The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-19
HIS CAREER WAS
A MOST VARIED ONE
Had Fought Indians on the
Plains and Saw Service
During Civil War in Navy.
Wounded Many Tirnes-A
Hard Man tt Kill.

Washington, Aug. 1S.-Father Time
today descended upon the naval head
quarters and with relentless hand ef-
faced from the rolls of Americas great
sea fighters the name of the greatest
of them all-Rear Admiral Robley
Dunglison Evans-"Fighting Bob.
For today is Fighting Bob's" sixty
second birthday, and by law and rule
the career of the great warrior as an
active commander of cOnquering
fleets on the high seas is over and
done. In the memory of patriotic
Americans the feat of Rear Admiral
Evans in safely conducting the Allan
tic fleet. to the Pacific will remain as
the climax of the life of one of the
doUghtiest commanders that ever
STROBE the quarterback of a man-o'
war. Few commanders have ever been
so well loved by the men, and there is
deep sorrow today in the hearts of all
of Uncle Sans tars.
Fighting Bob" describes Rear Ad-
sniral Robley D. Evans to a dot. He
won the right to this title in his first
naval engagement" He was sailing
boat in a public school yard in
Washington, when a bigger boy
smashed il with rock Evans smash
ed the boy with another. The big boy
was carried nome on a door. Al
though the engagement resulted in a
victory for Evans, it marked the close
of his public school career. He has
been fighting ever since, and whenever
there was nothing mere waTlike on the
horizon ne tackled the general naval
board.
Evans was sent to Valparaiso. Chill,
with the Yorktown in 1891. The hos
tile Chilia1s developed new game OF
cruising about the American vessel
with their torpedo boats, seeing how
near they could come to it without
scraping ii. Although nine CHILEAN
waTships were anchored near by Capt.
Evans, fighting mad, ted the officer
IN charge OF the torpedo boats that If
one should hit the Yorktown ne would
blow the bottom out of it.
The Chilli Incident
The officer replied that the water in
the harbOT belonged TO Chilli
The Yorktown and the paint on he-
belongs to the United States, sir" re-
torted Evans, and if either is defaced
by your boats, he'll will smell of gar
lie
Not an iota of paint was scratched
on the Yorktown.
In ClevelGnd's administration he ap-
pllCU ~ the secretary VI Tie navy lot
permission to rid Cuba of the Span
dards. The prefer was refused.
Spanish would be the only Ian
guage spoken IN hell for six months
If they would just let me loose" said
Evans, as ne left the secretary's office.
At the close of the battle Of San
tiago. Evans, commanding the Iowa,
expressed regret that he had not been
permitted TO do the job alone. some
years before
Few commanders were as well liked
by their men. He worked them hard,
but ne gave them corresponding privI-
ueSeS. Sports he always ENCOURAGE.
The people of Provincetown, Mass,
objected 30 the sailors playing base
bail on Sunday. Evans threatened TO
take the feet TO some other port. At
ter that baseball on Sunday was not
such a sin in ProyincetoWn.
II sailor was imposed upon while
on shore, Evans saw to IL that about
40 or so husky lads were allowed
shore leave"-and he didn't inquire
very particularly thereafter into their
conduct.
In his first trip to South America
as captain the ships mascot, a pig,
was lost in the coal At a m Evans
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