The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-14
HAPPY PEOPLE.
LANDING OF PASSENGERS OF
LA GASCOGNE.
The Crowd on the Pier Uncomfortable
The Captain Cheered and the Hand
some Steward Rugged and Kissed
by Pretty Women.

New York, Feb. 12.-Long before tn,
hour for La Gascogne to pass, ever!
point OF vantage was packed and the bat
terry was lined with spectators. AS tn,
| big ocean greyhound came into sight
mighty cheer arose from more than /;
thousand throats. Meanwhile the thron,
of people, unable to secure positions OIL
the water front, marched along Yves
street, keeping pace with the slow pro
gress of the steamer and gathering a
every corner until by the time the foo
| of Morton street was reached there wal
a multitude that extended from east tt
west street gate boundary of the French
| pier endeavoring to gain admittance
| Notwithstanding admittance could b.
gained only by those who had friends
aboard La Gascogne and who had passes
the crowds grew in number every mo
ment and squad of police under Ser
geant Taylor and Roundsman Bush haC
the greatest difficulty in preventing tn,
crowd that filled West street in from
of the dock from forcing the gates ant
taking the pier by storm. rf lr..t.
While waiting for the steamer 10 arrive
those on the pier, composed for the most
part of French peOria, could not con.
troll their agitation and relaxation from
strains under which many had laborel fol-
days past was manifested by thci: cheers
and cries of joy.
AS the steamer came alongside the pier
Captain Baudelon was discovered stand
ing serenely at his post. A big man with
big voice, on one of the goods boxes
cried 'Three cheers for that brave man."
The cheers echoel tgainst the shed roof.
The captain smiled.
At 11:35 o'clock the steamer was made
fast and the vessel became stationary.
The crowd was so thick and SO eager
that at first the deck hands conld not
get at the gang plank. Whe nat last they
did lift it they lifted half dozen people
with it.
1t was just II 80 o'clock when tho first
passenger stepped down the gang plank
and was seized by the wild bowling
crowd. He was q young man dressed
in q big fir trimmed coat. He looked
very glad to get on shore.
The next was big man in q silk hat.
His wife was in tears at the foot of the
plank.
The third was pretty girl, and be-
fore she reached the bottom she was
seized and madly kissed by young man
with little mustache. The crowd yelled
with delight. w.
A great many of the crowd tried to
Dodru tne VeSSel. passengers ana stew
ards, with travelling bags and steamer
rugs and hat boxes were still coming
down the plank. A great deal of confu-
sion and one or two impromptu scuffles
arose. ,... &
Suddenly there was q wild shout from a
man near the gangway: ''The captain !!
The captain! Captain BaudelonI' some
one shouted. Hip, hip, hurrah !" Ev-
eryody Joined in the cheers. Some boys
gave Princeton cheer and a Yale one.
Then Captain Baudelon came striking
down the plank with his head uncovered,
smiling and bowling from right to left.
A woman threw him a large bunch of
violets. He caught it and held it to his
heart as he stepped toward the crowd.
Here he was seized by many hands and
pulled this way and that. Everyone