Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-02
ENGLAND'S SEA-D0G.
ADMIRAL SIR PROVO WALLIS AT THE
AGE OF ONE HUNDRED.
AZ Sea Before Trafaigar-TheV Veteran VINO
stiu Heads tho Active List-Lieutenant
on the shannon when She Captured
the Chesapeake-A Long Career.
rphlladelphia TlmeaI

Philadelphia Timosl
Admiral Sir Provo Wallis, of the British
navy. celebrated his one hundredth BIRTH
dav April 18th last. Nothing in naval an
nails equals the record Of service whlcn 'iiis
magnificent old veteran can show ms
name having been entered on the BOOKS OF
one of King George Ills ships IN l'so'
when he was child of four years olc'
and he himself being still as cen
t.Darian the ranking admiral on the
aatiye Lis. of the English navy. More than
this. he actually began active service oeIoIc
the opening of the present century, having
Joined n. nj. s. Cleopatra toward tne emo
of the wear 1900. Not only ~ SIR Provo
Wallis interesting to Americans from ms
having been born in Halifax, NOVA ocotla,
but he is doubly so in view OF als oe hn
tbe last survivor Of the historic hgnt pc
tween the shannon and Chesapeake. Sec
ond lieutenant at the time OF that famous
baftle when Captain Broke was wounded
and tbe frat lieutenant killed, the CON-
mand OF the vessel devolved upon young
Wallis. who took the Shannon ana her
prize into Halifax harbor after the VICTORY,
Survivors Of the war OF 1872 there are now
bnt few on either side OF the water, and OF
ali who still remain TO testify 10 the scenes
Of that great conflict Admiral Wallis Is
easily the most distinguished.
HIS FIRST SEA FIGHT.
Tho son of Provo Featherstone Wallis,
for some wears chief clerk in the Govern
ment hayward at Halifax. Provo William
Parry Wallis, was sent TO England FOR ms
education, and first went 70 sea IN the
Cleopatra in October. 1904, under the com
mand of Sir Robert Lawrie. In February
of the succeeding year the young md
shipman saw his first sea night, the Cle9-
patra falling IN with inc Nlie uo
Milan. a French frigate of superior force:
and being captured after a severe action OF
nearly three hours. The Cleopatra, mount
| inc thirty-two guns. as against the french
mans forty-eight, lost So III killed ana
wounded out Of her crew Of 200, while the
Vile de Milan, numbering 800 men, lost
| hut 10 of them. week later, however,
the Leander frigate, OF hlty guns leli 10
with the FrenChman and her prize ana
| took both of them. In 1908 Wallis became
| a lieutenant and was appointed to the
| Curieux, sixteen guns, in which ne was
| wrecked at the blockade Of Gaudaloupe
September 3, 1909. In November OF that
| same year he was appointed 10 the GlolTe,
of thirty guns, and in January, 1912, TO the
| shannon. On June /, 1918, the ac-
| ton with the Chesapeake was fought;
| CAPTAIN Broke, in testimonial dated
1915. smoke of the then lieutenant az
+" most diligent, Jealous, and conn
DENTAL officer" and stated that IN the
| Chesapeake action he, by his bravery and
skilful management, effected important
| service For this service Lieutenant
Wallis was promoted COMMANDER on tns
9th of July following. received a sword
from his captain and letter of thanks
from the Admiralty.
HIS VARIED SERVICES.
In 1914 CAPTAIN Wallis served ut Sheer
ness, was advanced to the rank OF post
| cantain in 1919, and thereafter was en-
| Moved in various ships on the Halifax,
| North America, West India, and Medl-
| terranean stations. While on the West
| India station he was engaged III the
| Madagascar. of fOrty-six guns IN watch
| ING the French operations before
| Vera Cruz. and received the thanks
of the British merchants for his at
tentlon to their interests. When
senior officer in the WarsDlte, on the Medi-
| terranean station, he witnessed the attack
| of the Prince de JOinville upon Tangier
| having made arrangements with the Prince
| winch subsequently, received the approval
| of the Government. He was also present
| during the civil war on the coast OF SYRIA
| throughout the year lS45, being on these
| two last occasions the senior British officer
ON duty. In 1916 he returned from the
| Mediterranean cruise and was appointed a
naval aide de camp to Queen victoria IN
| 1S47. In 1851 he became @ rear-admlral; IN
| 1887 he was appointed commander in-chief
| on the coast of America, and at the age OF
sixtv-six hoisted his flag on the Cumber-
| land. of seventy guns. From this duty he
was recalled in the following year III con.
| sequence of his promotion to the rank OF
| vice-admiral.
A UNIQUE HONOR.
| In 1863 yice-Admiral Wallis reached full
flag rank and in 1877 he became admiral OF
| the feet. Here the active career OF the
| staunch old veteran properly ended, Tor
admirals of the fleet are obliged to retire
ct the age of seventy. but IN view or 40
| miral WallIs's exceptional services 1t was
determined to retain hlm on the active
list for the remainder of his life, unique
honor, his appreciation of which he has
shown by living on TO retain 1t for four
teen wears, and TO Judge of his vlgor
from his photograph he NAV almost enjoy
il for another fourteen years. 10 close
the account of Admiral Wallis's honors
he was Rear-Admiral of the United King
dom from 1869 to 1870, Vice-Admlral OF the
| United Kingdom from 1870 TO 1876, X. Z.
r i'm 1860 and G. C. b. in 1873. This dis
tinguished sailor. then, was born before
Lord Howe fought the French fleet IN the
Channel: was entered on his ships books
before the victories of Jeryis at Cape 81
Vincent, Duncan at Camperdown, and Mel.
son at the battle of the Nile had joined
his ship before Copenhagen was captured
had sailed and smelled powder before Ira
falgar was fought, and was man OF TWEEN
| ty-One before, in 1912, the American SlooE
Wasp. by taking the Frolic, secured the
first of these victories over the invinclbl'
Enplishman which 50 astonished the worlt
and which he himself in the succeeding
wear was so effectively to help revenge II
the Shannon. The tremendous revolution
which the present century has seen th(
conditions OF naval warfare undergo dc
not begin until he was past three score
and ten. When this real Father OF thu
| Fleet looks at her Brittanlc Majesty
Warspite Of tO-day,a swift-armored cruiser
of over 1000 tons displacement and o
10, 600 horse power, "a heavy as an oceaI
. liner. and armed en- bGrbette witt
four 22-ton guns, how strange must seen
10 him the contrast to the old wOodeI
frigate of fifty guns that he commanded II
the Mediterranean nearly fifty years ago
| The record of his active service cover
both the first bombardment of Alexandra
in 1901, and the second in 1882, and be
tween those years he has studied probabl.
every naval conflict that the world ha
seen. The instance is Unparalleled. Long
it is the most appropriate of quotations
long may Admiral Sir Provo Wallis wave
THE CHESAPEAKE AND SHANNON.
, English and American accounts of tn
fight between the Shannon and Chesa
!. peako differ somewhat, as may be expected
= the English historians of the fight making
the shannon out in bad repair. short o
provisions, and without her tull compile
ment of men, and they dwell on the brand
new excellence of the Chesapeake's equip
, ment. On the other hand, American writer
point out that Broke had been trainin
/ his crew for weeks with reference t
this very battle, lying outside Bostol
harbor, in eager watch, and exercIsin
, his men daily at gun drill, while Law
, rence's crew was a new one and IN
, drilled. Certainly, when after sailing on
lawrence bore down on the Shannon b
threw away the choioe of position, an
, when, five minutes after, through the cut
&c bnr ~ fha CbaSanaaKa wa