San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-10-10
A FEMININE AERoNAuT's NERVE.
It Carried Her Safely Through Period
OF Awful Peril.

It Carried Her Safely Through Period
OF Awful Peril.
Fully 1900 persons assembled at jack
son Mound park yesterday afternoon to
witness the balloon ascension and para
chute jump by Miss Dcssa Garrett. Miss
Garrett Is small but compact and well
knit woman, and of light weight, and
this fact, as 1t proved later, saved her
from frightful fate.
At 8 o'clock the monster balloon was
fully inflated, and the eager throng Of
sightseers mounted benches and tables
to get a good view Of the start. The
ropes were released at given signal,
Professor Robinson cried "All readyr
and up shot the aerial ship, with its oc-
cupant hanging to the trapeze bar. Up
went the balloon till the aeronaut could
hardly be distinguished, and hush set
tied on the crowd below as the awful
consequence Of a fall from that dizzy
height presented itself to their minds.
Many of those present had opera and
field glasses through which they viewed
every movement of the balloon and its
occupant.
A height of fully 5000 feet was at
length attained and the balloon com.
menced to slowly descend, and still Miss
Garrett did not make the leap. She was
seen to attempt to pull the parachute
toward her, but something was evidently
wrong. AS the balloon descended the
parachute expanded, and when about
1000 feet from terra flrma Miss Garrett
let go of the bar of the balloon and in
trusted herself to the parachute. The
latter, however, did not detach itself
from the balloon, and the two continued
slowly to descend. A few were heard
to remark when they saw the apparently
easy and safe descent, that it was done
by prearrangement, and that the aero
naut did not intend to make the jump
when she made the ascent.
Such people and the crowd generally
were not aware that Miss Garrett was,
by very reason Of the parachute not de-
taching itself, in most deadly peril Of
being dashed to atoms. Professor Rob-
inson knew it, and his cheek blanched
as he awaited the threatened catastrophe.
Mr.. j. j. Hogan was aware of it, and
went into the ticket office to avoid see
ing what he thought was inevitable. So
also did q few others who knew enough
of the relation the parachute bore to the |
balloon to be aware of what result might |
be expected.
The parachute is fastened with cord
to the side of the balloon. In one place
the cord is almost cut in two, and when |
the aeronaut places his or her weight in
the parachute the cord is broken at the
weak spot and the parachute is freed.
In yesterday 'sascension the cord became
twisted, thus giving it double strength,
and when Miss Garrett swung out on the
parachute the jerk was insufficient to
part the line. 1t was at this juncture
that the danger was most imminent.
The cord being attached to the side of
the balloon the weight on it caused 1t to
,areen, and puff of smoke was seen to
ssue from it. 1t turned half over, but
no further. Had it turned few feet
further, had the lady's weight been few
pounds greater, it would have capsized
1t was Immediately over the para
,hute; had it capsized it would have col
apsed, and its weight of 300 pounds
would have come down on the para
,hute, and in n few seconds later Miss
Jarrett would have been dashed to the
.arth. The danger was not over till the
,alloonist was in jumping distance Of
he ground, but she made the descent in
,erfect safety about mile south Of the
ark. |,
Miss Garrett fully understood her aw- 4
ul position as she hung suspended in !
nidair, uncertain at what moment she .
Eould DO dashed to pieces, but she is :
rue grit, and never fsltered. She knew
hat all she could do was TO hang on and
ope for the best, and she hung on and !
Tas saved where weaker woman's L
cart would have failed her, and she 9
Tould have tainted and met an awful v
Avalanche. q