The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-08-17
ADJ IRAL EVANS
BE RETIRED
orty-fiye Years In Ser
vice. &.
A MOST NOTABLE CAREER
Fought Against South to His
Mothers Chagrin. ],
In Admiral Bob Evans. Retirement
Uncle SANS Navy Loses One
of ID. Most Picturesaue
Figures.

washington. Aug. 1e.-With the re-
tirement L from active service next Tues
day of Rear. Admiral Robley Evans
.Fighting Bob''--the United States
navy loses one Of the most. picturesque
figures that ever trod quarter-deck.
Forty-five years have gone by since
Evans. as young ensign, reeetved his
baptism of fire at FoEtsF1sher during
the civil war. paEffng that span OF
years. he has.served his country gall
lantly, wellrearning the reward Of rest
which sNgrateful people give. +
1t has been his fortune to command
the Greatest feet of hghting ships ever
assembled under the American nag.
Moreover he has successfully piloted
that feet to- the. end OF one of the most
remarkable cruises In naval history as
the eliminating act OF his brilliant ca.
reer. Famous In war he has, become
great in peace and many OF his coun-
trymen still. are hopeful that Congress
will honor him BY creating him q Vice
Admiral. rank second only to that of
the Manila Bay, hero Admiral Dewey 1.
Born in Floyd County. Virginia. Au-
gust Is, is4e, SO years ago. he came
to washington at the age OF IL to live
with his uncle q newspaper man, upon
the death of his father. DR., Samuel An
drew Jackson Evans. twas while at
tending the public sch FOOLS here that
his.yearning for the sea became mani
fest, as he himself Estates in his auto
biography, "a Sailors Log" His sturdy
defense of his mud puddle feet against
q powerful foe In the shape Of large
boy islnarrated by him with great ev-
ident enjoyment Securing an appoint
ment at the Naval Academy, he en-
tered that Institution September Is.
1850. $500
Fought AkaiusG ,somsh
49, Az fJna
States his mother. assuming that he
would take arms for his State agAinst
his country, sent In his resignation to
Washington and II was promptly ac-
copied Young Evans was determined
however. to stand by the Union even
to his mothers, chaKrtn. He was grad.
uated IN 1854 and served with honor
through the remainder Of the conflict.
He became q lieutenant In 1856 lieu.
tenant commander two years later and
o commander in 1873. He reached the
grade of captain IN 1893, and as such
oficer served through the Spanish
American war, commanding the battle
ship Iowa at the battle Of Santiago. He
was promoted to the rank of rear. ad-
mlral in 1891. thus reaching the high
est rung in the ladder possible without
tho aid OF a special act Of Congress.
: Rear Admiral Evans has been in poor
health for some time past and though
suffering, from rheumatism when the
battleship; feet sailed from Hampton
Roads last December. he determined to
crafty his life's ambition to take the
tieet around Cape Horn. He was i'll
during nearly the entire voyage and
continued 50. until after he was re-
lieved OF command May 0, last.
It was during the period OF strained
relations with Chilli that he earned the
sobrlQuet OF Fighting Bob" He was
In command Of the gunboat Yanktown,
stationed at Valparaiso, which place he
threatened to efface' from the topog-
raphys Of Chill in such vigorous and
earnest Language that the naughty
Latin Americans speedily released the
American sailors whose frolic ashore
had led to a riot and incidentally ito an
unpleasant diplomatic situation.
ly Preferred the SEES. 49,
Though possessed OF EXCEPTIONAL ex-
ecutfve ability, Rear Admiral Evans has
always preferred sea duty to service
ashore. He probably has done more
than any living man to unity this eoun-
try's. floating lighting force and great
credit Is due him for the high state of
efficiency of equipment and personnel
of the navy today. go
Rough and rugged, Bob Evans is
a typical American fighter. A stern
disciplinarian. but always just and
IdlI, ne +ia not only ESbpeCbcQ pJ Luc
sailors-the men behind the guns--but
he is loved by them. A man of few
words he is also a man Of action. new
err making statement he is not pre-
pared. to back up and always careful to
be thrice armed with Just cause.
With a singular appropriateness that
may not appear at first glance Flight
ing Bob" Eyans's retirement will. be
celebrated next Tuesday in the TEN
ME ~ peacan AZ Taxa Nf0h0nk NaW
York. where he has been convalescing