The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-08-11
MISS CUSHMAN'S ASCENSION
PRETTY WHITE CITY CASHIER
 GOES OYER THE CLOUDS.

With Aeronaut JohIiny Mack She Makes
 One of the Finest Double Balloon
 Ascents Ever Witnessed-Many Wo- men fin Tears, Some Hysterical and Some Faint as West Haven Girl Goes
 Up-TrlpIe Parachute Drop This Af- ternoOn.
 Miss Florence Cushman, aged nine- teen, of West Haven, one of the pretty and modest cashiers at the White City, yesterday afternoon surprised her host of friends by making good her state- ment that she would make balloon ascension, Many thought she would back out at the last moment, but Miss Cushman proved that she Is made of the sort of stuff that knows no backing out, and so up she went. And such an, ascension it was! Nothing like it has ever before been seen in this state. The ascension was a double one, young Johnny Mack going up with Miss Cush- man. When they left the earth every one cheered except about 9 dozen young lady friends of Miss Cushman, who could not stand the strain and burst into mysteries. The fearless young woman made only one request before going up, and that was that the band play the Star spangled Banner" and this it did quite royalty. the strains of the stirring national selection mingling with the vociferous cheers of the 5000 spectators.
 Miss Cushman was attired in a very handsome costume of red, white and blue silk waist and purple tights, and presented a decidedly pretty picture. Although this was her first ascent, she was the least nervous of all those gathered Just before she ascended she kissed her mother and father, and as she went up she waved her hand to those below and smiled goodbye,
 The balloon went to very great height, and twice sailed through a pass ing cloud that obscured it from view.
 With bated breath everyone waited for the moment when she would cut loose, It. was not long, but it seemed an age to many. Finally a small object was seen to drop from the great cotton globe in the clouds, and cry almost of terror from some and of mingled delight and apprehension from others went up. If it seemed an age before she cut loose lit seemed all eternity before the para chute opened. Down, down, down she dropped, but still 1t did not open. Wom- en covered their eyes with their hands to shut out the sight of the falling girl, and several Tainted. Professor Flower never shifted his iron gaze, but said al- most inaudibly: Its new parachute and it's opening slowly. They always do"
 It seemed as though the girl had al- most reached the tops of the trees be- fore those great folds opened and the lightning like fall retarded. There was an involuntary sigh of relief from every one as the next moment the plucky cashier was seen to be gracefully de- scending over the hill just beyond the White City. She landed in the open without even scratch. An automobile filled with ladies was the first on the scene, and after each of them had given Miss Cushman a hug and kiss they whirled her back to the White City in their car There Miss Cushman was again cheered to the echo, all of which she received with a modest smile of ac- acknowledgement. Later in the office she was overwhelmed with the embraces of the other young ladies.
 Of her experience Miss Cushman says 1t was immense, that the sight below was grand that she felt dizzy only twice when going through the clouds, that she was not afraid, and that per- haps she will go up again if her mother and father will let her.
 This afternoon, through extra induce ments offered by Manager Speck, Pro- lessor Flower will give the triple para chute drop. He will make it himself, as he says it would not be fair to ask Johnny Mack to make two such perllous flights in one week. Tonight the last ascension of the en- gagement will be given and will be fol- lowed again by the O,OOO-candlepower searchlight, presenting a spectacle that 1 is worth miles going to see.
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