The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-04
ADMIRAL SIR JOHN FISHER.
Commander of British Navy On

ASK the ordinary individual the name
of the commander nm chef of the British
army and he viii promptly answer Lord
Roberts, and express surprise at your
asking such a question But hardly any
one outside Of the navy knows anything
or the man who would be called upon to
command our fleet i'm case of war This
| interesting and highly responsible indi-
vidual is Admiral Sir John Fisher, known
throughout the navy as "Jacky Fisher
says London Tid-Bits
In the service he is regarded as a
strong and able admiral. The officers
| of foreign Davies respect him for his stra-
tegical skill and technical ability I'm ham
ding fleet. In "a sense he may he said
/ to hold the greatest post in the British
! empire to which a subject can aspire.
7 His work Is more responsible than that
/ of the prime minister. because he is the
/ first man in the fighting fleets. Where
I on as the articles OF war say. under
l the good providence Of God. the wealth,
/ peace ana safety of the country doth
chiefly depend.
The strangast thing about this man who
bears upon his shoulders the weight of
/ the British empire. is that he is not an
I Englishman at all i'm the strict sense Of
l the word. His father was a captain in
/ the Seventy-eighth Highlander. who set
tied IN CcylOn. and his mother was
I Shanghaiese woman of high rank Thus
/ he has q strain of Oriental blood I'm his
! veins. 1t shows very slightly in his face.
/ but only those who have lived for some
time in the east are able To detect il.
A Typical Brtton.
In appearance he is a typical British
/ English admiral of bulldog teuacity.
! with a simple bluff hearty manner.
Many are inclined TO regard him is sui
len, but this IS because he is naturally
silent with horror of nOtOriety- IN
{ q career extending over a period Of forty
nine years, he has never spoken or writ
ten word for publication That is the
reason. no doubt. why those outside the
4 service know hardly anything about him.
well known naval writer. in describ-
I ing Sir John Fisher, remarked that he
had risen by the 'dint of sheer brain
edness and conspicuous ability to the DO
SitfUn ne now holds. Although the son
Z Of an obscure man, ne has attained the
highest rank In the naval service through
his own individual efforts and logged
perseverance. He entered the navy i'm
/ 1884 and four years later occupied the
] post of lieutenant. He had seen much
active service, having taken part i'm the
Crimedu Wgr OF 1850 the China war OF
! lS59-60 and the Egyptian war of 1852
He SIN owed the sternness of his nature
after the boubardmpUt of AIexandris i'm
| 1882 As captain of the Inflexible he had
| the task of organizing a police force and
| REFRESHING the disorder and looting after
] the capture OF the city He shot the
guilty at sight and restored order i'm a
few hours. He caught many of his
friends and even officers Of his own ship
among the looting party. and although
they begged for mercy he had them court
Wartialed and severely punished Several
years go he was az Lisbon with a squad
! ron. The relations between this country
and Germany were decidedly strained
Just before the English fleet left a
I German fleet of twice the strength en-
/ tered the harbor. with the idea Of i'm
pressing the Portuguese, and drew UP i'm
double line off the town. Fisher ex-
changed salurcs and then led his vessels
out Of the harbor ut fun speed between
the two German lines, with only twenty
I or thirty yards clear on either side 1t
was a maneuver that might have wrecked
a dozen ships and only a man of iron
nerve could have carried IT out success
/ fully. But ne had trained his squadron
well. Not a single vessel sWerved q yard
l from the wlke Of his flagship. Amazed
m ms d3rinE, the Germans cheered as he
I'm 1870 Fisher was promoted To the rank
of rear admiral. while from 1899 to 1903
/ ne held the responsible post of command
or On chief OF our most important fleet.
the Mediterranean. when he became sec
Ond naval lord of the admiralty
Although al mis- subordinates respect
him. and many admire him, IL cannot be
said that they all love him. Stern and a
hard worker. with no pleasures excepting
an occasional dance. his entire life is de-
voted to keeping the British navy I'm per
feet readiness to fight an enemy ina any
part Of the world at a moments notice.
His Regular Habit.
Sir John rises regularly every morning
at and works on until or . o'clock at
night In this connection ne is fond of
{ lrllIE n STORY or an OLD DOdrsWafn VINO
served under him iu several ships. The
boat5wdiu eventually retired on 4 PEN
sion. and Fisher paid him "A visit at his
. country cottage en- DevOushire. He no.
tced man servant about the place who
seemed % have nothing to do, and asked
/ his host.
What on earth do YOU want him for2"
Well sir, said the bOatswain very
graNely, The has 90 call me every morn
lnS az D clock and say. Admiral wants
TO see you. SIR. 7 roll over on the other
SIDE OF the bed and reply. Tell the adj
uliral 70 go go Jericho Then L 20 to
sleep again. feeling GoOd. This happens
hair dozen times day. and 7 feel bet
ter every time. I've been waiting twenty
years for e.
Favorite With the Queen.
Although stern toward men, he is
pleasant 10 Woulan. He never goes into
port II he can help 10 without giving
bali on hrs flagship. He was ereat ia
vOrite with Queen Victoria. and was deep
lv attached 10 her When the French Adj
miral Geryals visited Portsmouth some
years ago with his fleet Fisher was told
off by The admiralty TO Go him honors.
The queen called him to Osborne and
said, Sir John. we have sent for YOU
especially to ask YOU to be very nice to
Admiral Gervais. as DE was so very kind
60 us when we We're recently at Cimiez.
Madam" replied JaCkey Fisher gal
lantiv. ~ viii even kiss him, if your
majesty wishes it,
Sir John Fisher has just been appointed
naval commander i'm chief at Portsmouth.