Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-09
FvANSSAYS
FAREWELL
ADMIRAL TAKES LEAVE OF HIS
OFFICERS
METcALF REVIEWS GREAT FLEET
IN HAR5oR
Pageant In San Francisco Bay 10 the
Most Magnificent Naval Spec
tacie Ever Witnessed
in Paclrc
BY Associated Press.

SAN FRANCISCO. May S.-Rear Ad-
miral Evans bade personal farewell
to the officers of his command at the
banquet given tonight in honor of the
visit of the Atlantic feet by the city of
San Francisco. He was wheeled into
the room. and in a characteristic fifteen
minute address declared that what is
needed to preserve the peace of the
world Is more battleships and fewer
statemen.
AS to armor belts. the admiral de-
clared ii made no difference whether
they were at the water line or whether
they were made OF leather, wood or egg
shells.
1T is the men who can shoot the
straightest and stand punishment the
longest who win battles" he declared.
And it was of such stuff that the
American navy is made"
Admiral Evans was cheered time and
time again.
SAN FRANCISCO. May S.-The COM
bined Atlantic and Pacific fleets of bat
tleships, armored cruisers, torpedo
boats and auxiliaries, aggregating In
weight OF displacement the enormous
total of more than 100000 tons-the
greatest assemblage of armor clads
thus far to mark the progress of the
American navy to second rank among
the floating fighting forces of the world
were reviewed In picturesque San
Francisco harbor today by Secretary of
the Navy Metcalf. Forty-four vessels
of the two fleets lay at anchor in four
long columns.
Proceeding from the Oakland shore,
the secretary on board the little gun
boat Yorktown-a reminder of the days
when the navy was In its infancy--pro-
ceeded southwark through the two
lines formed by the armored cruisers of
the Pacific fleet nearest the Oakland
shore and the second squadron of the
Atlantic fleet, headed by the Minnesota.
Turning back to the north at the end
of these two lines, the Yorktown TIA
versed the lane formed on the star
board by the battleships OF the first
Atlantic squadron. and on the port by
the grim little destroyers.
Spectacle Magnificent
The day was brilliant with sunshine
and singing breeze from the west set
the rlpples of the hill-protected bay
dancing into white-capped waves.
The heavy battleships and cruisers,
gay with huttering signal flags of full
dress, paid no heed to the whistilng
wind but the destroyers rolled and
swayed in the trough of the seas.
Excursion craft crowded about the
anchorage area and gave the patrol
boats plenty of work. They added
many touches of color to the scene,
however, and gave the people of the
bay cities who again made black the
hillsides, their second splendid water
.geant within three days.
The review, however. was the last of
the show featu as on the water, for
soon the ships will be separating. some
to GO. to navy yards for repairs and
others of the Pacific fleet starting
south on a practice cruise.
Rear Admiral Robley d. Evans. who
had hoped. to end his active naval
career by participating in today's Of
fetal ceremonies, was not permitted by
his attending physician 20 go aboard
the Connecticut. Rear Admiral Charles
M. Thomas was again the senior Of
ficer present
Evans Fatgued
Admiral Evans. who returned to the
feet at Santa Cruz the day before 1t
sailed through. the Golden gate in COM
pletion of the originally planned cruise,
has made his home ashore at the St.
Francis hotel since the afternoon of
the arrival. He rode I'm the long parade
ON yesterday and was quite fatigued by
the trip.
Tomorrow forenoon Is the time set
for Admiral Evans finally to relinquish
command. Although he win not he
aboard ship, his flag will officially be
lowered from the truck of the Connec-
afterbridge boom out their parting
salute Of thirteen guns.
A few minutes later another thirteen
guns will mark the assumption of COM
mand by new chief Admiral Thomas
transferring his headquarters from the
Minnesota to the Connecticut and ex-
changing the subordinate flag aof red
for the commanding pennant of blue.
Admiral Evans leave taking of the
fleet thus will date from the journey
through the Golden Gate. when, clad
In the breasted frock coat of
"Undress b." the official uniform for
entering port, he stood upon the bridge
of the flagship for the last time.
Usually retiring admiras are rowed
ashore by the men of the fleet. There
can be no ceremonies of this kind to-
morrow. Accompanied by members of
his family and by officers of his per-
sonal staff, Admiral Evans will leave
tomorrow afternoon for his home in
Washington, where he will remain on
waiting orders until the date of retir-
ing on his 62d birthday, August 49,
Admiral Thomas will be in command
of the Atlantic fleet only until May Is,
when he, too, hauls down his flag for
all time to return home on waiting
orders until his retirement in the fall.
81 Sperry to Command
Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry will
assume command with the departure
of Admiral Thomas and will take the
fleet on it's brief excursion to Puget
Sound. beginning May IS, and on it's
tour of the world, starting from San
Francisco July T.
Today's review was marked by the
customary formalities of booming cam
non, of ship sides manned with blue
Jackets at attention, of quarter decks
black with officers and marine guards,
Of relocated bands playing the nation
al anthem. of rainbow flag flying from
jackstaffs across the trucks surmount-
tcontinued on Rage six)