The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-11-10

of temperature required to boil water
provided the heat can be retained, to
insure perfect cooking.
Experiments have shown that par
TALLY cooked food can be thoroughly
cooked if kept at a temperature any
of time and that is what is being
done with the fireless cooker, which
we hope to be able to perfect SO as
to make it available for the army.
There are in the market to-day a
great many such appliances, ranging
from wooden boxes, packed with as
bestos or mineral wool, up to elab-
crate metallic contrivances, several
inches thick In the rim packed with
some sort Of non-conductor of heat,
such as wood fibre or asbestos. What
the army wants is contrivance of
this character in which partially
cooked foods may be placed which
will retain the heat for many hours
and to this end our experiments are
being made with fair degree of sue
cess thus far. Not long ago squad
Riley, Kansas, followed by a wagon
containing partially cooked meal,
sufficient for the entire squad. After
a march of six hours the fireless
cooker in which this meal was con-
tanned was opened and 1t was found
that the meat, vegetables and mac
aroni, contained therein, was per-
fectly prepared and ready for dinner.
The theory is a simple one. 1t is
that heat retained by non-conductor
and prevented from escaping will
complete the operation of cooking
food The hay-box of Norway has
been used for generation or more
and we want to adopt the idea into
the army of the United States; when
this is done squad of troops started
out on days march can be followed
b. supply wagons with fireless cook
ers, that have been packed when
camp is broken in the morning, and
which will have nutritious hot meal
ready to serve to them Immediately
when camp is made again at night.
Heretofore it has been found neces-
sary in order to give our soldiers hot
food on march to carry supply of
fuel from camp to camp. And even
then great deal of time is consumed
in building the fires and in cooking
the meals. 1t will be readily under
stood that any method which prom
Uses the elimination of the necessity
of hauling large quantities OF fuel
and at the same time eliminate the
loss of time will be Of enormous adj
vantage and that the result will be
highly appreciated by the men to be
fed
Manufacturers have in many in
stances prepared devices which are
entirely satisfactory in small way
and which appear to be excellent for
domestic purposes, but up to the
present time none of them has de-
signed "fireless cooker" satisfactory
for the needs of such number of
men as the Subsistence Department
must provide for We are looking
for lightness in weight, combined
with absolute stability in construc-
ton. We want a cooker which will
stand long travel over all sorts of
roads and assure the perfection of
the contents at the end of the jour-
ney. Each receptacle containing
foods must be absolutely air tight,
easily cleaned and readily adjusted.
We have secured, through our own
officers, several devices which seem
to fill the BILL and am confident that
before long it will be possible to start
out regiment of soldiers from camp
in the morning with wagon contain
ing fireless cookers supplied with a
full ration of partially cooked food
which will be fit to serve in the form
of a palatable well-cooked meal by
the time camp is reached at the end
Of the day,-New Orleans Picayune.