The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-02

a
1t said that all of the old men must
stay behind. In their !. place came
some young fellows, manysof whom
had evidently been p1oughing here in
Kansas three weeks before. We had
to break these in.
Proposition to Feed Fleet.
''The next proposition was to feed
5000 mentor a journey of $4,000
miles without having a base of sup
plies. But as you all know, this was
satisfactorially arranged"
Then the admiral talked about the
parting when the presidents ship, the
Mayf1ower, with President Roosevelt
was there to see the departure OF the
fleet. Every ship as it passed the
Mayfiower fired a salute of twenty
1907.
The first day out at sea Admiral
Evans reported a trying one. There
were a number of cases of sickness
reported, there being &c cases OF
measles on the battleship Kansas
which was second in the line. But by
the time the fleet reached the first
stop, Trinidad. there were only two
cases of sickness in the entire fleet
In speaking of the Christmas stop
at Trinidad, Admiral Evans said in
part:
'It was an inspiring sight in the
harbor Christmas morning when p
big American flags fioated from the
ships. 1 sent 1000 blue jackets ashore
in the afternoon, and they behaved
splendidly. 1t was the same way
wherever they landed, they reflected
credit on you and your country. They
wanted to reflect credit on you and
they did.
''I was glad to show some of those
buffers down in South America that
we were there with the goods, and we
did it,
The next trip was from Trinidad to
Rio, a distance of $500 miles.
Threat to Blow Up Fleet.
Just before leaving Washington"
continued the admiral. I'VE had received
a couple of letters from a man in Can
ada saying that arrangements were be-
ing made to blow up the ships at Rio
and again near Cape Horn. We thought
maybe it was the Japs, for the letters
intimated that it was, or at least that
was Just a passing thought for the let
ters we knew were mere threats and
we didn't worry about 1t bit. The
plan we found when we arrived there
was Matched out by eight anarchists,
each one of which was to take two bat
tleships They proposed doing it by
means of taking cargo of phosphor-
Gus which was in the harbor and con-
vert the PHOSPHORUS into a high ex-
plosive by a means known only to
themselves. Well when We got there
we purchased the whole cargo and used
it to kill the cockroaches on the fleet
Admiral Evans told of meeting an
greet him on his way to the straits or
Magellan and of the observance of ma
val etiquette which followed. The ad-
miral was pleased at this time, to hear
a vice admiraPs salute fired in his
honor, the nearest according to his own
words that he ever reached the grade |
of vice admiral. Magellen was another |
place where the fleet was expected to /
planned that the mines would be placed /
on driftwood and when the ship ran
over the driftwood it would explode.
The admiral cited three reasons why |
there was no driftwood; then had there
been any it wouldn't have supported any
mines; and in the next place battle
ships never run over driftwood
The cruise through the Magellan
straits, the most perilous place in the
world was told by Admiral Evans, at
he same time extending to his men a
high compliment for their work in this
cart of the cruise:
''It was dark and stormy night
when We passed through, but I knew
f there was any body of men on this
air earth that could take the fleet
nen would do it. We settled the ques-
ion in regard to American machinery
n American ships, among other things.
t has been demonstrated that 1t does
og. Not an accident happened during
he trip through the straits, and 1 do
lot think one of the ships was so yards
,ut of place when they got through"
Receptions Along Pacific Coast.
The next stop was at Valparaiso, {
where Admiral Evans had bluffed an E
ntire fleet of Chilean vessels in 1889, /
when he was sent down there with the l
ruiser, Yorktown. This time he said /
lie felt much safer with 16 battleships s
O back him up.
In his estimation the Peruvians are /
he most hospitable people of South s
america, and he paid the people of /
;allao a high compliment for their hos r
italitY. In
Then came the homestretch from Cal Ii
40 to San Diego. Admiral Evans took
months rest and went to California
O recuperate and let Admiral Thomas
rip Admiral Thomas looked after all
he social events. on account of Fight
ng Bob's'' inability. !
The remainder of the lecture told of !
he receptions at San Diego. Los An !
eles and the passing into the Golden
iate promptly at the time set in the ,
rst schedule. The admiral said it was !
great to anchor at San Diego :
nee again and see American flags. At \
.os Angeles the town made a hit with :
IL the sailors and everyone according ,
D the admiral will settle there when :
e retiCes- {
vans, II saw my flag hauled down for /
he last time 1t made me feel very G
ad to think of it, but it is a time that I
lust come to all of US"
The Evans party left this afternoon
Or Kansas City where the admiral lee
lres tonight under the auspices of the i
-ansas City Y. w. c. A. Tomorrow
light he speaks in Joplin and will go
-om there to Colorado Springs. His ,
ates take him to the coast and he will =
be on the lecture platform un =
/ the first of May. 7
!
lark Harvey, Former Kansan, Is
Dead in idaho. 4