PARACHUTIST INJURED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 272, 10 August 1908, Page 8

PARACHUTIST INJURED.

YOUNC LADIES- CARRIED,,.pFF BY > nil BALLOON."."/; . THRILLING 'DESCENT. At Longton Park Fetes, about 8 o'clock' on June 9, a parachute balloon ascended, with Miss Daisy Shepard and Miss Louie May, the intention of the two young ladies being to mako a double parachute descent. Miss Shopard's parachute was mechanically fixed to tho side of tho balloon by a proper contrivanco; but in the case of Miss May an extemporised appliance was used. It is surmised that tile parachutes refused to act, for the parachutists rose to a high altitude, and were lost to view in a south-easterly direction. It was thought by Captain Gaudron, tho experienced aeronaut, who managed the ascent, that the balloon would reach a dead level in an hour's , time, and woild then begin to descend'owing to atmospheric pressuro and diffusion of gas. It was subsequently learned that the two girls had had' a thrilling experience. Ona of tho parachutes became entangled in the cording of the balloon, and failed to act, and only when an altitude of 11,000 feet had been reached was tho young lady involved able to free herself. She then took a daring ilying leap to her companion, and both descended on the one parachute. The increased weight, howpver, resulted in ' till descent being made much more rapidly than is customary, and on reaching the ground Miss Shepard received serious injury. Her companion, however, was comparatively unhurt.' Tho balloon had travelled a distance of eleven miles before tho descent could be. made, tho girls reaching the ground at Uttoxeter. , nt A correspondent of the London ' Daily News" writes: — _ ' I paid a visit to-day to Field Farm, and there saw Miss Shephard, who was lying in bed suffering from spinal paralysis. She and Miss Gertio May, her assistant, had a thrilling adventure, which might- easily havu resulted in a fearful death for both. In spite of her unhappy accident tho intrepid lady is in high' spirits, and expressed tho hope that slio would not bo long tied to her bed, so that she could soon be flying in tho air onco more. 1 "I lo've ballooning," she said; "I am as much at homo in the air as anywhere." "Won't your narrow escape : damp youi ardour," I asked. "Oh, no. You see, I was all right. II was my companion, Miss May, who firsi got into difficulties; and but for her parachute refusing to open we should have descended beautifully, and been ready for another performance to-day." •• "Did you intend to rise to an altituda of 11,000 feet?" "No; wo only intended travcllmg _ a few hundred feet, then descending ill view of Longton; but as Miss May> parachute would not act wo had to go hipjier ana higher. Passing through two clouds made matters worse, damping tho material of tho para* "How was it you came down together?" "I hardly know. I remember Miss May jumping on my knee whilst I sat. in .m* parachute. It was a daring performanca She must have sprung five yards through space at a height of two miles from tho ground. Then, as my parachute was only of sufficient size to carry one, wo' descended at a torrificc rate." The parachutists alighted, or rather fell, to'the ground. First aid was rendered bj tho villagers pending tho arrival of doctors