Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-04
REAR ADMIRAL EVANS.
"FiGHTiNG BOB" DEAD.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

was one of the most capable officer:
the navy has known and his name has
been household word for many
years"
One of the iron links that bound the oil;
navy to the new, commanding figure il
each, was Robley d. Evans. He did moi
take kindly to the sohriquet of Eight
ing Bob" for though outwardly gruh
he was man of the kindliest impulse
Thus it never was used in his presence
By his friends But his dauntless cour
age in times of great emergency, the
grim determination with which he faced
overwhelming odds and the stoicism Will
which he bore his wounds and gazed I'M
finehngly in the face of death, mad.
the title so appropriate that as Fight.
ing Bob he was known wherever the
English language is spoken.
Evans was a mere boy when he was
sent to the Naval Academy at Annapo-
lis Before he had got far with his
studies the Civil War broke out and
throwing his books to the winds, he Went
to sea and was assigned to blockade du-
ty. It was in one of the two attacks
made by Union naval forces upon the
powerful defences at Fort Fisher. N c..
that young Evans received the wound II
the thigh which made him a cripple foI
life He suffered three other wounds
but as soon as he was discharged from
the hospital he again plunged into thf
fighting and served until the end of the
war with great credit.
With the ending of the war there came
period of stagnation which marked the
1f nj n
drifted for time into civil pursuits. al
though he never relinquished his con-
nection with the service In fact, as
soon as Congress manifested its purpose
to meet the insistent demand of Seereta-
ries Chandler and Whitney for a reno
walton, of the American navy, Evans
came back into the service and was
one of the leading spirits in planning
the rudiments of what is now the Amer
lean modern navy.
It was Evans who took the little
dispatch boat Dolphin on cruise
around the world to test the strength
of this first product of the infant steel
ship building art of the United States.
He always got the best ships and the
newest because his superior officer
knew he could be trusted to handle
them safely and develop their strong
and weak points.
A few busy years engaged in duty
on the construction board which plan
ned the modern battleships and cruis-
ers, and in several long cruises to try
out the result of his brain work on
the high seas brought Evans, then u
commander to the opening of the
Spanish American War. He wanted a
battleship and he got one, one OF the
best-the Iowa, which represented the
latest product of the American ship
yards.
When Cervera's fleet made its fatal
dash through the blockading ships OIL
Santiago, on July 3, 1893, Capt Evans
ship took notable part in the 5o-
mile running fight that followed. For
his gallantry in this action he re-
eeived the thanks of Congress and was
promoted.
As a full fledged rear admiral, Evans
was called upon to take the Atlantic
feet around the world and how he was
selected has already been told by For
mer Secretary Metcalf.
That brilliant achievement. the first
world cruise of an armored fleet OF
that size and power, fully tested Ad-
miral Evans ability as an organizer
and a commander. All that the public
knew was that Is battleships had made
ia 25,00O-mile cruise; they could not
imagine what that meant to the di-
recting mind of the fleet, of the many
hours of anxiety spent in pouring over
charts of harbors, of reefs, of PLAN
ming for supplies of fuel and food and
keeping together, contentent and in a
happy mood, the thousands of men
who made up the crews of the war
ships.
BY the time he had reached San
Francisco, the strain had become so
severe that he was unable to leave his
bed and it was necessary to relieve
him from the command at that place.
Active duty terminated for Admiral
Evans at that point. 1t is true that he
did not go on the retired list until a
few months afterward, but never
again was he called upon to direct the
movements of ship or a fleet. He re-
tired to his quaint, old-fashioned home
in this city, and surrounded by his
family, passed in happiness the few
remaining years of his life. His leisure
gave him opportunity to execute his
long cherished career of telling some
of his wonderful experiences and these
he had set out in some books which
are to be found in the libraries of ev-
cry American naval vessel and wher-
ever men like to read of gallant eX-
PLOTS on the sea.
The funeral will be held, Friday, al
though the exact hour is not yet set
and it is expected that Admiral Evans
will be buried in the National ceme-
terry at Arlington with full naval hon
ors.