New-York tribune., 1895-02-13
LIKE A CONQUEROR.
TRIUMPHAL TRIP UP THE
BAY.

eur er-yxcs INTO HER PIER WHILE THOUSANDS
or ruRoArs SHOUT HER WELCOME STORY
OF HER TRIALS AND TRIBULATroNs AT
sEA-sTATEMENTs OF THE OFFICERS
JOY OF FRIENDS AND CREW.
The triumphant arrival OF La Gascogne at
her pier yesterday after her long battle with the
winds and waves was like the coming of con-
queror. Her machinery had broken down and
she had encountered the worst weather known
for years the North Atlantic. But the great
ship had overcome all obstacles and brought her
passengers. her crew and her cargo safe to port.
She will be ready to go out again a week from
to-day we'll equipped she was before her
accident to battle with winds and waves. The
broken piston-rod will be replaced by new one
and in a few days the long voyage OF La Gas
cogne with all the anxiety which her non-arrivai
at this port caused. vii, have faded from '"e
minds Of most people and be only "reminiscences
of the sea, to be called up when some other great
sensation is furnished by the ocean
There was a scene Of excitement such as mas
seldom, II ever been witnessed on North River
pier before when La Gascogne came up TO her
pier yesterday morning. "A crowd OF tuIiy Z'ooo
people was assembled on and about the pier
At 10 o'clock the bulkheads. piers and the decks
q
dows and house-tops along West-st, opposite the
French pier. were black with people. An extra
force of policemen kept passageway open
leading to the pier. Through this passageway
about 1000 people with passes made their way
10 the pier The end Of the pier was soon solid
mass OF humanity Nearly all were friends or
relatives Of the people on board the ship. The
whole French colony seemed 10 be there. Women
and their escorts climbed upon boxes of mer-
chandse and secured places from which they
could get a good view Of the long-expected
steamer.
CHEERS FOR THE STEAMER.
It was Just 1880 o'clock when the crowd on the
end Of the pier sent out a cheer that announced
the arrival OF the ship. Those inside the dock
shed took up and repeated the cheer, although
they could not see anything save sea OF heads
with silk hats and plumed bonnets in front Of
them
The crowd which by that time had filled the
big space In front Of the pier took up the cheer
When at last the waiting saw the black
hull and tall tunnels Of the liner through the
fog OF tugboat steam they began shouting and
waving their arms
The fortunate ones who were on the pier were
frantic with excitement when the big boat
loomed up at the end of the pier. The three tugs
whose proffers Of assistance had been declined
all the way up the bay permitted to take
lines and warp the ship into her berth. Then the
crowd on the end Of the pier made a wild scram-
BILE for places at the middle gangway. Pretty
girls climbed upon boxes and stood tier upon
tier until the place like an improvised am
phtheatre A man with a big silk American
nag mounted the highest boxes. and, waving the
flag led the cheering a. the ship was swung In.
II was 1870 when she WAS In place. Captain
Baudelon stood by the gangway on the main
deck and gave his orders. The crowd hailed
him with three cheers. and then some one asked:
What Is the matter with Baudelon?
There was mighty response of Hes all
right"
The gangpank was IN place at 1l:40, and the
Captain himself was the first man 70 land He
was enveloped in big fur-lined coat and wore
fur cap. He received cheer after cheer as he
walked TO the pier. After him came the passen-
gers and the scene when they met their friends
waiting for them was like an emotional drama.
The vessel came up the Bay escorted by hot-
Ia Of tugs at about 10 o'clock The ice In the
Narrows reached from shore 10 shore. and the
long-delayed liner loomed up. high-sided and red
funneed in the midst Of the grinding ice cakes.
The Health officer boarded the ship. with Depu-
ties Sanborn and L'Hommedieu in order TO clear
her with the slightest possible delay. A Forget
was alongside in a tug. and went on board to
shake Captain Baudelon by the hand.
SOON CLEAR OF QUARANTINE.
La Gascogne was clear Of Quarantine inside OF
ten minutes after the Health officers arrived on
board. All the way up the bay the steamer was
greeted with chorus Of steam whistles from tugs
and steamers.
Captain Baudelon made the following official
statement 10 Mr. Forget regarding the accident
which had delayed his ship:
piston rod We Isolated one Of the Cylinders. and
knots but the crank shaft gradually got heated and
Fesraa TO ana O3uS e nne s chang. the
ings Of the crank-shaft. During that time had
HURRICANE and the barometer went down TO
Since then the sea has been very heavy with high
The crank-shaft was then running all right We
never but once sighted steamer going one way
the other.
only SSp s ssqS h.S to
right through. but We came by our own means.
Adolph Martin. the chief engineer Of La Gas
cogne. has been with the French Line for thirty
two years, and for fifteen years he has been chief
engineer. He said in regard to the accident:
The engines OF La Gascogne are Of the triple-ex-
pansion kind. and have three cylinders. 1t was the
three. which broke Uhis was a much more serious
,sas,ss two than the breaking OF either Of the other
no ~ pstons would have been 1t stopped the ma
nn'"sIy v Al once We worked eighteen hours before
r Ms eoulo get the engines In running order again.
ns ,ns we accomplished by simply disconnecting the
,i ' q, cynnder from the others and then starting
which was brokeh " Wv
ne piston roo broke in the Of the cylinder.
Where we could not get 1t to repair H. and about
miu~ay pstween me crank and the piston.
An examination showed that the break was caused
before put 10 such a strain f
EXTRA PISTON OF no AVAIL.
We had an extra piston on board hu, I, uas i'm
possible to put II In place at sea. 80 we simply
nut that big piston out OF commission and uer,
The accident occurred on January % and
while there was no gale blowing. the water was