Smyrna times., 1890-10-29
A Whirlwind of Kisses,
PASSENGERS WARMLY WELCOMED.
Night Scenes at the Pier Of a Big Ocean
Steamship


''For display of lavish kissing, rec
ommend me to the landing of passen-
gers from a transatlantic steamer"
said New Yorker yesterday. mot
long ago went down to the Cunard
line pier to meet a friend who was
coming home on the Etruria. 1 found
a big crowd of well dressed people,
more than half of them women, there
before me, waiting on the uncovered
end Of the pier, gazing down the river
for the big steamship. The Etruria
had passed quarantine at the last pos
sibe moment, and was not expected |
at her pier before $50 in the evening, |
and did not arrive before $50 o'clock. |
The pier is covered by a high wood |
en- shed, except small area about ten
or twelve feet long, at the end farthest
from shore. This space was crowded
with watchers trying to peer over one
| anOther's shoulders down the now dark
river Every fe,rybOat that glided by
with its row of shining windows, was
sure to be hailed by a dozen female
voices exclaiming That's her ~
while the more knowing of the men
expressed their scOrn of such ignOr-
ance, and pointed out some distant
lights as those the great ship. The
more distant the light the more were
women impressed with the mems sa-
gacity.
Suddenly the great black hull of
the vessel Ioomed up out of the dark
ness, She had been coming bow on of
course. and only two or three of her
lights had been visible, while the
watchers had been expecting brill
liant array of cleaning portfolios.
When they were really convinced that
this black mountain really the Etruria,
they began to shout and wave hand
kerchiefs, but as no response came
from the ship and not single person
could be discerned on her decks in the
inky blackness ofthe night, the cheer
ing soon tagged for want of encourage
ment and the crowd felt disappointed
Then the tugs began to swing the
big ship around and shove her slowly
into her berth alongside of the pier
The crowd came in from the end of thu
pier and got under the covered por
ton, where they began to take up po
sitiOns at the side doors of the big shed
wherever they thought the gangway
would be put up against the ships side
But for some reason unexplained, tn
officials on the pier shut all these sid
doors except the one near the outer
most end Of the pier. Before this doc
the crowd gathered stretching clea
across the pier. The door was nar
row one and as the black PROV of tn
, Etruria glided past it 80 one saw tn
ship until suddenly the first porthO'
- forward that had light in it glare
upon the crowd like the eye of sou
huge fish.
1T startled the crowd for minu
D, and then they shouted A faint AT
swering cheer came from without Il
- big shed that locked the watchers il
and it seemed to come from the roc
The first portfolio glided by and the
I anotherb big red eye stared in. Throuq
the portfolio could be seen the insiC
80, of stateroom with its furnishings
nts disorder, as though the occupant hi
just finished packing his things in
,bn bIm valise before going on deck 1t look'
of hOmelike and the crowd cheered it,
ng Then another big red eye open,
on the crowd, and revealed IL gail
Hn ,ne decked saloon within, where people
the barred heads aud evening dress we
d. moving about, sitting at tables pla
e ing cards, or reading in comfortah
Isl Isl chairs. These were people who d
not intend to land until next mOrnin
lat They looked so calm and undisturb
9@t 9ss. by the noise outside that it seemed
the crowd outside as if they were loo
- ing through stereoptic lens at pu
- pets, and they began to utter 'Oh
and Ans spontaneously, and ther
general laugh went up "a the fun
the thing was perceived.
, This scene. too, passed on like
panorama, darkness reigned again, a
I another portfolio came in range. @
of this one however, was thrust the
date head of a matron. She "
I greeted with cheer that almost lift
the roof. She looked startled as {
bowling crowd came into view as 81
tiles denly to her as she did to them. Tn
she smiled and shower of kisses W,
who thrown to her from hundreds of NJ
,oy pv and women on the pier Her f
in grew red with bushes but she v
caught with the hearty gladsomen
of the waiting thrOng, aud she threw
kiss back with both hands. The Gro
called to her to stay but she Clio
HIlI away as she was thinking about thrC
ing another kiss.
Then came an unusually long sp
of blackness, and the cheering outs
seemed close at hand In anot
minute came a big black hole in
as. ship, high up in her hull, and abOu
big as barn door. A part of the
nv had been removed there, and 10
ana the passengers were crowded arol
the the opening. They were not distil
and ly visible to the watchers but Il
1ale 1lne' could see the latter plainly. The
,Iro element was now intense. Every
me on the pier felt that his long-lOOk
tor friend or loved one might be
opposite him.
Suddenly the voice of child c.
m clear and high, but with hyster
- quaver out of the darkess ooh the
Gs2 my papa Dear papa !"
"Then big man on the pier yell
b Daisy, my dar-' and choked OF
q loud sob and at least fifty women in
- crowd broke into a very luxury of {
ing.
,.r "The gang plank was soon run