The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-09-04
NAVY'S POPULAR HERO
Character Sketch Of Fighting
Bob" Evans.
F0RTY-oNE YEARS IN SERVICE

Admiral Appointed to Command Great
Fleet For the Pacific Is Never Afraid
to Speak His Mind-WilI Fight at
Any Time-instanees Of His Bravery
and chlvaIry.
In all quarters of the United States
and In most quarters of the world the
announcement the other day that Rear
Admiral Robley d. Evans is to have
command Of the great squadron Of
batteships to be sent to the Pacific
has been received with deepest inter
est says the New York Evening World.
That Admiral Evans, who under the
cognomen Of Fighting Bob" shares
with Lord Charles Beresford, his clos
est personal friend, the reputation Of
being the most popular commander
that ever wore a naval uniform,
should now be placed in command Of
the largest feet ever assembled for
the longest voyage is regarded as the
lifting crown to career luminous with
the record Of daredevil bravery and
brilliant achievement.
From the day when, forty-six years
ago, at the outbreak Of the civil war,
be successfully opposed his mothers
written request for his release from
the Naval academy, in which he was
then serving, until the present day his
name has been a synonym for all the
finest qualities OF the sailor.
BE had been only two years in the
service when, as a midshipman, he
led the famous attack on Fort Fisher,
capturing the seemingly impregnable
fortress In the face of a rain of bullets
and shrapnel shells and in that mo-
ment earned the pseudonym by which
he is known in every quarter Of the
civilized world.
1t is told Of him how, being found at
the bottom Of a trench under a heap OF
wounded, he insisted that two men Of
his command should receive the first
attention of the doctors. When the en-
thusiastic young surgeon In whose care
he had been placed proposed to remove
his legs he threatened death and de-
gtruction to any doctor or set of doc
tors who should try to end his career
IN that fashion. In spite of the warn
ings Of doctors of gangrene he kept
his legs and save for a slight lameness
completely recovered.
1t was In 1886, after twenty years OF
service, that he attracted the attention
of President Cleveland. In 1891, with
his first great opportunity, he earned
worldwide fame The series OF out
RACES committed by the Chilean mob
on the sailors of the Baltimore had
aroused the country. Evans, in COM
mand of the Yorktown, steamed into
the harbor of Valparaiso, demanded
and obtained an apology from the
Chilean government and the COM
mander Of the Chilean man-of-war for
the stoning of the American sailors,
announced that all political refugees
seeking shelter on board the Yorktown
would be protected to the last shot and
that any further acts of hostility
would result in bombardment of the
\ city. His action received the highest
praise from every European nation.
His achievements in the destruction
of the Spanish fleet off Santiago, when,
as commander of the Iowa. he attacked
and sank the famous Spanish warship
Viscaya, are matters of recent history.
The whole quality Of the man which
+ has made him the idol OF the men OF
the navy is illustrated In his reply to
the protest Of a convention Of clergy
men who regretted that he had not fol
lowed the example OF Captain Philip
of the Texas and ordered prayer I'm
time OF action.
"The chaplain had suggested that we
should have prayer" said Admira
Evans, "and l was about to order the
men aft for that purpose when l saw
q Spanish warshlp bearing down upor
us. 1t seemed to me then that my
FIRST duty to my God and my. country
demanded that l should sink that shiI
FIRST and pray afterward."
And all the world applauded when
receiving Captain Eulate. the Visca
ya's commander, on board the lows
4 as a prisoner, he refused with fine
chivalry to accept the sword OF his
vanQuished foe.
whenever criticism was demanded
even OF his superiors, Admiral Evans
has not hesitated to express his opin
ions with a directness that left M
doubt of his meaning and his book
"a Sailors Log" published some littl'
time after the close Of the Spanish
American war. got him into endless
hot water with all sorts and condi
lions OF naval men, his criticism of thu
attack on the Colon by Admiral Schle!
during the engagement at Santiago
provoking storm Of opposition from
the partisans Of that officer.