Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-06-20

SlgEtSeerS were treated to all exhibition
which for the time held them spell
bound with hearts that seemed no longer
to beat, and which when the terrible
tension was relaxed and they knew they
Were not to be the witnesses of an awful
though fascinating fatality left the
rs hystcrical us women.
The town and country roads had been
billed with flaming posters for weeks
before announcing that Mile Essie Vio-
la, the queen of American acronauts,
would give Il balloon ascension and
parachute descent. Tho day came, and
the cXpectant little folk of Gympie
gathered with their elders to see tho
show. The hat was duly passed around.
not oncc, but half Il dozen times, as the
bnlloDn-an old, we'll used, hot air
monster-was swelled. Then Mile. Vio-
Ii kissed her hands to the crowd and
seized hold of the bar of her trapeze us
the balloon tuggcd and strained at its
ropes.
Al! was ready, and the balloon would
the next moment be released i'll the ac-
customed way, when the accident oc-
Cured. Swinging sideways, the fringe
of the air bag caught the flame, and i'll
startled surprise those who We're holding
the balloon prisoner until they received
the release signal let 90 their hold. Tho
next moment the great gray bag shot
upward, crowned with vicious sheet
of flame.
The acronaut had been waiting her
signal, her hands mechanically holding
tight to the slender trapeze bar upon
which her midair feats were to be per-
formed. There WAS Il cry of horror as
the crowd realized the tragic situation,
and 500pairs of hands We're outstretched
To grasp the unfortunate performer. 1t
w;ts too late. Tho balloon rose straight
i'll tho air, mounting rapidly, then list
ed to west and swept with the breeze in
that direction, an altitude of fully Il
mile being reached almost before the
Mortified crowd of onlookers could real
ize what they We're unwillingly wit
messing. The young acronaut retained
all her presence of mind, for she real
lied that she required it.
series of jumps, and the balloonist,
with extreme difficulty, maintained her
seat and cast occasional furtive glances
upward. The fire she as we'll as those
below could SEQ was spreading rapidly,
and her mind and hands We're busy.
Winding one leg about the side rope Of
the trapeze, she coolly proceeded to un-
b,1tn TfS.r 1,o
come tangled ill the escape of the bal
loon, and it seemed that it would be i'm
possible to dctach it before the fire COM
pleted the destruction of the air bag,
which was rapidly losing its buoyancy
and. threatened to collapse. Standing
with one foot on the trapeze bar and the
other pointed i'll space to balance the
1.-the figure, Mile. Viola lent hands and
teeth to the undoing of the knot that
detied her hands alone
1t was not before the balloon had ac-
tually begun to fall that success crowned
her efforts. Then us she abandoned tho
tlapeze and seized the parachute with
both hands the crowd below saw that
she had risked everything on tho para
chute and that it was indeed a leap for
life. In silence they watched tho para
chute drop, at first refusing to open
and apparently pushing the woman who
clung to it down to a certain and horri-
bic death.
Then it began to open, and even as it
did SO q second gasp of horror escaped
the spectators. It, too, was on fire.
Slowly it descended at first, then more
slowly, rs it caught the air and was
brought nearer and nearer the ground.
The breeze had died away, and the do
bris OF the balloon was following tho
parachute and its passenger straight
down. When it nearcd the earth, the girl
was seen to draw lier limbs together as
though preparing for the last act. Then,
watching her opportunity, she dropped
clear of tho burning mass and alighted
OIL the ground absolutely unhurt.
The balloon and the parachute struck
the ground almost together. Tho girl
was trembling when the crowd reached
her, but there was no sign of hystcrical
reaction, and her nerves were stronger
than those of her manager.
II told you it would 20 that way
some time if you didn It look out for it, "
she said to him as he came up, and there
was no reply.
Later in the evening correspondent
OF the Australian Star talked to her.
She was very nervous then and realized
fully the extent of the peril in which
she had been.
"No. never had quite SO close a
CALL" she said, "andI never want to
again. If I don't get better soon, guess
I'll quit the business and go back to va
riety work. It's not so thrilling, but it's
not so hard on the nerves.
"Who ami? Well, I was born in
San Francisco and lived there till was
10, SO I guess I'm a San franciscan. I
travelled with half dozen circuses,
though, and nm best known as one Of
the Liyingstones. ''dv lfsss1lssssUse
4 ~s 49,