New-York tribune., 1901-05-11

morning" he concluded that it was about time
TO draw the line. and did so in an interview
which he thus reports:
l told him 1.-THE assistant surgeonl that pre-
ferred to die with my legs on; that only
eighteen years old. and the thought of living my
NE without my legs more than / cared 10
race; that as the legs belonged To me, l thought
/ had a right 10 say what was 10 become of
them, and that asked the doctors 70 do what
they could for me with my legs on. and if l died
II was no matter He heard me very QUIETLY
and thought, with sympathy. but when had
nnlshed he said, You know Evans, orders have
TO be obeyed. Reaching over, I pulled
the gun from under my pillow / told him
there were six loads in il, and that if he or any
one else entered my door with anything that
looked like a case Of instruments meant TO
begin shooting, and that he might rest perfectly
assured that l would kill six before they cut
my legs on This brought matters to crisis at
once, and in a few minutes the surgeon in
charge came in very angry and full OF threats
But the result was that they left my legs and
paid very little attention to me in any way for
two weeks. when they found l had fever and
must be looked after.
The closing chapters Of this book deal with
the authors experience in the with Spain.
and especially of course. with that much of the
naval battle of Santiago in which he himself was
an actor. There is a capital note on the way in
which the men Of the navy go about their bust
ness. When Sampson signalled for volunteers
TO sink the Merrimac. all of Evans's officers and
men CAME IOTWdTu TOT Ine JOD. Ultimately TWO
men were selected. They tossed up as to which
one should go. only was to he sent from
the Iowa The loser of the toss petty officer
named Mclean. offered the lucky man $50 for
his chance. and when it promptly declined
the poor fellow went forward with the tears
streaming out Of his eyes because he had lost
a chance to have his head shot off! They were
fine fellows to tie To, those blue shirted chaps
of mine" The admiral relates a picturesque
incident, involving Captain Eulate of the Viz
caya, who brought wounded to the Iowa
and there offered the surrender of himself
his officers and men. "As l supported the cap
tain toward my cabin he stopped for a moment
just as we reached the hatch. and drawing him
self up TO his full height, with his right ex-
tended above his head, exclaimed. 'Adios Viz
Cayar Just as the words passed his lips the
forward magazine of his late command. as If
arranged for the purpose. exploded with mag
ni1cent effect" Admiral Evans. We all know
bore himself toward the Spanish officers who
came into his hands, including Admiral Cervera,
with the finest courtesy and he writes of them
all with a kndIing enthusiasm for their gallant
qualities. He ends his book repeating the words
Of a white haired old gentleman, addressed to
him at a reception in Cincinnati: Captain l
want to know how il feels when you know that
there seventy millions of people each OF
whom would like to look into your eyes and say
God bless you" Il could have told the kindly
old man. he says. that it made me feel that
lighting 10y day and watching by night. that
danger in storm and suffering in troplc calm
were hut reasonable service TO such a country,
and such fellow countrymen. l am bound TO
by every feeling Of my heart" on those words
We may leave the author of a book which will
excite in the breast of every American reader of
il feeling akin TO that Of the old gentleman
whose remark now brings them out.