An outbreak of diphtheria threatened to wipe out the entire community of 1,400.
A large number of these were natives who had no resistance to the disease.
To make matter worse, Dr. Welchs stock of diphtheria toxin had expired several months earlier.
This meant that Dr. Welch would have to wait until spring when the ice thawed.
Huskies pulling a dog sled.
But when the number of cases grew and children began to drop dead, he feared the worst.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease brought on by the bacteriumCorynebacterium diphtheriae.
The bacteria attacks the respiratory system, destroying healthy tissues there.
If not treated, a patient can die of asphyxiation.
Diphtheria is usually fatal among children.
But Welch had run out of this life-saving medicine.
The serum would have to be brought over from mainland US, more than a thousand miles away.
The town of Nome in 1916.
The board of health organized an emergency meeting, and discussed possible means of delivering the antitoxin.
Flying an aircraft was ruled out, because flights during winter was risky.
By a happy chance, the Anchorage Railroad Hospital discovered 300,000 units in their stock.
This supply was carefully packed into a metallic cylinder and rushed to Nenana.
These 300,000 units would hold the epidemic at bay until the larger shipment arrived.
The dogs would have to complete the journey in less than a quarter of the normal time.
The 20-pound package of serum arrived at Nenana on the night of January 27, 1925.
He lost three dogs on the way.
A modern view of Nome .
Photo:Joseph/Flickr
Edgar Kalland received the package from Shannon in Tolovana, and immediately headed into the forest.
From Manley Hot Springs the serum passed through several hands before it reached Bishop Mountain.
Both dogs collapsed of frostbite, forcing Noller to take their place pulling the sled himself.
By the time he arrived, both of his lead dogs were dead.
The date was January 31.
Back in Nome, the number of cases had risen to 27.
The ice on Norton Sound was in constant motion due to currents from the sea and the incessant wind.
Windchill drove the temperature down to 85 F (65 C).
Seppala was the most qualified of the relay mushers to attempt this shortcut.
Leonhard Seppala with his dogs.
Seppalas sleep deprived dogs had raced 260 miles (420 km) in 4.5 days.
Kaasen realized his mistake, but decided to go on.
Gunnar Kaasen and Balto.
Photo:Brown Brothers/Wikimedia Commons
Kaasen reached Point Safety ahead of schedule on February 2, at 3 am.
The next musher, Ed Rohn believing that Kaasen and the relay was halted at Solomon, was sleeping.
Not a single ampule was broken, and the antitoxin was thawed and readied by noon.
Three weeks after injecting the residents of Nome, cases began to subside.
By then, the remaining batch of 1 million units also arrived, by sled again.
Many of the original drivers and dogs took part in the second run, facing the same hardships.
All the mushers and their dogs received letters of commendation from President Calvin Coolidge.
Leonhard Seppala and Gunnar Kaasen became celebrities, so did their dogs Togo and Balto.
Balto himself was present for the monument’s unveiling.
The statue of Balto in New York City’s Central Park.
The name of the race was changed to the current, and the event was formalized in 1972.
References:#http://www.alaskaweb.org/disease/1925serumrun.htm# Wikipedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_serum_run_to_Nome
