations were is
sued without formal acquisitions. The
verbal requests Of the division commissa-
Fies were accepted. Meat, bread. coffee
and sugar We're sent to the front. The
transportation facilities from The depot 10
the front. in his opinion were not adequate
10 the demands CT the army. Vegetables
sJeh as canned tomatoes. potatoes. and Cn-
isas were sent forward when the trains
could carry them. The transfer OF stores
fTom the transports to the Sibcney depot
MAS accomplished with difficulty. The
lighter Laura would run from the trans
pGTJs 10 = point as close 10 the shore a.
possible Tnen stores were put in small
boats loaned by the Navy Department
These would run in closer Men shipped
a2d discharged these small boats by tax
ing TIE boxes OH their shoulders and they
H.Ere uiied on the beach. Some OF the
stores were damaged by wegting both in
the sea aAd by showers. which often came
up unexpectedly. Not 4 great quantity
Was damaged, as the men worked diIigent-
iy tC preserve the provisions
sIr.. H. lin Fr,--
bacon were sent 10 the front in about
equal proportions. When complaints came
back from the front that the men did no
like the canned roast beef. increased el-
forts were made TO send bacon 10 the
front. The proportion of bacon to canned
roast beef increased. From Siboney the
witness took charge Of the commissary
depot at General Skaters headquarters
Then he issued TO the entire army. Sup
plies we're sent forward by pack ira rs.
Much Hacon Used.
II was not SO much 4 question as to
hat the men wanted. but what the COM
missary could give them. He thought 50
per cent OF the meat sent forward from
FL PasS was bacon. The canned roast
beef was seved 10 the Cubans. as they
preferred that food. When the depot was
opened At San Juan Hill the percentage OF
canned roast beef TO bacon increased.
The next depot was opened at Santiago.
! here the issue of refrigerated beef was
begun. He issued to the whole army The
witness told the story of how the bsef
was transferred from the refrigerator
ships 10 shore when il was delivered to
ihe various cOmmissaries. There were
some complaints against refrigerated beef
Large quantities of canned beef were is
sued 10 the Spanish prisoners and the hos
pitfalls throughout the city. There were no
complaints
only small percentage of cans of roast
beef were found TO be spoiled at San Juan
Hill. Three cases were buried, but he did
not know how many cans in each case were
defective. When the depot was opened at
Santiago the troops We're given what they
called for If they were issued roast beef
il was because they asked for it, 1t was
his impression that the troops sometimes
called for il.
He saw much of the refrigerated beef in
the Port Victor and the Michigan II was
good beef. He had heard that on one of
the transports the ammonia had about Civ
en out, but a fresh supply was obtained
The meat was in good condition. 1t was
sometimes eighteen hours before beef TAX
en- from the ships could be received by
troops in outlying camps.
Before the war he had issued refrigerated
beef. There were no complaints against it.
Since the close of hostilities he had issued
II. There had been no complaint The
beef received at Santiago was better beef
than he had issued before or after the war
He had never suspected that this beef had
been chemically treated. There was moth
ing in the taste or odor Of the meat which
awakened his suspicious.
Rntions short at Times.
In reply to questions from General Da-
Wis, the witness said that at first in Cuba
the rations We're sometimes short on salt.
soap. rice beans, and candles. The
meat rations was always full The only
objections he had heard to the canned
roast beef WAS that il was tasteless and
that the soldiers did not like it.
Some beef that was condemned BY boards
of survey. was not the loss of the con-
tractor. but of the Government At San
Juan Hill be would receive beef in the
afternoon that had been taken from the
ships at O'Clock in the morning. II was
issued then 10 small detachments Ii was
in good condition. He had eaten the can
ned roast beef in his mess He preferred
fresh killed beef, but canned roast beef
was the best substitute for strictly fresh
meat He saw nothing wrong about the
canned beef. He said it was cooked in the
form Of stew. In his opinion it was not an
article on which men should be compelled
10 subsist for any length of time.
He had no copy of the beef contract in
Cuba. He knew nothing about the time
clauses in the contract excepting what he
had read in the newspapers.
Major Guthrie, of the Fifth Infantry, was