A WHARF COMEDY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1391, 18 March 1912, Page 4

A WHARF COMEDY.

<■ ' FUN ON TUB SOMEIiSET. A most unusual scene was witnessed bj about , , 200 people on the Glasgow Whan' on Saturday altcrnoon. l'assers-by were attracted by u loud cry, and on looking up they espied the figure of a man dropping through space irom n distance of about 35 loot into the harbour. On coming to the surliico the man swam round about in the. water, and performed many luucy tricks before reaching terra ftruiu. No sooner had he got asliorcthanin ho went again, head first, feet first, any way lit all, it did not seem to matter so long as lie got into the water. The reason of it all was not far to seek, The Fcderal-Houider-Shire Lino's steamer Somerset was on the point of sailing for Timaru, and it being the day on which celebrations wero being held in honour of St. I'atrick, a few of the firemen had celebrated as, to their minds, befitted tho occasion, during the morning. Later iu tho day some of their number had had tho honour of being escorted down the wharf and on board the steamer by members of his Majesty's police force, Au ollicer guarded the gangway, and barred the way to the shore. Apparently this did not have tho desired effect, because all hands came forward to tho bows of tho Somerset, and then the comedy began—a man climbed the. rail anil dived for freedom. When tho first man gotashore ho called out to his mates, and one little chop, in a nielodramaiic manner, called from tho dizzy height: "Olaf, 1 come to you." With that he took a flying leap, and disappeared, bubbles swirling- where ho struck the water. His mate on shore dived—or rather fell in—to meet him, and these two sported about in (He water, much to the amusement of the crowd. The advent of two policemen at this juncture gave a zest to the ifimX, which' be-Ciii-,\i> fast and furious. Soon another fißurc was observed, high nn on tho bows of the Somerset, tightening up lus. belt, ready for a dive. Encouragement from his two friends on shore was not wnnlimr. Another war whoop, a llight through space, n splash, mors bubbles, and another meeting in the waters. These meetings were as if the actors in this little eanieay were long-lost brothers meeting aflor several years' absence. i'or some considerable tiimo the Inn wont on unlil one of the actors went a little too far. He was promptly seized by a. policeman and marched off to -'the poiim station. The other two, after much argument, wein prevailed upen to SO aboard, but iuine prelly strenuous tactics had to be resorted to bel'oio they reached the deck". As s.ion as they wore safe behind (ho bulwarks of the steamer the foreigners (in board the f'omci-et—the three ac'ors iu tin- scene appeared to l:c « Greek and t'Aii <ionnans--'-l up a fearful din, oallinn (lie wharf poliicnu-n o:\ duly everyiiiiiij they c«:ild lav their limsuos lnv.M<:!» look (hem some time. The copnluding act [■!' Iho oonu'dy was one m whifli' (lie noliceinan and numbors of propic im (ho wharf were pi-IM with i'.otaloes as the sti'ais'.ev moved oil.