A Floating City.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 April 1910, Page 4

A Floating City.

» —, — SCENE OX MELBOURNE RAILWAY PIER. All way gay and bright a,t the Port Melbourne Railway Bier recently (says tiie Argus), when tlie Orient liner Otrato took her departure for London with the largest complement of passengers that ii.as ever let't an Australian port in one ship. There were lUlb passemgers on board— (j()0 saloon, and the balance third-class—and a, crew of about 300, bringing the total number of souls up to I3(i8. The steamer was timed to leave the pier at 3 o'clock, out at 2 o'clock a large crowd had gathered at the vessel's side, a:iid a few minutes later it was difficult to find a passage through the press of people. Tiie spectators must have numbered 3000. The pier was transformed by ladies in White amd varicolored dresses, with dainty parasols. From the towering decks of the big liner hundreds of people, the ladies predominating over the scene, with their brilliant costumes, looked down upon eager • smiling faces. With the white superstructure of the steamer, spotless and dazzling in the sunshine, the rich colors contrasted brilliantly. Everyone seemed to have looked- forward to being pait of the color scheme. The officers, in their white uniforms, the civilians in their light summer suits, all helped in the making of a beautiful picture. There were mo bare open spaces. The gaps were shut out by three other big vessels. Tho Pericles. of the Aberdeen line, berthed just a few minutes before the departure of the Otranto. The White Star liner Persic and the French mail steamer Sydney were also alongside the pier. WHITE DECKS OF THE OTRANTO. But all eyes were on the lofty white decks of the Otranto. Even the Lascars ceased their work on Hie French steamer and gazed with wide sparkling eyes at the spectacle. The sea was shut out, but the blue sky was over everything. Soon it was almost iniuu&gble to move along the long buzz of conversation wasSHMHnjhat it drowned the key engines. Frienssengers were only ulloweffflSPßoard (Mi the presentation of a ticket. But for that provision the vessel would have been swarming with people. A Presbyterian clergyman, a Congregational minister, and Roman Catholic priests brushed together; while a man of science tried to make way f(ir a popular comedian. Conspicuous in the throng were the uniforms )f Lieutenant Warren and Sub-Lieu-tenant Keightlev, who, with 30 men, are going to bring Australia's first lestroyer, the Parrainatta, to the Commonwealth. As Lieutenant Warren mounted the gangway someone who knew him by sight raise:! a cheer. "He's going to bring back our navy," he proudly explained to a friend. The special train had whistled its way turn by turn of tho wheels through the onlookers, heaving them aside until they were forced to the pier edge. The train had emptied its living freight at the vessel's side to crawl up the gangways. The friends had tripped down the three gangways, first, second, and third class, and had showed the onlookers what a diversity of style there is in doing such a simple thing as leaving a ship. Tiie chatter of tongues had ceased. It was 3 o'clock. There was a pause. A hand-cart, laden with luggage, was pushed through tho waiting people, and in its wake panted a lady. A white dress, enclosing a plump figure, surmounted by a very red face Hited up the third-class gangway, followed by six men staggering under heavy loads. 'The lady stepped ou to the third-class deck, and sighed in triumph ; while the passengers, so crowded together on the steerage decks that they hid the rails, broke into cheers. She was I the hist passenger to come aboard, and had maiiii'tained one undoubted right <;-f her sex. Noiselessly the giant steamer, at a quarter past 3. left 'her moorings, so noiselessly that the spectators were unaware of the almost imperceptible movement, until the long line of passengers and crew, arrayed on three decks, simultaneously produced their handkerchiefs a.nd waved them ; and as they waved broke into cheers. The people on the pier responded with a flutter of handkerchiefs, a waving of hats, and a round of cheers; while a group sang, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." The sailors mounted the rigging at the forecastle head, and with smiles extending over the whole surface of their bronzed faces, waved their caps amd shouted farewells to their sweethearts congregated on the pier. From end to end of the great vessel everybody was smiling, shouting, or gesticiilatingg, while their friends on shore passed towards the end of the pier, massed themselves down to the very edge, until it seemed as if they must be forced overboard. Slowly the steamer backed, while the sunlight flooded into the immense gap she left—symbolical of the gaps she will temporarily leave iu many homos — and burnt the people who had been standing for an hour or more in the shelter of her starboard side. Slowly she turned her head outwards, and a thousand excited faces and streaming handkerchiefs were shut from view. But a little space, and the majestic vessel herself disapepnred where an unruffled blue sky met an un.rippled, blue sea.