Departures of note

On 17 October 1910 William F. Assmann and Lieutenant Leopold Vogt took off in the hydrogen‑filled “Harburg III” from St. Louis, Missouri, as one of ten balloons in the James Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race. At 6:10 pm on 18 October they crossed into Canada; at 9:00 pm they attempted to land but were over Georgian Bay and continued onward.

Two hours later, over Lake Nipissing at 18,000 feet with only 2½ sacks of ballast remaining, they released a valve and the balloon descended, striking Gull Island. Both men were momentarily knocked unconscious; Assmann’s left arm was broken, his right hand badly sprained and an artery in his wrist was cut. They swam to Gull Island, tied the balloon to a tree and shouted for assistance for two hours without response.