The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-08-21
.FoRTY-ElGHT YEARS IN TIL

James Monroe, to help him let go.
FoRTY-ElGHT YEARS IN THE
NAVY.
Fighting Bob Evans retires from the
active list, but, will continue to serve
with the general board, where his
knowledge will be of great value.
Evans has served AZ years in the
navy-longer than any other man.
When he graduated from Annapolis
the war vessels Of that day pro-
PEELED by sails. The swiftest ships
were the American clippers, which
carried the flag into the most remote
quarters of! the globe. s8 u.
A man O'warsman Of those days
mounted from $50 to 400 guns, on
from three to six decks-more guns
than the entire b%attleship fleet now
cruising around the world can boast.
They were muzzle leaders, and fired
round shot, impelled by fast burning
black powder.
Every change tnat has taken place
in the navy he has seen. He has wit
messed the evolution from the day
when we boosted 800 sail, to the mod
ern ~battleship. Slowly these changes
were made--for when steam was add
ed, sail was not discarded-it was q
chance the men Of half a century ago
would not take. sfsf 5
With the advent of steam, few, but
heavier guns g mounted. Oak
formed the shell of the ship, and only
the finest vas bought. But, in the
event Of . war, it was possible to equip
Yasnavy while q hostile feet was: CROSS
ing the Atlantic. .
Then came rapid changes, brought
about by necessities, and new yes
sells. Of unique design appeared. Iron
sides covered the oaken hull, and fin
ally the wooden vessel gave way to
those of metal, and iron disappeared
before steel, and the steel improved, in
that its power of resistance was in
creased. In the meantime, the projec-
tile maker more than kept pace with
the armorer, and highSpower guns, Of
greater velocity and wide range Of
action were brought into play. New
powder, Of the slow burning type APP
peared, and that in turn gave way to
the smokeless kind.
Whereas fifty years ago it was not
possible to hurl a cannon ball more
than three miles, today a proiectile
weighing 200 pounds may be fired IS
miles on it's message of death. The
ball that. would fall from the side of
a sheet iron plate half a century ago,
has given way to the armor piercing
shell that will pass through 70 inches
of the hardest steel the mind of man
can conceive, and explode on the 9TH
er side.
The stately old frigate, with her
masts and spars, her shrouds, and the
hundred. and n ropes necessary to
man the sails, has passed into history
and there has appeared in its stead
the %battleship made of steel from stem
to stern, and keel to lighting top.
There are no sails, now. Steel cables
take the place of ropes, and donkey
engines perform the work formerly
done by men. Ominous muzzles of q
few great guns protrude through steel
walled turrets, and from beneath bar
bettes, great clouds of smoke that roll
from the stacks indicate the new pow
er that has been substituted. Wood is
a stranger to the e ship.
The smallest gun on a modern bat
tleship could sink a dozen navies such
as Admiral Evans knew, 48 years ago.
If all warships of the world, fifty
years back attacked one Of the pres
ent day leyiathans, the shots Of
the combined navies of long ago would
rattle from the sides like rain on a
mountain side.
All these changes Admiral Evans
has seen. He has participated in the
work that has made the new navy the
second greatest seafghting force in
the world-which is rapidly striving
for the first place.
His knowledge of naval affairs is
remarkable-his period Of activity has
been greater than any other man, and
though retired from active service by
reason of age limit, his mind is as
bright, as keen and as alert today as
It was at the time when he left the
gates Of Annapolis, a STRIPPING lieuten-
ant. s
The greater portion Of. his life has
been spent or the sea-and it is but
proper that now he should give to the
country the benefit OF his long expert
ence and knowledge, which, added to
what we already have, will advance
the American navy closer to the point
where it vii be the greatest, in
strength aud number, in the entire
world.
Calling cards At The Gazette once.