The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-13
Her Captain Cheered, Kissed and Al.
most Rugged by Women He
Stepped from the Ship TO Land.
HIS STORY OF THE DELAY
ACCIDENTS THAT RENDERED PART
OF THE MACHINERY USELESS.
Passengers Kept in Ignorance of the
Cause TIL Land Was sighted
Joy ut the French Ball.

NEW YORK, Feb. Fla Gascogne, the
long-overdue French steamer. fears for
whose safety were banished last night by
her arrival in the lower bay, left her
anchorage outside the bar this morning,
1imped up to quarantine and soon started
for her dock Long before the hour for
her to pass every point OF vantage along
the North river occupied. The roofs
of all the pier sheds were black with peo-
pie and the battery was lined ten deep
with spectators. AS the big ocean grey
hound came into sight a mighty cheer arose
from more than thousand threats.
Meanwhile the throngs of people, unable
to secure positions on the waterfront,
marched along West street, keeping pace
with the slow progress of the steamer and
gathering IL numbers at every street cor
ner until by the time the foot of Morton
street was reached there was a multitude
that extended from east to west and surged
against the gates of the French line pier
in vain endeavor to gain admittance Not
withstanding that admission to the pier
could only be obtained by those VINO had
friends on board La Gascogne, and who had
obtained passes from the company's Office
the crowd grew in numbers every moment,
and squad Of police under Sergeant Tay-
Tor and roundsman Brush had the greatest
difficulty in preventing the crowd that filled
West street in front of the dock from
forcing the gates and taking the pier by
storm. While waiting for the steamer to
arrive, those on the pier composed for the
most part of French people, could not con-
troll their agitation, and their relief from
the strain and nervous tension under which
many of them had lahored for days past
was manifest by mingled tears and laughter.
4 On
hull ran alongside the end of the per. The
crowd gave them three wild cheers and be-
gan rushing out to get as near her as they
could But of course, she was not to land
there, and then the crowd surged and shifted
back under the dock shed again. The tugs
We're pulling and pushing the big steamer
about so as to run her into the slip. The
gangways of the dock became jammed
There was very little space there, anyway,
owing to the large number of boxes which
had been brought for loading on the Gas
cogne last week The crowd clambere5
on these boxes. Men helped women up On
top of of the highest piles of boxes
stood two Paulist fathers, waving their
handkerchiefs.
JOY AND EXCITEMENT
AS the steamer glded past the gangplank
opening, her decks, which were crowded
with people, presented moving panorama
of joyous, excited faces. At intervals the
loud-voiced crowd burst forth into cheers.
Captain Baudelon discovered standing
serenely at his post. A big with a big
voice, of the goods boxes, cried:
Three cheers for that brave man, The
cheers echoed against the shed roof. The
Captain smiled
AT II SO the liner made fast and the
vessel became stationary. The crowd was
so thick and so eager that at first the deck
hands could not get at the gangplank. When
last they did lift it, they lifted a half
dozen people with it. Get off there yelled
the dock officials. Upon one ofthe goods
boxes stood man with a large camera.
He swapping the shutter as fast as
he could put in plates. Down in the crowd
there was an extra squad of police trying to
keep the crowd quiet.
1t just 11:39 O'Clock when the first
passenger stepped down the gang plank and
was seized by the wild bowling crowd. He
was young man, dressed in big fur
trimmed overcoat. He looked very glad to
get on shore. The next was a big man in
a silk hat. His wife was in tears at the
foot of the plank. The third was a young
and pretty girl, and before she reached
the bottom she seized and madly kissed
by a young with a little mustache
The crowd yelled with delight and gave
more cheers.
A great many of the crowd tried to board
the vessel. Passengers and stewards, with
travelling bags and steamer rugs and hat
boxes, still coming down the gang
plank A great deal of confusion and one
or two impromptu scuffles arose. The Off
GERS tried to restrain the crowd, and for
babe their stepping on the gang plank But
they clamored over the goods boxes and
jumped down on the plank from above and
thus stole their way board, despite the
officials.
Suddenly there wild shout from
man near the gangway. 1.-THE captain
The captain! Captain Baudeonv' Some
one cried Hip! hip!' everybody joining in
the cheer. Some college boys gave
Princeton cheer; then Yale one. Then
Captain Baudelon came striding down the
plank with his head uncovered, smiling and
bowling from right to left A woman threw
him large bunch of yioets. He deity
caught it and held them to his face as he
stepped down toward the crowd. Here he
was seized by eager hands on all sides and
pulled this way and that Every one tried
to get one of his hands, the women in the
crowd being the more demonstrative in this
respect. Three of them pushed their way
toward him. and when he saw who they
were he 'hastened toward them. They all
kissed him at once. Harry Watson the
handsome steward of the ship, was also
Rugged and kissed over and over again by
several pretty women who had been waiting
at the pier since early morning. The crowd
cheered Watson, too. Outside the dock
there was a long line of cabs and carriages
and soon landing the passengers hur-
ried through and drove off. 1t was a good
natured crowd. Every one was excited
But every one happy.