The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-30
MISS HARKEs,s AWFUL FALL.
Through 500 Feet OF AIR IRON the Mar OF
Her Parachute.
F,rm the Cincinnati Commercial eaieae


F,pm the Cincinnati Commercial Gatate.
| A crowd OF pleasure seekers At Coney Island
Witnessed one OF We most dramatic ,nenssntts Y,
famous pleasure resort on the banks q ,hs
Ohio ten miles up !hs ,rss%I; Beside, side ., ,ss
@ f;% s,; S s,sy Ss' S =:
s! hs hsaais sssSs:
Ss the As !.!r f5Ss.f fs
4 balloon a.eension had bsen arrspxsd to
rom an' he %shS tedious MAJ th sa
co uI,.ss woman WIG risked her ne n
fa%lpni % Sss calico ss1 ps &.
aa her cool Del! beraticn al in her hazard ~.
was rs years old, OF slight build, but litne and
slnewy Her ia, Iahe sS Is Sollee, sS o. bank IN
balloon ascenslouiTt in indiana having nsr.
ST. in sn pssso q II 'h bs sa, Of that s
SOnsy b lslSnd, wsh gratifying success The
Tha Balloon wa: lled with no. air. and It's
bulky. form swayed with the Grsszss as It lifted
itself boldly above the heads OF the. spectators.
% ssa ! II sls ss IL sh h
balloon the parachute Is hung. from this de-
s rcps s ssd sas ss6 s:n
O. snaiiie; hangs from the secure cross beam:
Miss IIarkss was attire IN the Esu Y dress q, Of
form. A belt around her waist securely envrl:
Sesan HS' any cSanes ." accidental p rsss into
this ring the sna,ie flts. holding her IN plare
or b t "yereome BY isar or Mrs liz
IL m @Sia a as .p5Rsn Rs
When am near, the efoand UPON MY de-:
Feet aid ssme down 0' my
Iwouldn't,",, warned Mrs. Little.
down the road, won't your"
Mrs. Little promised. and momont later the
reached a height Of probably $3.50 feet. soar
nf With hi r6 6s bs w Ssnts o By n. @ nso
pnlons Of a zephyr. down. down until again
distinguished. Down it came. six or eiehs
hundrSi feet above the earth. when the most
motion a rope was loose ned. The balloon was
released. and tho parachute leaping forward.
opened in Its descent. continuing In quiet.
WHAT followed is hos. described BY Allen
Gus H HoSsl boy %ho - h eny
yelopments through a power nj field glass he
had borrowed from John Miller.
she was away up high" said Allen: she
seemed but like q speck. As she dropped with
the parachute over a thousand feet high. 1 saw
her ho9k her knees ,, in MI. the bar Of the traDeze
was carried away by the breeze. Tho safety
rome. fastened to- the ring in her waist. was too
short to permit her 10 bang the emit length
OF her body. 1t must have annoyed her or pre-
vented the Carrying out OF her Intentions. for
Isaw her hands WORKING, down TO her waist.
Wheth she unfasten.d the snat or not do
not know. but / belleve she did. She must
have done SO. think she tried to hang by her
toes but In q moment she grasped the bar
with both hands. First her left released its
hold. She reEaned 1t, and in O moment her
r. ut was free ANOTHER second and her form
or i've complete somorsaults. and closed my
eyes that | IN ght see no more"
And $500 uthers exp ,rlencei similar thrill
OF horror as they realized the terrible conse-
apMsns . OF the woman's reckless daring.
Island grounds hundred ards north Of the
New Richmond pike. q short distance east
from the village Of California. Not q bone hut
what was broken. She must have fallen on her
head for 1t was torn and shattered beyond
recognition.
There is some division OF opinion concerning
the height to which the balloon arose and the
distance Miss Harkes fell. Tho general esti-
mate Is 500 feet for the balloon. 500 feet when
the parachute descent was begun. and 500 feet
when the roor girl lost her hold and fell to Q
terrible death.
The . can 30 no mlstaking the fact that Miss
Hnrkes herself unfRstened the Snafie. The
ring at her waist was secure: the sna Il itself
was intact. 1t lad been previously tested and
twenty men were unable to snap or bend It