Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-25
SUCCEEDS SICARD.
Capt. Sampson to Command
North Atlantic Squadron,
EVANS ASSIGNED TO IOWA.
schley Will Command Fleet
Assembling at Hampton Roads.
The Changes Were Brought About by the
Illness of Rear Admiral Sicard-Secre-
tay Long Kept Very Busy.
EVANS ASSIGNED TO IOWA.


D. Evans, better known as Fighting
Bob" Evans, was ordered this morning
to take command of the Iowa. Cant.
Sampson of the Iowa, and also of the
Maine court of inquiry, has been or
dered to command the north Atlantic
feet, relieving Admiral Sicard, who is
I'll Commodore W. S. Schley, in all
probability, will be placed in command
Of the squadron at Hampton Roads.
Capt. Sampson, who now assumes
command of the north Atlantic squad
ron, is regarded as one of the best
equipped officers in the navy, having
seen active service during the civil war,
and since then having occupied many
important positions. He is high au-
thority on naval ordnance, and before
taking command of the Iowa was chief
of the bureau of ordnance of the navy
department. He is about 60 years of
age, a student of naval affairs, and is
considered an officer of exceptional
executive ability.
The retirement Of Admiral Sicard has
the effect of raising Capt. Samson to
the rank of commodore.
Capt. Sampson is a native of New
York He entered the service in Sep
tember, 1857, and has seen over
forty years active duty, nearly
fourteen Of which were spent on the
sea. He concluded his last cruise in
June, 1892, since which time he served
as chief of the bureau of ordnance up
TO the time of his assignment to the
command of the Iowa.
Capt. Evans is a civil engineer Of
wide reputation among builders of
bridges and steel frame works. When
ever he is on leave his services have
been eagerly sought by the great steel
companies. Andrew Carnegie has said
publicly that he considered Capt Evans
one of the most capable engineers in
America. Taking him all in all, he is a
typical naval officer of the day.
The navy is full of stories about
Capt. Robley D. Evans. The nickname
Fighting Bob has been in great meas
ure the means of spreading his fame,
Some of the incidents that have made
him prominent as an alleged seeker for
gore are his remark to Secretary Herb
ert, toward the close of the last ad-
ministration, that 1t would please bim
greatly ''to make Spanish the prevail
ing language in he'll for the next five
years" and his announcement to the
Chilean torpedo boat which made itself
obnoxious by rushing around the York
town, of which Capt. Evans was in
command, in Valparaiso harbor, that il
the torpedo boat so much as scratched
half an inch Of paint off the York
towns side he would blow her out of
the water
Hardly less important than the as
signment of Capt. Sampson, was the
practical determination to place Com
modore w. S. Schley in command of the
fleet now assembling at Hampton Roads.
This will consist of the battleships Mass
achusetts and Texas, the cruisers Brook
lyn, Minneapolis and Columbia, and
such other ships as may be assigned
later. 1t is commonly known as the fly
ing squadron,
The idea is to make Hampton Roads
the base of operations, and yet to give
Commodore Schley easy and effective
cruising distance of the entire sweep of
the Atlantic seaboard north of that
point. The two commands under Com
modore Sampson and Commodore Schley
will be of equal dignity, and will be en-
tirely independent of each other, for the
present at least. Commodore Schley
commands the fullest confidence of the
administration and of Secretary Long
for his good judgment and ability Dur
ing the present crisis he has been fire.
quently called into consultation with the
naval chiefs, who recognized his COM
plete familiarity with every detail OF
naval procedure. When the flying squad
ron was first suggested his name natur-
ally presented itself as probably the fit
test man in the service for that partic-
ular duty. He came prominently into
public notice by the successful prose-
cution of the Greedy relief expedition,
and later as the commander of the Bal
timore at Valparaiso at the time of the
Chilean revolution.
Secretary Long had a busy morning.
Aside from seeing the president he saw
Senator Hawley, Senator Lodge and
many other public men. The secretary
stated that he had no knowledge of the
purchase of a torpedo boat in Germany.
THE NEWS AT KEY WEST.
Key West Fla, March 24.-The news
that Capt. Sampson of the Iowa had sue
ceeded Rear Admiral Sicard in com
mand of the fleet, caused no end Of stir
among the naval officers here The ad-
niral himself knew nothing of the
change until shown the Associated Press
dispatch Capt. Sampson remained on
the Iowa throughout the day, and was
notified of Glis promotion, at a late hour,
through the same sources.
AS already stated in these dispatches,
it was known by the best informed that
Rear Admiral Sicard was to be relieved,
hut no one thought the change would
come so quickly. The selection of Capt.
Sampson was also somewhat Of sur
prise. A naval officer of high standing
said tonight: Capt, Simpsons ap-
noiDtment may not be particularly popu-
It.
done by the department. Under his re-
serve, in his tall, spare form, there exists
spirit of .ndomitabe energy and de-
termination If it ever comes to a
brush. he will justify his selection ten
fold"
The appointment of Capt. Evans
s'Fighting Bob"--to command the Iowa.
has given great pleasure to the younger
naval element and caused general salts
faction all around Rear Admiral Sicard
VIII probably return home on waiting
orders.
Yhe pathos of Rear Admiral Sicard'
Retirement at this critical stage, appeals
toFhN who have known or served under
him. One naval officer said this eve
ming:
1T was evident that the admiral's
falling health made it impossible fol
him Ia retain command at this trying
inncture But the way in which he mas
struggled against bodily ailments in the
endeavor to devote the closing months
of a splendid 40 years service to active
duty. is a silent chapter of heroism as
gallant as any victory in naval his
tory.
Many consider these changes. made
lust previous to an announcement OF
the court Of inquiry's report. as extreme
* significant and tending to prove thai
tneyfeourt has found the Maine was
hJoNI up externally, Others equally
weyfinformed maintain that the court
ro 1aaieixyn