The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-09-13
A FEMININE AeRoNAuT's NERVE.
~ Carried Her Safely Through Period
Of Awful Peril.

Of Awful Peril. n
Fully 1900 persons assembled at jack
son Mound park yesterday afternoon tol
witness the balloon ascension and para-i
chute jump by Miss Dessa Garrett. Miss
Garrett is a small but compact and well
knit woman, and of light weight, and
this fact, as It proved later, saved her
from q frightful fate.
At o o'clock the monster balloon wast
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 a given signal, |
Professor Robinson cried Gan readyp ]
and up shot the aerial ship, with its oc-
cupant hanging TO the trapeze bar. Upi
went the balloon till the aeronaut could !
hardly be distinguished, and hush set (,
tied on the crowd below as the awful I
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 firma Miss Garrett
let 90 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 Encouragement, 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 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 a 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 yesterdays ascension 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
careen, and puff of smoke was seen to
issue from 1t. 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
chute; had it capsized it would have col
lapsed, and its weight of 300 pounds
would have come down on the para
chute, and in u few seconds later Miss
Garrett would have been dashed to the
earth. The danger was not over till the
balloonist was In jumping distance of
the ground, but she made the descent in
| perfect safety about mile south of the
park.
Miss Garrett fully understood her aw.
full position as she hung suspended in
midair, uncertain at what moment she
would be dashed to pieces, but she i.
true grit, and never faltered. She knew
that all she could do was to hang on ant
hope for the best, and she hung on ant
was saved where a weaker woman,
heart would have failed her, and she
would have tainted and met an awful
death.-Memphis Avalanche.