St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-13
A JOYOUS GREETING
Friends and Relatives Wei
come the Passengers Of
La GaScogne.
A TRIUMPHAL PROGRESS
Was the Trip OF the Big
Steamer From Quaran-
tine to Dock.
A MEDAL FOR BAUDEL0N.
Steamship Company Formally
Thanks the Captain OF the
Vessel.

NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-Long be-
| fore the hour for La Gascogne to
| pass every point of vantage along
| the North river was occupied. The
roofs of all the pier sheds were black
| with people, and the Battery was
| lined ten deep with spectators. AS
| the big ocean greyhound came into
| sight a mighty cheer arose from
more than a thousand throats.
| Meanwhile the throngs of people,
| unable to secure positions on the
| water front, marched along West
| street, keeping pace with the slow
| progress of the steamer, and gath
| ering in numbers at every street
| corner. until by the time the foot of
| Morton street was reached there was
1 multitude that extended from East
| to West streets, and surged against
| the gates of the French line pier. in
vain endeavor to gain admittance.
Notwithstanding that admission
to the pier could be only obtained by
| those who had friends on board La
Gascogne, and who had obtained
passes from the company's offices,
the crowd grew in numbers every
moment, and a squad of police I'M
der Sergeant Taylor and Rounds
man Brush had the greatest diff
Guilty 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 theose on the pier, composed
for the most part of French people,
could not control their agitation, and
their relief from the strain and ten
sion under which many of them had
labored for days past was mani
tested by mingled tears and laugh
ter.
The passage of La Gascogne from
Quarantine to the pier of the Com
pagnie Generate Trans-Atlantique
was somewhat in the nature of the
triumphal progress. Every steam
craft in the channel and along the
river saluted the belated steamer,
and many flags were dipped to her
as she passed. She showed no sign
of iIl-usage.
1t was 1920 o'clock when the big black
hull ran alongside the end of the 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
he he
pulling and pushing the big steamer
about so as to run her into the slip.
The gangways of the dock became
damned. There was very little space
there anyway, owing to the large
number of boxes which had been
brought for loading on the Gascogne
last week. The crowd clambered upon
these boxes. Men helped women up.
On top of one of the highest piles of
boxes stood two Paulist fathers, wav-
ing their handkerchief. AS the steam
er glided past the gang plank opening,
her decks, which were crowded with
people, presented moving
PANORAMA OF JOYOUS FACES.
At intervals the loud-voiced crowd
burst forth into cheers. Capt. Baude-
Ion vas discovered standing serenely
al his post on the bridge. A big man
with a big voice on one of the goods
boxes cried: Three cheers for that
brave man. The cheers echoed against
the shed roof. The captain smiled. At
II 80 the liner was 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 it.
"Get off, there yelled the dock Off
Gals. Upon one of the good boxes
stood man with a large camera. He
was 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 was just 11:30 o'clock when the
first passenger stepped down the gang
plank and was seized by the wild
bowling crowd. He was a young man
dressed in a big fur-trimmed overcoat.
He looked very glad to get on shore.
The next was 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 was
SEIZED AND MADLY KISSED
by young man with a little mustacne. |
The crowd yelled with delight and gave |
more cheers. A great many of the |
crowd tried to board the vessel. Pas
sengers and stewards, with travelling |
bags and steamer rugs and hat boxes, |
were still coming bown the gang Iauk
A great deal of confusion and one or
two impromptu scuffies arose. The
officers tried to restrain the crowd, and
forbade their stepping on the gang
plank But they clambered over the
goods boxes and jumped down on the
plank from above, and thus stole their 4
way On board despite the officials. Sud
denly there was a wild shout from a |
man near the gangway, '"The captain,
the captain, Capt. Baudelon.' Some !
one cried Hip, hip" everybody joining
in the cheer. Some college boys gave
Princeton cheer, then Yale one !
THEN CAPT. BAUDELON CAME
striding down the plank with his head
uncovered. smiling and bowling from
right to left. A woman threw him a |
large bunch of Violets. He deftIy |
caught it and held them to his face as
he stepped down toward the crowd.
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
fastened towad them. They all kissed
him at once. Harry Watson, the hand
some 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 ealy morn
ing. The crowd cheered Watson too.
Outside the dock there was a long line
of cabs and carriages, and as soon as
landed the passengers hurried through
and drove off. 1t was good-natured
crowd. Every one was excited, but
every one was happy.