The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-08-10
FELL FROM THE HEAVENS.
MISS NEVINS HAS AN EXTRA0RDI-
NARY EXPERIENCE.
Balloon Burst 200 in Air. and Swiftly She
Surged to the Earth Enveloped in
the Folds of the Huge SILK Bag.


Miss Mildred Nevins fell 200 feet
tangled in the wreckage of an eXplod
ed balloon. She was not killed. She
was not even rendered unconscious. No
other woman ever fell from such a
height and lived to tell her sensations.
1t is not likely that any other woman
ever will duplicate her experience.
Miss Nevins has lived all her life in
South St. Louis, Mo. Three weeks ago
she read an advertisement for young
lady to make balloon ascens1ons and
parachute leaps, She answered it.
Everything was arranged, and she
was to make ascents with Aeronaut
Cowan, and descend hanging to'a para
chute. Sunday before last the acci-
dent occurred which tried and proved
her nerve as the nerve of no woman
was ever tried and proved before.
With the expectation Of gong up 10,~
600 feet the big 50 foot air balloon was
overcharged. When it was released it
shot up as if discharged from a huge
mortar. Almost in twinkling 1t was
up l 200 feet.
Miss Neyin told the story as she lay
on Der back on cot in the dressing
room of the Electric park pavilion,
"We were sailing toward the sky. |
had just looked down at the great
crowd of people in the park and waved
my hand at them, and had turned my
head for look across the American
bottom toward st. Louis, when | felt
severe jar occasioned by the sudden
slackening of the balloons flight. |
could feel that we were descending.
There was rush of air upwards as we
began to shoot downward.
"''She has exploded = shouted the pro-
fessor. 'Cutn
81 looked out for m 'cut-away' rope
which had been hanging within easy
reach Of my hand. 1t had been borne
out beyond my reach by The spreading
of the parachute, caused by the descent
of the balloon.
81 felt the balloon tighten, and looked
over where Professor Cowan had been.
He was gone. | saw him fitting his
parachute and working out from un-
der the balloon, which now was moth
ing but great expanse of tapping
canvas.
81 was alone. knew | was better
Off alone, because there was that much
less weight on the balloon, and its de
scent would not be so rapid, but an aw.
full feeling of loneliness took possession
of me-
Il looked down for an instant on the
crowd, and my thoughts took fantas-
tic turn. 1t seemed to me | was
doomed to remain always suspended |
there, to see people 90 and come and |
not be able TO speak to them or they
to me, to hunger and thirst and not be !
able to reach the food and drink which |
1 could see down below. ~
Then my mind came back To the |
terrible reality. The excess Of danger |
seemed to bring an awful calm to me- |
| clutched the handle of my parachute
y L JllOuRHU L
going to be killed, but the thought did |
not terrorize me. 1t made no distinct
impression on me. 1t did not seem to |
be anything in which [ was particular I
ly interested or concerned. Still | |
found myself wondering if | would feel |
the shock of the contact with the |
earth and whether | would be disfg- |
ured.
At times felt the canvas about me. |
Again / could feel that / swung clear |
and knew that but for my hold on the |
parachute bar / would drop straight to !
the earth like thing of lead.
'Ihe canvas swept around me once !
more. was wondering how much |
longer it would be when | heard new
sound. 1t was tde cracking and rust !
ling OF heavy foliage. l felt a shock |
to my back, There was more crunch |
ing OF small branches, the canvas
caught with jerk, and | struck the
ground. 1t seemed to me the descent
had been made very quickly.
There were still several thicknesses
of the canvas about me. Faintness
came over me. Twas sick. | thought
L would lose consciousness and won
dered II l would ever wake up in this
world. The world seemed to fade
away and then | heard voices raised in
excitement.
" i am here, cried wildly. Cut
me out
They began to cut. | feared they
would cut me and pressed my hand
against the canvass to show them
where | was. They took me out. The
fresh air revived me. The sight of the
trees and fields exhilarated me. II
wanted to walk, | felt like | could run
and bound. But they told me l was
hurt. and they carried me in the dress