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He gained experience rapidly, and in January, 1912 made an attempt to break Beachey's altitude record of 11,642 feet, but had to give up at 9,000 feet due to the cold. In February the local Government weather forecaster at Erie was interested to know whether or not Lake Erie was completely frozen over, and since Sandt had the idea that he would like to fly across the lake and back, he decided to find out. On February 20th, without any previous arrangements, he took off at Erie for Port Rowan, Canada, but landed [[strikethrough]] unhearalded [[/strikethrough]] unexpectedly at the Lighthouse on Long Point, Canada, 30 miles from Erie, 34 minutes later. The lighthouse keeper was dumbfounded when he saw Sandt land outside. Sandt went inside to get warm, and asked if he could get a little gasoline. After considerable searching the keeper found some which was put in the tank for the return flight. The lake was frozen over solidly, and on the return trip Sandt had engine trouble, probably due to the poor gas he had obtained at the light house, which had been taken from an inactive motor boat. His engine [[strikethrough]] It [[/strikethrough]] finally sputtered and quit entirely when he was about ten miles off shore from Erie. In landing on the rough ice he smashed up, was thrown clear and knocked unconscious. When he came to, he started to walk ashore. Hours passed and the whole town of Erie became alerted. A call was made to the Canadian lighthouse and they reported Sandt had left on the return flight. Tensions mounted, searching parties set out, and as night come on strong lights were set up to guide him, but he failed to appear. 

Meanwhile, during the night Sandt finally reached an isolated farm house on the shore near Moorheadville, Pennsylvania, east of Erie. The farmer had a railroad dispatcher nearby wire Erie that Sandt was safe and at his home. Sandt's brother drove to the farmhouse at once and brought him back to the Erie Hospital. He had been injured somewhat in the smashup, but not seriously. Sandt said that when he came to, following the crash, no part of his plane was in sight, parties set out to try to locate it, but it was never found. What became of it remained an unsolved mystery. His was the [[strikethrough]] FIRST [[/strikethrough]] first crossing of the eastern end of Lake Erie. 

This left Sandt without an aeroplane, and in debt for the first one, because 

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