It was 1925 when a doctor noticed that kids were contracting, and dying from, a highly contagious bacterial infection known as Diphtheria in a remote Alaskan town. The city of Nome, where this rapid outbreak was occurring, was located 160 miles away from the arctic circle. Without the antitoxin, the infection would spread like wildfire, killing countless residents, especially children. It was the dead of winter and planes were unable to fly in the sub-zero conditions, harbors were frozen, and the closest railroad station to Nome was 700 miles away in Nenana.
Understanding the high-stakes, experts developed a desperate plan to have the serum, located 1000 miles away in Anchorage, shipped via railway to Nenana. From there, groups of mushers and their dogs would hand off the precious package to one another along the route. The group consisted of 20 mushers and 150 dogs and spanned just under 700 long, treacherous miles in freezing conditions. Prior to this emergency run, the fastest recorded travel time from Nenana to Nome was 9 days. Diphtheria could kill someone in 2-3 days. To make things more complicated, the antitoxin was rendered ineffective if frozen. The 300,000 units of serum arrived from Anchorage in a metal cylinder covered in fur. The musher put the cylinder on his sled and the dogs took off in a race against the angel of death.
Many mushers experienced hardships along the way including frostbite, injuries, and exhaustion.
“I couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe…I felt as if the dogs and I were fighting all the devilish elements of the universe.”-Kaasen
After 127 hours and 30 minutes (5 ½ days) musher, Kaasen, and his trusted Alaskan husky, Balto, completed the last leg of the journey and delivered the serum. News outlets went wild for the story, but only one hero was credited. Balto became a legend overnight and the other mushers and 149 dogs who assisted in the relay returned home and were largely forgotten about. I do want to note that handler, Seppala, and his sled dog, Togo, actually covered 261 miles of this 674 mile journey! The average miles covered for the other mushers was 31. Balto, the dog who received all the credit covered 55 miles, as he got to be the face that newspapers grabbed when the delivery was made. It wasn’t until later in life that Togo received the deserved recognition for his heroism. All of the 150 dogs involved and their mushers played a part in getting the antitoxin to the people. Their efforts resulted in the quarantine being lifted within three weeks and innumerable lives saved.
“Afterwards, I thought of the ice and the darkness and the terrible wind and the irony that men could build planes and ships. But when Nome needed life in little packages of serum, it took the dogs to bring it through.”-Seppala
Over the years various films have come out about Balto and Togo. To this day, adults and children alike are captivated by the men and their dogs who braved the harsh wilderness in order to deliver hope to one incredibly remote town.
Until Next Time
N.F.
Sources:
- Hank, Will. “The True Story of Togo: Siberian Husky Sled Dog Hero of 1925 Nome Serum Run.” American Kennel Club. 27 August, 2021. Accessed 17 September, 2023. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/togo-siberian-husky-sled-dog-hero-of-1925/.
- “Serum Run of 1925.” Alaska State Archives. Accessed 17 September,2023. https://archives.alaska.gov/education/serum.html.
- Wertheim, Jon. “And You Thought *We* Have Vaccination Issues?” Sports Illustrated. 13 January, 2021. Accessed 17 September, 2023. https://www.si.com/more-sports/2021/01/13/alaska-serum-run-1925-togo-not-balto.
Antiquated Antidotes 