Show ADMIRAL EVANS DIES SUDDENLY FIGHTING BOB SUCCUMBS TO TOAN TOAN TOAN AN ATTACK OF ACUTE INDIGESTION INDIGESTION INDIGESTION INDI INDI- AFTER IV FY EAL Naval Hero Who Began His Career at Annapolis as aa an Appointee From Utah Answers Final Summons at His Home In Washington Washington Washington Rear Rear Rear Admiral Robley y D. D Evans Fighting Bob to an an admiring ad ad- miring nation died suddenly Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednes Wednes- day at his home In this city Acute Indigestion ended the career of one of the most popular officers of the navy He was ill less than two hours Admiral Evans a arose ose Wednesday apparently In better health and spirIts spirits spir spir- Its ts than he had enjoyed in some time For or years a sufferer from old wounds sustained In the civil war and from recurrent attacks of rheumatic gout the aged fighter seemed to have shaken off the burden of his advancIng Ing ng days He displayed high spirits at breakfast and ate a hearty lunch lunch- eon at noon While In his library at 2 o'clock the admiral was stricken Instantly his family amily sent for Dr S. S S. S Adams who on arrival found him In great pain After treatment Admiral Evans fell feU Into nto a restless sleep and it was thought the danger had passed Shortly Shorty Short Short- ly Iy y after 4 o'clock however he awakened awakened awak- awak ened ned and raising himself with difficulty difficulty culty announced that he was choking I cannot get my breath he said and nd sank back At he died conscious con- con clous to the end At his bedside were his wife his daughter aughter Mrs bars H. H I. I Sewall and his law in Mrs Frank T T. T Evans wife of the admirals admiral's only son a lieutenant lieutenant lieu- lieu tenant commander in the nav navy now on n duty on the torpedo boat destroyer yer Monahan l at Boston The only other member of his immediate family who was not present was his llis daughter I Mrs Irs Marsh wife of Captain Charles C. C Marsh l commanding the armored cruiser North orth Carolina Admiral Evans was sixty-five sixty years old Id He was born in Floyd Floy county ra Va and as a mere boy ent entered red the naval aval academy at Annapolis being nominated by Utah's representative in hI congress Before he had got far with his is studies the civil war broke out and nd he went to sea and was assigned to o blockade duty It was in one of two wo attacks made made by the northern no northern na navy avy vy on the powerful defenses at Fort For Fisher Isher N N. C. C that young Evans received re- re elved the wound through the thigh that hat made him a cripple for life but butas butas buts as s soon as he was discharged from the he hospital he again plunged I into to the he fighting and served until the end of f the civil war with great credit With the ending of the war there came ame a period of stagnation which marked the passing of or orthe the old wooden navy avy Evans drifted for a time into civil vil pursuits although nev never r relinquishing relin- relin his connection with the ser- ser vice ice In fact as soon as congress manifested its purpose to m meet et the insistent instent in- in stent demands of Secretaries Chandler Chander Chand- Chand ler er and Whitney for a renovation of the 10 American navy Evans came back Into nto the service and was one of the leading spirits in planning the rudiments rudi rudi- rudiments ments of what is now the American modern modem navy It was Evans who took the little dispatch boat Dolphin olphin on a cruise around round around the world to test the structural structural tural ural strength of this first product of ofle the le Infant steel shipbuilding art of Of the he United States He always alwa's got the best est ships and the newest because his superior officers knew he could be trusted rusted to handle th them m safely and develop develop de- de elop their strong and weak points It happened that with the gunboat at Yorktown he dropped In at Valparaiso Valparaiso aiso iso Chile in 1891 and found an opportunity opportunity opportunity op op- to display all the determination tion on and courage he possessed Some of f the tho American sailors had been maltreated mal raal- treated and murderously assaulted and nd Evans felt it his duty to demand protection and reparation The odds against him were grotesquely gro gro- large The tiny Yorktown lay ay In the harbor under the guns of of the he whole Chilean fleet yet Evans never ever faltered but carried out his purpose and sailed away triumphantly with his colors flying and the band playing laying the American national air to the he accompaniment of sullen salutes from rom the Chilean forts and warships A few busy years engaged on duty on n the construction construction board which planned the modern battleships and cruisers and in several long cruises to o try tryout out the result of his brain work on n the high se seas sea s brought Evans then thena a commander to the opening of the Spanish war He wanted a battleship and he got the Iowa When Cervera made his fatal through the blockade ships off Santiago on July 3 1898 Captain Evans Evans' ship took a notable part in the mile fifty running fight ight that followed For his gallantry he le rece received ved the thanks of congress and was Yas promoted As a full-fledged full rear admiral Evans Evans Evans Ev Ev- Ev- Ev ans was called on to take the Atlan Atlantic ic fleet around the world That brilliant achievement the first worlds world s' s cruise of or an armored fleet of that size and power fully tested Admiral Evans' Evans ability as an organizer and a com corn mander Admiral Evans' Evans health failed him and ind when the fleet rea reached hed San Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco it was necessary to relieve him himot 1 of ot his command and although he did not go on the retired list for several months his active se service vice ended at that hat time The closing days of Admiral Evans Evans' life ife were yere spent at his quaint old home here lere where he was surrounded by his family amily and friends The he news of Admiral Evans' Evans death caused a profound shock in official circles es President Taft was one of the he first to express his grief and con con- dolence He said Admiral i Evans was one of the most most successful squadron commanders we have had in the navy navy for a long time ime He was a rigid disciplinarian of quick decision and admirably advised advised advised ad- ad ad ad- in the intricacies of the machinery machinery ma- ma chinery of cruisers and battleships and ind skilled in drilling them I am very sorry to hear of his death Admiral Dewey was so overcome I that hat he could utter but few words I am shocked beyond measure at athe atthe atthe the he sudden death of my my lifelong friend Admiral Evans was was all he could say |