Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-08
LONG SEA CAREER
IS CLOSED TODAY
Rear Admiral Evans Bids
Farewell to Fleet
AT SAN FRANCISCO REVIEW
Commands the Battleships for the
Last Time.
AT SAN FRANCISCO REVIEW
AN OVATION FROM POPULACE
Ships Dressed in Gala Attire-Ad-
miral Thomas to Assume Com
mand on Sunday.

SAN FRANCISCO. May S. Admiral
Evans was not well enough to go or
board the Connecticut today to partici-
pate in the review Of the fleet by Secre-
parture for Washington is in doubt. Ad-
miral Evans was somewhat fatigued from
llse long ride in the land parade yester-
day. but it was stated by his family to-
day that he was feeling better.
The review commenced at 10 o'clock this
morning. when the gunboat Yorktown
with the Secretary of the Navy and q
party of guests on board. left the Oakland
shore to tour up and down the four lines
of battleships, cruisers and t0rpedo-boa'
destroyers. The fleets reviewed today
constitute the heaviest fighting force the
navy has ever known in a single COM
mand. and no such force in all the his
tory of the navies of the world was ever
before assembled under a rear admiral S
flag.
Admiral Evans expects to leave for
Washington tomorrow SO when his flag is
run down the Connecticdt's halyards to-
day his last sea service will be done. He
rclinQushes command now at his own re-
quest, becaynoe of ill-health. He will not
be placed on the retired list until August.
Thomas to Assume Command.
Rear Admiral Thomas will resume his
place a. senior officer present during
Saturday. and Sunday becomes the COM
mander-in-6hief Of the Atlantic feet.
The Pacific fleet is to be retained in
the harbor until May u. so that until
that time Admiral Thomas will have su-
R<.,,r
ships that win ill the Oakland fairway Of
On Mey is Admiral Thomas is to. be re-
lieved at his own request, and then Rear
manding the fourth division of the At
lantic feet, will assume command to take
the sixteen world-girdling battleships on
the remainder of their cruise. The tour
February 22 next, when President Roose-
Welt will receive the ships on the May
Hover. as he sent them away on the 18th
Of last December.
Crews Manned the Rails.
The ships today were all dressed in the
full radiance of rainbow flags The crews
manned the rails and a salute of seven
teen guns was fired from the flagship.
The splendid armored cruisers of the
Pacific fleet were anchored in the line
nearest the Oakland shore. In the sec
"nd line are the ships of the second
squadron of the Atlantic feet. Down be-
tween these lines the Yorktown first pro-
ceeded. When the gunboat reached the
end OF the line she sailed up the line
formed by the battleships of the first At
lantic squadron and by the torpedo craft
of both fleets In this way. returning to
the head of the columns, the Yorktown
passed the Connecticut last of ALL She
then anchored and the flag and command
officers were received by Secretary Met
CALI.
Reviewed by Metcalf.
To the tune of $50 booming guns the
most formidable fleet ever assembled In
American waters under any flag was re-
viewed this morning by Secretary Of the
Navy Metcalf. who passed slowly between
The double lines of fire-belching ships in
the little cruiser Yorktown. The review
eaualed i'm impressiveness the magnii-
cent entrance of the well tried fighters
through the Golden Gates
No Secretary of the Navy. and indeed.
no President of the United States, has in
s2ected such an imposing array Of peace
preservers in the history of this country
President Roosevelt reviewed the Atlantic
fleet at Hampton roads. when the 1900
mile voyage was begun last December,
but today this powerful fleet was aug
Hnented 10y the nine huge cruisers of the
i'acific fleet and the two unattached bat
fleships. Wisconsin and Nebraska.
Secretary Metcalf boarded the York.
Town. lying against the Oakland mole OF
the Southern Pacific, shortly before IL
o'clock with a party OF thirty society
:oiks and officials.
Promptly al 10 o'clock the small but
proud vessel which was under the cow
rnand OF Admiral Evans when he was
heutendnt commander turned into the
tasterly lane of anchorage between tbe
west virginia. Admiral Dayton's fiaeshin
OF the Pacific fleet. and the Minnesota
The Atlantic fleet. under Admiral Thomas *
me three-inch guns of these ships
sounded simultaneously the salute of sew
enteen guns. which issued reyuI,rIy fror,
every craft in the long double line
Fluttering Mass of Color.
As each ship weathered its hui! in ,be
smoke Of It's own guns the military masks
broke out into a fiuttering mass of color
with hundreds OF flags standing straight
In the fresh breeze. On every shin tbs
otHcers and crew We're in full dress ai
quarters. Every ounce of gold and every
6rchalc chapeau i'm the combined f,eetS
We're douned today in honor of tho ax
ecutivc head of the navy. On eyerv decL
i+io marine bands burst into patriot,
harmony as the Yorktown drew SLOWLY
past. -
Reaching the southern extremity n,
Ihe meet. the Yorktown turned and
steamed back between the first and sec.
N
ward the head of the line where ths
connecticut was anchored There the
yorktown itself burst into color for the
ADMIRAL. and the review was completed
As soon as the Yorktown ancborec
launches from twenty-seven ships wer,
manned to take the admirals and can.
ta1ns OF the heet to the flagship to pay
their respects to the civilian chief
From shore the historic event was
watched by hundreds of people. anS
gay launches bobbed ON the bay wa.
fers. which were a deep blue under ar
t-.fecked sky.
This afternoon there will be re.
gatta off the Alameda shore. and To
night, while the enlisted men are en-.
joying boxing apd athletic tourna.
ment in the naval pavilion, the office r,
will be dined by the city in a great ba N.
qnet at the st Francis Hotel Tomor.
row will be Oakland day.
Evans Ends Career in Glory.
Rear Admiral Robley ID. Evans prac