Evening journal., 1913-09-15
WANT NAVAL
VESSEL NAMED
AFTER GENIUS
Chamber Of Commerce Aids
Movement to Keep Oliver
Evans Fame Alive
OFFERED HIGH PRESSURE
STEAM TO THE ENGINE

!
Evans, mechanical genius, born at /
Newport, this state, in 1855, and who |
died in New York city in 1919.
Oliver Evans was a genius who de-
serves to rank with Watt and Fulton |
and It is felt that if the value of a
mans life consists of its contribution
to the welfare and well being of the race,
the name of Oliver Evans should be
high indeed.
United States Senator Willard Sauls-
bury is at this time actively at work
on the plan to have the name of Mr..
Evans given the distinction it deserves
as also has Senator dupont and the Hon.
William H. Head in the past and Sec
retary of the Navy Daniels is intensely
interested in the matter
The publicity department of the Cham
her of Commerce suggests that all Della
wareans and Wilmngtonians write to
the Secretary of the Navy and TO mem
bers of the United States Senate and
House of Representatives urging that
Justice be done to Mr.. Evans. If Oliver
Evans had not displayed his genius in
many other lines. his inventions in flour
making machinery thereby making
cheaper and better bread entities him
e TO high place among those who ne
, gotiated the conquests of peace.
! Howard L. Pyle, of this city, who Is
4 great grand nephew of Oliver Evans,
> has given great deal of attention 70
! the obituary of Evans.
MANY Delawareans who are acquaint
ed with the history Of the state are
doubtless familiar in part with the life
and inventions of Oliver Evans, who was
/ born at Newport in 1853 and who died
8 at New York city, 1873.
All that has been available touch
!. ing this great inventors work until
& rather a late date has been of rather
/ a meager suggestion of his great mem
: tai capacity and genius as a practical
hard-headed inventor; 1t has been
4 only Of recent years that historical
memoirs of Mr. Evans have been un-
covered concerning much of his here
!, tofore unknown efforts in scientinc
! and practical research.
II was while an effort was being
d made to perpetrate his memory by
y having a suitable naval vessel named
2 after him, by the United States Gov
o ernment, that knowledge was had OF
the great value of the manuscript re-
o ferred to. In the fall of 1906 appli-
cation was made to Secretary of the
T Navy Metcalf, of the Roosevelt ad-
e ministration to achieve the end above
referred to.
s The inquiry was taken care of by
a Assistant Secretary Trueman II. New
+ bury. who succeeded Secretary Met
T calf the latter part of Roosevelts
a term. 1t was then contemplated that
n la few torpedo boat destroyers should
be named after Evans; within few
months of this time the Navy Depart
s ment made a rule that all torpedo
III / -hrtt1I hn nun1on qf-
IS ter deceased naval officers who had
n performed some especial service in
s. their country's cause. This required
IS change on the part of those inter
. ested in the enterprise and in ac-
II knowledging this fact in 1908, Secre-
> tary Newbury in announcing the same
declared that regretting his inability
i to so name the boat desired. that the
q department found on examination thai
E. Mr. Evans was zone of the most pro.
n life inventors that America ever pro
Is duced. was the first man to apply high
pressure of steam to the steam en-
20 gine in history of engineering science
~ also to apply steam to railway N.
IN gines on land" This astonishing in.
rt formation was of course exceedingl,
v. gratifying, coming from so high {
NJ source as this to those familiar Will
as the great inventors life and enorts
"a Within a few months after this per
~ iod Captair John r. Edwards, u. S. n.
- informed those interested that clas
s of huge repair ships were being con
templated by the government TO TAX
H. care of the repairs of the large ship
u at sea and that the first vessel OF 1T
class would. bv its distinctive character
ay bear his name, it being practically fitte'
oz mn as a machine and boiler ship with al
re tools and appliances to do this work
II. An appropriation Of a million dollars 10
IS the first boat made in the fall OF l9l
ed bv the United States Senate was no
re agreed on by the House of Representa-
tivcs and it was not until Septembe
o. of last wear that it was decided TO con
pt vert the million dollars into the repai
en- shop class. This fact was mad
known by Captain B. c. Bryan, now di
he rector of the Navy Department and tn
no fellow classmate of the late lamente'
n Lieutenant Commander Bertolette o
rn this city.
m At the expense of Captain Bryan
q booklet of events has been prepared an
on forwarded the latter part of April o
ra the present year. addressed to Secretar.
be of the Navy. Josephus Daniels, askin
Ie that this particular boat, the Nesta
IN should bear the name OF Oliver Evans
n, so made distinctive as not to contlic
nt with the memory of the late Robley J.
mi Evans, popularity known as "fightin
Bob"
.ss Prior to this time, Senator Henry 4
ce dupont and Former Representative Wi
IN liam H Heald had very kindly extende
,er their offers in placing the matter be
10 fore the Navy Department since whic
~ time Senator Willard Salisbury ha
en- extended the most active interest
,er placing the cause before Secretary Dar
ire iels
he II is briefly set forth in the biograph
nv that after the first application wa
40 made in behalf it was discovered tina
its Alba b. johnson. ESQ., president of th
Baldwin Locomotive Works had recent
,or lv bought some of the original mani
he script of Evans, which he has kindl
his allowed to be copied and which in I'll
opinion of the engineers of the Bal,
win Locomotive Works sets forth in
most striking manner heretofore M
"a known inventions further establishir
ga the skill and character of the "Wizai
ma genius of Delaware"
zen II has set forth as part of wha
this manuscript contains that Evan
nas not only lays out careful, his hig
his pressure steam engines and boiler
the many of the latter carrying upward