Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-27
FELLT0 THE EARTH
Shocking Death OF Pretty
Gertie Carmo
WHO OFTEN APPEARED HERE
u her Danng A-ral Ascents- Her Fatal
DsterlIlnallon % Do o. De ks-
sultsd 10 Death.

Detroit Thursday, made several ascen-
Sons % Grand Rapids last summer
and many vii remember the slight,
slender young gal VINO las met such
a tragic death. While here size was
under the management Of Professor
Bartholomew aud made her ascsnslORs
a. NOrsa PARK. she net with al aecl-
deaf there about a year ago while a.
tempting a parachute drop. The para
chute did not ldate and she lighted IA
the top Of tree "a the soldiers ceme-
terry she was severely bruised and
snazen up and was confined TO her
room several days from the effects or
the shock. Bus one accident did not
deter her and she continued her peril
Ous method OF gaming A livelihood.
Her death a. Detr 10 occurred atneafly
the same spot az which Ar. II gan was
killed q year ago. Mss CarmO hesl-
tailed about making what proved 20 be
her last ascent, but finally, about
o O'clock Thursday night decided 10
make C. lL vas almost dark then.
The wind vas driving the mist IN the
face OF tue crowd ard out on the river
where c WAS almost certain she must
fail Il she reached enc earth alive.
The balloon sho used wac larger than
the one ordinarily used. IL was
soaked with rain. But the men went
g. work RAPIDLY. The fire was quickly
bu lt .u the furnace. lts red hames
could De seen pouring out OK the top OF
tne chimney aud the not ar rushed up
and pulled Gus the sides OF the BAL
loon.
Wanted More OIL.
srM0re OIL more OIL" Mss Carmo
kept shouting as the man at the fur
mace hurried from one side OF the
tent 70 che other.
The balloon was sOCn nearly filed.
IL legged and pulled 1t tho ropes IN
an ugly manner. Every time there
came gust ot wind the balloon
c4reened over o. rs side and strained
% get away from u fastenngs.
Already, shouted Mss Carmo IN
her sllt, voice, running around the
balloon for tue last time. Sue picked
up tas ropes OK the trapeze AND put
one foot over the lar and stood there
q moment eXpectaCuy. Then she
commanded. "Let her CO."
Tie balloon leaped swift from the
top Of the chimney IS soap bubble
from the END OF pipe.
struck the Tower.
IL rose perhaps twenty feet before II
felt the weight OF Miss CarmO's body.
Then WITH a sudden jerk the little wo-
man With slender legs dangling from
tire trapeze was whsk9d away into the
ar. AS she left the ground she was
thrown violently against the chimney.
But she chung fast 20 the trapeze and
swung around until sae was IN a sitting
posture. Ii she had fallen then her
life would have been saved.
The balloon whirled away over the
top OF the tail building. IL seemed inc
vItable that She must strike the tall
tower. The crowd held rs breath. The
balloon rose higher and higher. II
almost seemed "a II It would surmount
the nigh tower. But at the height of
100 feet .t struck strong upper cur
rent that carried e with terrible swift
meas directly upon the tower. The bal
loon struck the tower heavily.
Al the same moment the trhpeze
swung against the building. There was
crash a. the electric light globe
smashed. The aeronant found herself
for n moment tangled IN an electric
light burner. When she succeeded IN
eXtEcaling herself she was hanging by
her hands. She hung there IN nld-air
second snd then lOosened her mold
and tell.
Dashed TO Death.
The body did not turn in the air
Miss CarmO made no effort 10 save her.
self Thrown against the tower, bel
leg perhaps broken then, she chung a
second 90 the trapeze aud fell without
SOUND or without a struggle. Her
body did not turn or move IN the ar As
70 fell. she struck almost directly
on her back Whom they picked her
up her mead was bent backward and
her throat stretched out "a II she had
struck upon her heat. Tier legs and
hands we're curled up. There was nc
blood anywhere except the stream that
trckled from her uostrils. Officer
stone felt her pulse aud found it st.l
beating. Her breast hesved two OF
three times cOnvu.gvely.
The crowd that saw her strike the
tower on tue other side of the building
did not know that TIE woman had let
the balloon. They cav the hig bag
strike the tower and then rebound.
They saw the tTapeze swing out from
the tower, hut they could not see tha
the lttle serOnant no longer chung q
the bar ~ tns trspeze. The balloon
d0ated o. INTO the southern darkness
lts black bulk was visible for porhap'
fifteen minutes after 10 wss known tia
Mss CsrmO was dead
Her Real Name
Gerte CarmO's resl name vas Mar
xsret CItusssn. She wss born n Ham
burg. Germany. twsn'y-twp years Ak,
lnrt June She received 4 common
ah00i education AMI st t1e sge OF J.
years came % America With bel
pareuts. For several years abe lived
Nth her parents ia Toronto ont, Al,
Wien zoe latter .sft that CITY four year
ago tomske thtir home ON Vancouver
ISLAND. Herfe. a. che was usua j.
calec. ve0t t0 Detroit ant has mad'
that CITY 1er rome ever SINCE.
While Toronto GcrtIs made ~