E L I Z A B E T H
“ DOLLY ”
SHEPHERD loved
adventure. But growing up as a tomboy
in England in the 1890s did not fit the mold
of a “proper” young lady. Girls were expected
to stay in the background while their
brothers received better
educations and enjoyed
more freedom. But
while other young girls
were learning homemaking
skills and social graces, Dolly was
chasing her brother up trees, sliding
down drainpipes, or doing acrobatics on a
clothesline. She even accepted her brother’s
dare to jump off a roof while holding an
umbrella. It was her first time jumping
from a high place. It wouldn’t be her last.
There were no airplanes in the skies when
Dolly was growing up. The heavens were left
to the clouds and huge balloons puffed up
with smoke or gas. Remember this information this is Part 1 of the text.
In Part 1 of the text, we are introduced to Elizabeth "Dolly" Shepherd, who loved adventure. She grew up in England in the 1890s as a tomboy, which went against the expectations of being a "proper" young lady at that time. While other girls were learning homemaking skills, Dolly was engaging in activities typically associated with boys, such as climbing trees, sliding down drainpipes, and doing acrobatics on a clothesline. She even took her brother's dare to jump off a roof while holding an umbrella, marking her first experience jumping from a high place. This period was before the invention of airplanes, so the skies were filled only with clouds and smoke or gas-filled balloons.
People were fascinated to see the enormous
balloons floating overhead, piloted by daring
sportsmen or wealthy hobbyists, but few felt
brave enough to ride in one. Aerial showmen
took advantage of this fascination with danger.
Daredevils thrilled crowds by parachuting from
high-flying balloons. These acts were exciting
enough when performed by men. But the big-
gest thrill came from watching female aerialists
boldly risk their lives.
Dolly was sixteen years old in 1903. She
had grown into a young woman full of self-
confidence and a mind of her own. She hadn’t
given much thought to balloons until she took
a job as a waitress at the Alexander Palace. It
was London’s largest entertainment complex,
attracting as many as a hundred thousand
people for special events such as carnivals, con-
certs, and horse races. On summer weekends
huge crowds gathered to watch the balloons
and the daring parachutists.
Dolly enjoyed getting to know the people
she waited on. One regular customer was
Auguste Gaudron. He led a team of parachutists
that performed at fairs and festivals all around
England. Gaudron gave Dolly a tour of his
workshop. She asked so many questions about
the balloons and parachutes that he finally
asked if she would like to make a parachute
descent. She immediately answered, “Yes!”
It was a year before Gaudron followed
through on his invitation. Seventeen-year-old
Dolly didn’t know she was replacing a girl on
Gaudron’s team who had been critically injured. Remember this information, this is Part 2 of the text
In Part 2 of the text, we learn that during the time when Dolly was growing up, people were fascinated by the sight of enormous balloons floating overhead, piloted by daring sportsmen or wealthy hobbyists. However, few people felt brave enough to ride in these balloons. Aerial showmen capitalized on this fascination and drew crowds by performing daring acts, such as parachuting from high-flying balloons. The most thrilling performances were those by female aerialists who boldly risked their lives.
At sixteen years old in 1903, Dolly had grown into a self-confident young woman with a mind of her own. She took a job as a waitress at the Alexander Palace, London's largest entertainment complex. This complex attracted large crowds, especially on summer weekends, to watch balloons and daring parachutists. Dolly became acquainted with Auguste Gaudron, a regular customer who led a team of parachutists performing at fairs and festivals throughout England. Intrigued by balloons and parachutes, Dolly asked many questions, leading Gaudron to offer her a chance to make a parachute descent. Without hesitation, she eagerly accepted the invitation.
However, it took a year for Gaudron to follow through on his offer. It turned out that Dolly was actually replacing a girl on Gaudron's team who had been critically injured.
On the appointed day, thousands of specta-
tors filled the grounds of the Alexander Palace.
Butterflies fluttered in Dolly’s stomach as she
made her way through the crowd. A monstrous
gas-filled balloon loomed ahead, tugging at its
ropes as if it were trying to escape.
Gaudron led Dolly and four passengers to
the basket. Dolly stepped into the sling, a long
strip of webbing that formed a loop attached
to the parachute. About six inches wide, the
sling passed between her legs and would carry
her weight during her descent. Her right hand
clutched a trapeze bar that hung from her para-
chute. Holding it over her head would keep
her upright as she dropped. Dolly’s heart raced
as she perched on the edge of the basket with
her feet dangling over the side. She wrapped
her left arm around the ropes that attached the
basket to the balloon. Remember this information, this is Part 3 of the text
In Part 3 of the text, we read about the day of Dolly's parachute descent. Thousands of spectators gathered at the Alexander Palace grounds, creating a sense of anticipation and nerves within Dolly. As she made her way through the crowd, a large gas-filled balloon stood before her, seemingly straining against its ropes as if it wanted to escape.
Dolly was led by Gaudron to the basket of the balloon, along with four other passengers. She stepped into the sling, which was a long strip of webbing forming a loop attached to the parachute. The sling, about six inches wide, passed between her legs and would support her weight during her descent. Holding a trapeze bar that hung from her parachute with her right hand, she would keep herself upright by holding it above her head as she dropped.
Feeling her heart race, Dolly sat on the edge of the basket with her feet hanging over the side. To steady herself, she wrapped her left arm around the ropes connecting the basket to the balloon.
“Hands . . . OFF!” Gaudron ordered.
The men holding the basket stepped back,
and the balloon lifted into the air. It was Dolly’s
first balloon ride, and she watched in fascination
as the ground fell away beneath her. Buildings
grew smaller and fields merged into a patchwork
quilt. Cheers from the crowd faded into silence.
“We are over 2,000 feet. Get ready to
jump,” Gaudron said. Dolly looked down at
her landing spot. The patch of green looked no
larger than a handkerchief.
“GO!” signaled Gaudron.
Dolly took a deep breath and jumped. Her
parachute, tied to the balloon by a light rope,
broke free. Dolly’s body plunged toward the
earth like a speeding rock. She felt a mixture
of fright and exhilaration as the ground rushed
toward her. Dolly gripped the trapeze bar
with both hands, knowing that if she let go, she could
topple
backward and
fall to her death. Remember this information, this is Part 4 of the text
In Part 4 of the text, we witness the climax of Dolly's adventure. Gaudron sternly ordered everyone to keep their hands off the basket, and the men holding it stepped back. The balloon began to lift into the air, giving Dolly her first experience of a balloon ride. As she watched the ground recede beneath her, she marveled at the shrinking buildings and merging fields. The cheers from the crowd faded into silence as they ascended higher.
At over 2,000 feet in the air, Gaudron instructed Dolly to get ready to jump. Looking down at her tiny landing spot, Dolly prepared herself. Upon Gaudron's signal, she took a deep breath and leaped from the basket. Her parachute, tied to the balloon by a light rope, broke free. Dolly experienced the thrilling sensation of her body swiftly descending towards the ground, resembling a speeding rock. Despite a mixture of fright and exhilaration, she firmly held onto the trapeze bar with both hands, aware that letting go could result in a fatal fall backward.
Moments later
Dolly felt a reassuring
tug on her arms as her
parachute billowed to life.
It slowed her fall and carried
her gently back to earth. Her first
aerial adventure had been a glorious
success. Dolly was hooked!
Dolly worked hard to learn every-
thing she could about balloons and
parachuting. She finally proved to
Gaudron that she had enough strength,
courage, and good
judgment to make
a solo ascent. Her
parachute was
attached to the
bottom of a bal-
loon. There was
no basket, just
a sling and the
trapeze bar
for support.
Gaudron was
not there
to give her
instructions.
Dolly was
completely
on her own.
“Let go!” Dolly ordered. The bal-
loon whisked her off her feet and carried
her into the silent sky. It was like walking
on air. Dolly picked her landing site, pulled
the ripping cord to release her parachute from
the balloon, and floated back to earth.
Dolly didn’t dwell on the danger of her
jumps. Occasionally, a team member “disap-
peared,” but no one talked about it. If asked,
Gaudron would only say that the person had
“left the team.” Dolly wasn’t worried about
being killed. That was something that hap-
pened to other people, not her. Still, not all of
her landings were perfect. Some were merely
painful, like landing in a tree or on a barbed
wire fence. But other times Dolly admitted to
coming “within a whisker of death.”
One frightening evening, Dolly’s parachute
wouldn’t release from the balloon. Dolly hung
on to the bar helplessly as she rose higher and
drifted farther. She knew gas would eventu-
ally leak out of the balloon, and it would come
down on its own. But could she hang on that
long? The altimeter on her wrist told her that
she had risen above 12,000 feet. Her arms
ached, and her hands were numb from the
cold. If she lost her grip, she would plunge to
her death. She held on into the night, sing-
ing her father’s favorite hymns to keep calm.
More than three hours later, the balloon
came down thirty-five miles from where
she’d started.
This experience would have fright-
ened off most people. But not Dolly. She
had no way of knowing that her most
terrifying trip lay ahead.
WHY SHOULD HUMAN
BEANS GET ALL THE FUN?
20
Dolly ascends above the crowd.
Dolly’s friend, Louie May, wanted to try
parachuting. Remember this information, this is Part 5 of the text
In Part 5 of the text, we learn that Dolly's first solo ascent and parachute descent had been a glorious success. She became fully immersed in learning everything she could about balloons and parachuting, proving to Gaudron that she had the strength, courage, and good judgment to continue making jumps. Dolly's solo ascent involved being attached to the bottom of a balloon with no basket, relying only on a sling and the trapeze bar for support. Without Gaudron's guidance, Dolly took charge and commanded herself to let go, embarking on another breathtaking journey into the sky. She carefully chose her landing site, released her parachute from the balloon using the ripping cord, and safely floated back to the earth.
Despite occasional accidents and injuries among team members, Dolly didn't dwell on the danger of her jumps. She remained confident that nothing bad would happen to her. Nevertheless, not all of her landings were perfect, with some causing pain or coming close to disaster. In one terrifying incident, her parachute failed to release from the balloon, leaving Dolly hanging helplessly as she rose higher and drifted farther. With the gas gradually leaking and knowing she would eventually descend, Dolly held on, enduring hours of discomfort, numbing cold, and the risk of falling to her death. She sang hymns to keep calm and managed to land thirty-five miles away from her starting point.
This harrowing experience would have scared off most people, but it only fueled Dolly's determination. Little did she know that her most terrifying trip was yet to come. The text concludes by introducing Dolly's friend, Louie May, who also expressed an interest in trying parachuting.
In this text, we are introduced to a character named Elizabeth "Dolly" Shepherd, who loved adventure. We learn that she grew up in England in the 1890s and didn't fit the mold of a "proper" young lady. Girls during that time were expected to stay in the background, while boys received better educations and had more freedom. However, Dolly was different. While other girls were learning homemaking skills and social graces, she was engaging in adventurous activities.
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