The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-04
Famous Naval Commander Expires Suddenly At
 Washington
NATION SHOCKED BY
 HIS UNTIMELY END
Taft, Meyer, Metcalf, Dewey Join in Paying Tribute To Gallant Old Hero-Had Distinguished
 Career

admiring nation, died suddenly late today at his home in this city. Acute indiges' ton ended the career of one of the mose popular officers in the navy. He was Ill less than two hours.
 Admiral Evans. born 65 years ago in Floyd county. Virginia, arose today ap- parently in better health and spirits than he had enjoyed in some time. For years sufferer from old wounds sustained in the civil war, and from recurrent attacks of rheumatic gout, the aged lighter seemed to have shaken off the burden of hls ad- vancing days. He displayed high spirits at breakfast and ate hearty luncheon at noon.
 While in hIs library at ? o'clock the ad- mlral was stIjsken Instantly his fam fly sent for Pr. S. S. Adams, who on his arrival found ahe patient in great pain. After treatment Admiral Evans fell into a restless sleep, and 1t was thought that the danger had passed.
 Shortly after 1 o'clock however he awakened and raising himself with diff culty. announced that he was choking.
 q cannot get my breath" he said, and sank back. At 4;45 o'clock he died, con scious to the end.
 At his bedside at the time of his death were his wife, his daughter, Mrs. IT. l. Sewall, and his daughter-in-law, Mrs Frank T. Evans wife of the admlral's only son, lieutenant commander in the navy, now on duty on the torpedo boat destroyer Monahan at Boston. The only other member of his immediate family who was not present was Mrs. Marsh, wife of Capt. Charles C. Marsh. conl- manding the armored cruiser North Car oina.
 News Spreads Rapidly
 The news spread with great rapidty and caused a profound shock in official cfr- cles. President Taft was one of the first to express his grief and condolence.
 He said: Admiral Evans was one Of tue most successful squadron commanders we have had in tho navy for q long time. He was rigid diseipinarian, of quick de- cision and admirably advised in the inf tricacS-of tho machinery of hrulsers aA4 skilled fin drilling them, 1 am very sorry to hear of his death"
 Admiral Dewey was so overcome that he could utter but few words 'f am shocked beyond measure at the sudden death of my lifelong friend, Admiral Evans" wa.s all he could say.
 Secretary Meyer paid this tribute to the officers memory.
 By the sudden death of Admiral Evans the country loses one of It's most bri- liant and able officers. If was on ac- count of his ability that President Roose- welt selected him as commander in chief Of the fleet that cruised around the world. Although on the retired list, he had kept up his active interest in the service and his unexpected death comes as shock to tho navy"
 Former Secretary of the Navy Met calf. who happened to be in Washington today, pointed out that he himself had given Admiral Evans command of the Atlantic fleet in it's cruise around the world, the choicest assignment ever ex- tended to an American naval officer in time of peace.
 "TIe was practically aii i'll man when he was selected for this important duty" said Mir. Metcalf, but his splendid record Justified the department in giving him this recognition of his long and efficient service. He was one of the most elf- eient and capable officers the navy has krown and his name has been a house. hold word for many years
 A Commanding Figure
 One of the ron links that bound the old navy to the new commanding fig ure in each. was Robley D. Evans. He did not take kindly to the sobrquet of "Fightng Bob" for although of grun exterior he was a man of the kind Hest impulses Thus 1t never was used in his presence by his friends. But his dauntless courage in times of great emer- gency; the grim determination with which he faced overwhelming odds, and the stoicsm with which he bore his wounds and gazed unfinchingly in the face of death. made the title so appropriate that as 'Fighting Bob" he was known wher- ever the English language Is spoken.
 Evans was a mere boy when he was sent to the naval academy at An napolis 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 10 blockade duty It was in one of the two attacks made by the northern navy upon powerful defenses at Ft Fisher, N. C., that young Evans received the wound through the thigh that made him a cripple for life. He suffered three other wounds but as soon as he was discharged from the hospital he again plunged into the fighting and served until the end of the civil war with great credit.
 With the ending of the war there came a period of stagnation which marked the passage of the old wooden navy Evans drifted for a time into civil pursuits, although never relin- auishing his connection with the serv- ice. In fact. as soon as Congress man ifested it's purpose to meet the insistent demand of Secretaries Chandler and Whitney for a renovation of the Amer lean navy, Evans came back into the service and was one of the leading spirits in planning the rudiments of what is now the American modern navy.
 First Cruise Around World IL was Evans who took the little dispatch boat Dolphin on a cruise around the world to test the struc- tural strength of this product of in fant steel shipbuilding. He always got the best and the newest vessels be- cause his superior officers knew he could be trusted to handle them safely and develop their strong and weak points It happened that with the gun boat Yorktown he dropped in at Val paraiso Chile, in s9t and found an opportunity to display all of the de- termination and courage he possessed. Some of the American sailors had been maltreated and murderously assaulted and Evans felt it his duty to demand protection and reparation. The odds against him were grotesquely large. The tiny Yorktown lay in the harbor under the guns of the whole Chilean fleet, yet Evans never faltered hut ca arried out his purpose and saiied away triumphantly with his colors fly- ing and the band playing American
 
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