The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-15
EMERGENCY RATION TEST
Good for Marching but Possibly Too
Light for Fighting.


Guthrie. 0. T, Nov. IA special from
Fort Reno. says. Twenty-Five Of the
troopers in charge Of Captains Folntain
and Foster Of the United States army,
VINO made the march overland with the
Eighth United States cavalry, have re-
turned TO their posts and report the
emergency ration test a success in every
particular. The forced march BY these
troops was made across the Kiowa and
Comanehe Indian reservation, from Fort
Reno to Fort Sill, a distance Of $50 miles.
The march was made in SIX days. or at
the rate OF twenty-five miles per aay,
Generally marches on a trip Of this kind
DO not exceed twenty miles per day. The
men have retained their regular weights
and are all feeling IN fine spirits. Dur
iEg the march the men lived wholly upon
the emergency ration, partaking of no
other food They were under strict watch
Of the officers. For the first two days
Of the marching some OF the men wanted
TO 60 back to bareback and bacon, de-
spite the protests of the officers, but
after that they became used to the food
and liked it even better than the resu-
lar rations. These rauons were prepar-
ed under the direction Of army officers
at the packing houses IN Kansas City.
The food was put IN cans eight inches
long. Each days food weighs one pound
and each can contains three cakes Of
sweet chooolat eand three cakes of food
preparation composed chiefly OF beef and
wheat, with salt and pepper. This prep
aration Is very palatable. One Of the
troopers told a correspondent at Fort
Reno today that the men could stand the
rations to march on all right and live
high, but when it came TO ghdng and
marching at the same time on them, he
feared that they would not prove TO be
much of success. Captain Fauntain
Of the ration test board. said:
Il will report to the war department
that the emergency march across
the Indian reservation has been sue
cess. but I cannot say that I would rec
ommend this kind Of food for long cam
paigns. II men only had to march on
this food. they could get along all right,
while If they were required to fight and
eat these rations at the same time, 1
think that it would grow very monotous
in time. Men who have been used to
living at the forts, as these men have
been doing. can make better use OF the
rations and that IS another reason why
the test has been a success. We have
been making more than twenty miles per
day on an average. OF course, this march
depends a great deal on the water. Ny
men have been pretty well satisfied with
this march, but I fear Il they had to
fight Indians on the way they would not
like 1t 50 well. I think, as a whole,
the emergency ration as prepared, how
ever, has been a great success The
war department can use 1t TO advantage
in many cases"
Fort Reno, o. T., Nov. 14-Captain
Fred ". Foster, one OF the army officers
in charge of the emergency ration test.
left Fort Reno today on a ten days
march in the Caddo Indian country. He
was in charge Of a detachment Of TWEEN
five men They viii be gone ten DAYS.
On this march they are to test thor
oughly the meat and compound food pre-
pared under the direction Of the war de-
partment 1t has been agreed upon BY
those who made the other forced march
that the cakes Of sweet chocolate were
Of no use IN the mergency ration. They
think condensed milk would be Of better
Captain Foster says the march
completed yesterday proved that the ra-
tons could be used on long marches. but
when the men had to fight and march
too they would be of little service. He
and Captain Fountain of the Eighth, viii
make dtailed answers to the war de-
partment soon.