Account of Emily's act from the Luton Times & Advertiser 07 June 1895:   A ROUGH TRIP BEYOND THE CLOUDS CHAT WITH THE LADY PARACHUTIST - HOW SHE FARED Although it is now several years since the sensation-loving public were first treated to an entirely new "attraction" in the shape of a descent from a balloon by means of a parachute, the interest manifested in such adventure has by no means decreased.   One great reason for this is that aerial "tripping" has not yet been brought to the stage of perfection - despite the fact that scores of daring spirits have travelled that way - and that the element of danger is as great as ever.  The "descent" which was provided by the Bank Holidy caterers at Luton last year was not altogether a success, owing to several reasons which we need not mention here, but it was undoubtedly a great "draw" and with an eye to business, the committee decided to make another experiment in the same line.  Hence the engagement for Whit Monday of Miss Emmie De Voy who has been in the "profession" for seven years, having been brought out by Professor Higgins.  This lady, by the way, was born in London but is living in Manchester and has floated earthwards close on fifty times.  It will be remembered that she landed, or rather settled down, in the lake at Hendon, not very long ago.  But to Monday's performance. The ascent and descent were under the direction of Messrs. C G Spencer, Holloway N., balloon makers and aeronauts.  The filling of the balloon occupied some hours, a special main fron the Gas Company's works being laid on to supply the fifteen thousand cubits of gas required.  Soon after 5.30 the preparations approached completion, and after Miss De Voy had been driven round the field several times by Mr C. Dawson, willing and eager hands transferred the balloon to the centre of the ground.   In the midst of a crowd of onlookers, the lady parachutist took her seat on a sort of trapeze arrangement, the parachute being attached to the side of the balloon, on the other side of which was suspended a weight, to be afterwards used as ballast.  The signal was given a minute or two before six, and all faces - includng those of hundreds, if not thousands of persons who thronged the Wisden Hills, much to the disgust of the management - were turned upwards as the balloon mounted rapidly.  The wind lay in the north and Miss De Voy travelled accordingly to the south.  All went smoothly and well until an altitude of about three or four hundred feet was reached when the parachute became detached by some means, and like a big umbrella, floated inside up under the balloon.  Something was wrong evidently, people said to each other, and interest and excitement increased.  The parachute swung from one side to the other, the balloon went up higher and diminished in size, the lady could just be distinguished, and then the clouds were reached, and the whole concern became lost to sight almost immediately.  This was all the majority of specttors witnessed, but a few who had glasses afterwards saw the parachutist descending - a mere speck in the sky, right beyond the hills.  It was afterwards ascertained that Miss De Voy alighted in a potatoe field on Mr Hornby's farm at Flamstead and was picked up by Mr and Mrs Sansom, who had been driving round Redbourn Common.  They drove the lady parachutist to their home and kindly entertained her.  Meanwhile, Mr C. Dawson who had gone out to pick Miss De Voy up, had driven miles before she was seen descending, and then she was lost sight of behind a wood.  two cyclists being at hand, they readily complied with a request to ride to Redbourn Station (where it was expected the lady would be), and ask her to wait until the trap, which had gone after the balloon, came round for her.  This was done and the party arrived in town about half past nine, and outside the Town Hall, were surrounded by a large crowd.  Miss De Voy was loudly cheered.  She had intended at first to come on by the eight train from Redbourn and sent a telegram to that effect at a quarter past seven to Mr W Lake who read it from the grandstand at the athletic field, the news of the safe descent apparently causing no slight relief.  "I had to wait some little time", writes one of our representatives, who was fortunate enough, together with another Press man, to get a chat with Miss De Voy at Cowley's Temperance Hotel on Tuesday morning, "before the lady parachutist, whose adventures had furnished almost everybody in Luton something to talk about the previous evening, came in.  She had just gone to the Post Office, I was informed, but would be back soon as she had to catch a train at twelve o clock.  So we waited, made ourselves comfortable, and argued as to what most likely had happened.  In the middle of the discussion, its lady subject came in, with the two gentlemen who carry out the arrangement for Messrs. Spencer.  Miss De Voy laughed as she received congratulations.  An ordinary looking young lady, neatly dressed, a little under the average height, unaffected and affable, she began to narrate her experience at once.  "I laugh now but I did not laugh then.  It was an awful experience.  I should not care to go through it again." "How did the mishap occur?" "Well, you see, when I got three or four hundred feet up, I felt a reverse current and a sdden gust of wind, and the next moment the "test" cord which holds up the parachute, broke and let it loose.  Of course, it ought not have broken until I leaped" "And then?" "Oh, I was obliged to stick tight to my seat.  But it was a terrible strain.  You see the small belt just under my arm was attached to the parachute, and as it dragged, you may guess I could feel it." "It was not safe to make a leap for it, then, was it Miss De Voy?"  "No.  I made up my mind to go as high as I could, so that if I had a tumble, there would be plenty of time for the parachute to open." "How was it in the clouds?" "When I got through they were lovely.  I never saw such a sight in my life.  It was grand in the extreme to see the brilliant sunlight on the clouds, making them look like driven snow." "Wasn't it cold?" "Awfully, my fingers began to get numbed, and I could not feel the ropes.  I rubbed them on the cords but they were dead and I was beginning to get numbed all over.  Then I knew it was time to make a dive for it." "How high were you then?" "I can't say exactly but it must have been 18,000 or 20,000 feet". I gasped and made a mental calculation - over 6,000 yards, not far off four miles. I looked at the lady with increased interest, and tried to trace the signs of great nerve power.  She went on unconcernedly - "Then the balloon swayed on one side, and I hoped I should be able to jump clear of the parachute, but a cross current caught it again and I fell right in the middle of it." I thought again of that 18,000 feet but the lady did not seem to take that question into consideration;  all she wanted, it seemed, was to be sure of being high enough to get right way up before the ground was reached. "We rolled over and over together for a long way, all mixed up like a bundle of rags, or lying in a hammock very uncomfortably.  I was entangled in the cords and my legs were sticking upwards.  At last, however, gravitation took me underneath and then I came down slowly and more comfortably." "This was all above the clouds?" "Oh yes, of course.  We came through very slowly, and it must have been over half an hour before I touched the ground.  I came down in a potatoe field, and for a few minutes lay down to rest, thinking how nice it was, and watching the balloon, which was coming down about three quarters of a mile away." "Was anybody about?" "Yes, a lad.  I asked him if he could get me a cab or a trap.  He says "Eh?" (Miss De Voy mimicked the yokel delightfully).  Mr and Mrs Sansom were coming down the road in a trap and the lad stopped them, about a score villagers having assembled in the meantime.  They treated me splendidly and took me home to tea at Redbourn; and thanks to Mr Dawson's trap, I got here all right at about half past nine.  I have never had such an escape and, as I said,  I never want another like it.  By the way, I went up a registered height of 14,000 feet once but I was a lot above that this time.  My usual drop is 1,000 feet." Then the little woman, with the great pluck, shook hands cordially, and hurried to the station in the best of spirits, and just as if that perilous trip of hers was hardly worth a second thought."    ________________________________