The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-13
CROWD WENT WILD
La GAsC0GNES PASSENGERS IT
LENGTH DISEMBARK.

steamers Arrival at the Pier Awaited by
Dense Crowds Eager to Witness the
Landins--Psssengers are Set Upon the
Moment They Set Foot Upon Land and
Pulled This Way and That--Anybody.
just So He wGs = Pzssenser--Checrs
and Tears and Bugs and Kisses aad No
End OF JubuIa,ioo.
New York, Feb. 12-Lous before the
hour for La Gascogne TO pass. every
point OF vantage along the North river
was occupied The roofs OF al the pier
sheds were black with people and the
battery was lined ten deep with spec
tators- As the big ocean greyhound
came into sight a mighty cheer arose
from more than & thousand threats.
Meanwhile the th-ongs OF people, una
bic TO secure positions on the water
front, marched along the street, keep
ing pace with the slow progress OF the
steamer.
IL was 1880 O'Clock when the big
black hull ran alongside the end OF hte
pier. The crowd gave them three wild
cheers and began 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 were
pulling and pushing the big steamer
about so as to run her into the slip. As
the steamer glided past the gang plank
opening, her decks, which We're crowd
ed with people. presented a moving
panorama OF joyous faces. AT inter-
walls the loud voiced crowd burst forth
IN. ~. 49,
covered standing sereneiy at his post
on the bridge. Three cheers were CIV
en- him. The captain smiled At 1880
the lines were 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 gang plank
When at last they did lift it they lifted
half dozen people with II. 1t was Just
1853 when the first passenger stepped
down the gang plank He was seized
by the wild bowling crowd. He looked
very glad 10 get on shore. He was a
young man dressed in big fur-trirn-
med oyercoat The next was a big man
In silk hat His wife was in tears
at the foot Of the plank. The third
was young and pretty girl and before
sh, reached the bottom she was seized
and madly kissed by young man with
a little moustache. The crowd yelled
with delight and gave more cheers.
a great many of the crowd tried to
board the vessel. a great deal OF con-
fusion and one or two impromptu
scuffies arose The officers tried to re-
strain the crowd and forbade their step
ping on the gang plank. But they
clambored over the dry goods boxes
and jumped down on the plank from
above and thus stole their way on
board despite the officials. Then Cap
tain Baudelon came striding down the
plank with his head uncovered. smil-
ing and bowling from right 10 left. A
woman threw him large bunch OF vi
Diets. He deftly caught IL and held
them to his face as he stepped down to-
ward the crowd. Here he was seized
by eager hands on all sides and pulled
this way and that. Everyone tried TO
get one of his hands, the women in the
crowd being the more demonstrative
in this respect. They all kissed him at
once. Outside the docks there was a
long line Of cabs and carriages and as
soon as landed the passengers hurried
and drove off. II was a good
natured crowd. Everyone was excited. /
but everyone was happy.