New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-05
PASSENGERS IN A MIDDLE.
THE AURANIAS PEOPLE HAD HARD
TINE GETTING ASHORE.

THEY HAD TO LAND ON THE COLUMBIAN LINE
PIER BECAUSE THE cUNARD WHARF WAS
CRowDED-DELAY IN BAGGAGE IN
sPEcTIoN CAUSED TROUBLE.
Swearing men and weeping women made the
Cunard people and the customs inspectors ponder
upon the question, us life worth the living? last
night upon the arrival here OF the Cunarder
Aurania and the effort to make a pleasant landing
was like trying to FIJI up round hole with a
square peg. The big liner got to her pier about 6
O'clock and much to the CONSERVATION Of many
who had come down TO NEE, friends she passed on
I'D the river. 1t then learned that the Cunard
pier was crowded with freight, and there was no
convenient place 10 receive the Aurania and her
passengers On the south side of the pier lay the
Umbria and on the north side a number of scows,
and the pier Uttered with packages OF goods.
The Cunard people then secured the Columbian
Line pier No 43. which is little above the Cunard
pier. and orders had been given Captain Alexander
Mckay, OF the Aurania to land there. The Column
bian Line pier was not intended for the OF a
big liner and is small and rather unsavory and
the trouble began at once. The ship did not get
TO the pier until $50 p. m. and then 1t was dusk
and the pier wore a gloomy aspect. 1t was lighted
by clusters Of gaslights and the one thou
sand or people who were down TO meet re-
turning friends had great difficulty In Keeping OF
each others feet when the rush came.
The passengers of the Aurania and their baggage
were landed and then came a big three-sided KICK.
in which the passengers made the greater noise.
but the Cunard people and the customs people
played the principal parts. AS as Deputy
Surveyor Daniel Bowling stepped ashore he said
the lights were not sufficient, and his inspectors
could not properly inspect the baggage Captain
Watson. the shore captain for the Cunard Line
promised furnish sufficient light, but as 1t was
not forthcoming Mr.. Bowling ordered his men to
inspect nothing but hand-baggage and leave the
ha : he
After the ultimatum of the Deputy surveyor a
couple Of electric lights run ashore from the
ship, but they only served to make the surrounding
gloom prominent. Nothing had been said to
the passengers about their baggage not being IN
spected. and when the was broken to them
there outbreak. Men swore good round
oaths. while the women wept softly or vigorously.
according to their nature. and muttered doubtful
remarks under their breath
This is an outrage" said Roland r. Dennis.
manager OF the Whitman Barnes Manufacturing
Company of London. and he added adjectives
which would not look we'll in print. Il have been
travelling to and from Europe for more than
twenty-five years. and this is the worst have seen
yet. They have made a side issue. and because
the Lucana is due Friday they dump us here on
this inadequate dock and leave us TO shift for our
selves We are entitled to just as much consider
alton as the passengers on the Lucania. and should
be landed at the proper pier with me proper &c
commodations for passengers and the customs
from start 10 finish. for the least they could have
done have warned us of the state OF analrs
before we left the ship The Aurania sailed over
seven days ago and they certainly have had an
opportunity in that time 10 prepare Tor her ar
land print all the adjectives, boys. for am an
American who will patronize Americans hereafter.
Mr. Dennis went off tell a friend VINO had
thoughtfuy brought truck as well as carriage
that he would not need the truck -, A,
passengers and prominent among them were me
the gangplank looking sun-browned and stalwart
enough 10 battle for their lives They were met by
a number of athletes from the New-fork Athletic
Club and Yale College.