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The subject of this week's You're Wrong About is the 1925 Nome serum run--the event (incorrectly, as it turns out) associated with the Iditarod in the popular imagination--and although I think it's a story a lot of Americans are vaguely aware of, it's terrific to hear it told again. This rendition features Togo, a sort of dog-Gilgamesh whose Enkidu is pulling sleds, some extremely determined Norwegians, and a governor of Alaska named Bone. We are reminded that this feat was accomplished in temperatures of around -50 Fahrenheit (which is -45 Celsius), which is as far from, say, 20 Fahrenheit as 20 is from 90. Conditions in that Alaska winter were so bad that you had to light fires under airplanes' engines to get them to start, an even sled dogs were liable to suffer crippling or deadly injuries from the cold.
Yet despite the incredible danger, and the endurance required, mushers undertook a desperate relay race over 1,085 kilometers to deliver just enough diptheria antitoxin to Nome to buy time for a larger shipment, because an outbreak was threatening that could have doomed hundreds of people--mostly children--to death by what was essentially slow suffocation. A journey that normally took 20 days was accomplished in five, at a pretty brutal cost: the first musher arrived at his hand-off point with three of his dogs dying and his entire face black with frostbite. Another finished his run with his hands frozen to his sled--they had to be unstuck with boiling water. The last legs of the relay were completed in a severe blizzard with hurricane-force winds.
And they did it! They got the epidemic under control, with only around half a dozen confirmed deaths, and another relay was able to deliver even more antitoxin a couple weeks later. Though Balto and Gunnar Kaasen are remembered in particular, it's one of those situations where everyone involved, dog and human, was integral to the outcome. I was also surprised to learn that most of the mushers involved were fairly young men at the time--the last surviving member of the relay died in 1999 (and had over 200 grandchildren at the time!).
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National Sled Dog Day
High-energy, furry athletes powering through snow and ice — a testament to teamwork and nature's endurance champs.
Running through snow all day, every day, pulling a sled that can weigh hundreds if not thousands of pounds—that’s a sled dog’s job. Don’t you think they might deserve a little recognition? February 2nd is the official holiday of the sled dog that we can safely say man would not have managed very well at all without.
The History of National Sled Dog Day
Sled dogs are thought to have evolved in the mountainous regions of Northern Asia over 35,000 years ago, but are thought to have started actually pulling sleds for people about 3,000 years ago, when hunting and fishing communities were forced to move further up north to Siberia. From there, they made their way to Lapland, Alaska, Canada and even Greenland. Historical references to actual dog harnesses far outdate the first European contact with the native peoples of Alaska and Canada.
In fact, it was the Alaskan gold rush that really got the American population interested in the use of sled dogs as a form of transportation, as most gold camps were only accessible by dogsled in the winter months. In fact, for a long while, dogsleds were the only relatively dependable way of transporting anything in the harsh Alaska and Yukon weather conditions, until airplanes finally took over in the 1930s. Dogsleds were also used to patrol western Alaska as late as World War II. After that, mushing became largely recreational. One of sled dogs’ most impressive achievements was the 1925 serum run from Nome to Nenana. With a diptheria threatening the lives of people in Nome and the serum needed being 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) away in the town of Nenana, hundreds of people may have died if not for the 20 dogsled teams that worked together to relay the serum to Nome. In the end, the serum reached Nome in only 6 days, saving the lives of many. Also, the first Arctic explorers were men with sled dogs.
How to celebrate National Sled Dog Day
Sled dogs are also celebrated for their role in polar expeditions, and a number of famous dog races are organised each year. National Sled Dog Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the animals’ dedication to the human race. It can also be a time to raise money for dog charities taking care of homeless, or sick dogs, and those that have been cruelly abandoned by their owners. There are also numerous opportunities to volunteer at your local animal shelter to spend time with some of the dogs living there, play with them, or take them out for walks.
Dogs are generally social, friendly creatures that love physical activity and playing games, so even the smallest gesture on your part to celebrate National Sled Dog Day will definitely be greatly appreciated by a dog that has nothing to do but sit in a cage or pen all day, every day.
Who knows, maybe you’ll become friends and you’ll decide to adopt the dog? That would be the ultimate gesture of respect towards the sled dogs that sacrificed their health and sometimes their lives, for the good of men.
Organizations like PETA take the opportunity to point out how many dogs are being abused and mistreated in the world and encourage people to take action if they happen to witness any kind of abuse being perpetrated on man’s best friend.
PETA is also strongly opposed to the runs that take place in Alaska every year, saying they exhaust the animals for no good reason, and implore of Alaskan tourists not to patronize the Iditarod annual commemorative race, or any tourist attractions that include dogsled rides.
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#Whitehorse#Yukon#Balto by Frederick George Richard Roth#Stampeder Statue by Peter Lucchetti#Skagway#Central Park#New York City#USA#Canada#Seattle#Regina#RCMP Heritage Centre#Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit#National Sled Dog Day#travel#original photography#vacation#tourist attraction#landmark#cityscape#architecture#NationalSledDogDay#2 February
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Togo, the REAL hero of the Nome Diptherea Serum Run
Togo was ill as a young puppy and required intensive nursing from Seppala's wife. He was very bold and rowdy, thus seen as "difficult and mischievous", showing "all the signs of becoming a ... canine delinquent" according to one reporter. At first, this behaviour was interpreted as evidence that he had been spoiled by the individual attention given to him during his illness. As he did not seem suited to be a sled dog, Seppala gave him away to be a pet dog at 6 months of age. After only a few weeks as a house pet, Togo jumped through the glass of a closed window and ran several miles back to his original master's kennel. This devotion to the team impressed Seppala, so he did not try to give him away again. However, Togo continued to cause trouble by breaking out of the kennel when Seppala took the team out on runs. He would attack the lead dogs of oncoming teams, "as if ... to clear the way for his master". However, one day, he attacked a much stockier malamute leader and was mauled and severely injured. When he recovered, Togo stopped attacking other teams' lead dogs. This would eventually prove a valuable early experience, as it was difficult to teach a lead dog to keep a wide berth of oncoming teams. When Togo was 8 months old, he proved his worth as a sled dog. He had run after the team yet again and slept, unnoticed, near the cabin where Seppala was spending the night. The next day, Seppala spotted him far off in the distance, and understood why his dogs had been so keyed up. Togo continued to make Seppala's work difficult, trying to play with the work dogs and leading them in "charges against reindeer", pulling them off the trail. Seppala had no choice but to put him in a harness to control him, and was surprised that Togo instantly settled down. As the run wore on, Seppala kept moving Togo up the line until, at the end of the day, he was sharing the lead position with the lead dog (named "Russky"). Togo had logged 75 miles on his first day in harness, which was unheard of for an inexperienced young sled dog, especially a puppy. Seppala called him an "infant prodigy", and later added that "I had found a natural-born leader, something I had tried for years to breed" Togo began training, and after a few years filled the lead dog position. He became one of Seppala's most treasured dogs, a close and mutually beneficial relationship that would continue to the end of Togo's life. At the time of the historic Serum Run, he was 12 years old and had been a lead dog for 7 years. According to the historian Earl Aversano, in 1960, in his old age, Seppala recalled "I never had a better dog than Togo. His stamina, loyalty and intelligence could not be improved upon. Togo was the best dog that ever traveled the Alaska trail. "The first batch of 300,240 units of serum was delivered by train from Anchorage to Nenana, Alaska, where it was picked up by the first of twenty mushers and more than 100 dogs who relayed the serum a total of 674 miles (1,085 km) to Nome, Togo and Seppala traveled 170 miles (274 km) from Nome in three days, and picked up the serum in Shaktoolik on January 31 - The temperature was estimated at −30 °F (−34 °C), and the gale force winds causing a wind chill of −85 °F (−65 °C). The return trip crossed the exposed open ice of the Norton Sound. The night and a ground blizzard prevented Seppala from being able to see the path but Togo navigated to the roadhouse at Isaac's Point on the shore by 8 PM preventing certain death to his team. After traveling 84 miles (134 km) in one day, the team slept for six hours before continuing at 2 AM. Before the night the temperature dropped to −40 °F (−40 °C), and the wind increased to 65 mi/h (105 km/h). The team ran across the ice, which was breaking up, while following the shoreline. They returned to shore to cross Little McKinley Mountain, climbing 5,000 feet (1,500 m). After descending to the next roadhouse in Golovin, Seppala passed the serum to Charlie Olsen, who in turn would pass it to Gunnar Kaasen and Balto. Katy Steinmetz in Time Magazine wrote that “the dog that often gets credit for eventually saving the town is Balto, but he just happened to run the last, 55-mile leg in the race. The sled dog who did the lion's share of the work was Togo. His journey, fraught with white-out storms, was the longest by 200 miles and included a traverse across perilous Norton Sound — where he saved his team and driver in a courageous swim through ice floes."
Credit: Laura Mathews
#Togo the sled dog#Balto the sled dog#ididerod origin#nome diptheria serum run#savior of nome's children#the goodest boy#look at those PAWS#and that's why working dog handlers look for the troublemakers#the BEST boy
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TOGO...
A sunday with April 18 on the calendar..
Stumbled across a gem of a story today. Those were the days in the 20s in far away frozen Alaska. The major mode of transport was a dog driven sled. The town of Nome, just 150 miles south of the arctic circle was suffering from an outbreak of a diptheria epidemic costing the life of children within a shrinking town. The only hope was a serum which was around 600 miles away across a frozen and stormy landscape.
Just to put things in perspective, the temperatures were - 50 degrees and a gigantic ice storm looming all over.
Leonhard Sepalla and his band of dogs set out on their sled with the band leader Togo as the spearhead. Togo, at that time was already 12, a ripe age for a working dog.
The trememdous run which he and his band of canine heroes undertook is an epic journey in itself. Single minded dedication to his master and his mission is something was so very apparent and through storms, over icy lakes, over umimaginable conditions and difficulties, they managed to bring back the serum and consecutively saved numerous lives in the town.
Dogs, for long have been Man's best friend and this was just another story putting it in the context.
We need to learn to deal with our friends. Canines are the best bet to start with.
Togo has been named the bravest animal of all times and that his puppies set out an entirely new breed of dogs - the Seppla siberians.
He lives on...and we owe a lot to his specie.
Regards
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OTD in 1925, the Alaska Serum Run ended as the last of a series of dog mushers delivered life-saving treatment for diphtheria epidemic. (AP)
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6 dogs Who had been well-known earlier than The internet turned into Invented
6 dogs Who had been well-known earlier than The internet turned into Invented :
Rin Tin Tin This German Shepherd (and there are numerous on this list) was observed on a battlefield in France for the duration of the first global conflict by way of an American soldier who took the dog domestic with him and trained him to act in silent films. He ended up making almost 30 movies over his lifetime and, consistent with Hollywood legend, stored Warner Brothers studio from financial ruin before speakme movies were even invented. He even has his personal star on the Hollywood stroll of repute.
Hachiko Within the 1920s, a jap Akita named Hachiko turned into so trustworthy that he would meet his grasp, Professor Ueno, on the Shibuya teach station each evening and stroll him to the educate the morning. The professor had a sudden attack at work and died. Hachiko waited for him to get off the educate, and when he didn’t, Hachiko got here back to meet tomorrow’s teaching. He persevered to do this every day for almost ten years. This canine didn’t get a celebrity, but he did get a statue on the teach station and the love of the complete state
Checkers Famous as part of one of the biggest political speeches of all time, Checkers became a cocker spaniel belonging to then-Senator Richard Nixon. During his marketing campaign as Eisenhower’s presidential running mate in 1952, Nixon becomes accused of accepting personal donations, which became a huge no-no lower back then. As it takes place, one of those donations turned into this dog to Nixon’s daughter Julie. Nixon went on countrywide television and brought what’s called “The Checkers Speech,” wherein a candidate avoided disaster through deflecting the error, saying in essence, “however the children love this canine, do you need me to take it away from them?” — and he won the vice presidency. Although Checkers is well-remembered as Nixon’s dog, he handed away in 1964, 4 years before Nixon himself was elected president.
Antique Drum This hound dog became a well-known handiest after his death, but he has become an image for dogs anywhere. In 1869, An lawyer named George Graham Vest took the case of a canine who was shot through a neighbor. The proprietor sued for damages and Vest’s closing arguments, called “Eulogy to a canine” and consisting of the phrase “man’s great friend,” managed to create a legal precedent concerning how puppies are considere!d in court docket subjects. Vest won the case, and later became a U.S. Senator; a bust of the canine is within the Missouri ideal courtroom constructing in Jefferson town.
Antique Drum
Balto The world’s most well-known sled dog, Balto became a part of an existence-saving team in 1925 that made a 650-mile trek in snowfall to supply Diptheria serum from Nome to Anchorage, Alaska in only 5 days. The equal path is the Iditarod trail — and the well-known dog sled race was created in honor of this ancient run. There’s a statue of Balto in NY's principal Park and his taxidermied remains are displayed in the Cleveland Museum of natural records.
Pal You could no longer recognize this German Shepherd but you realize what she stimulated. In 1928, a 20-year-old named Morris Frank, blind for four years, received a dog in Switzerland that had been specially skilled to guide the blind. In the front of incredulous newshounds, he crossed a dangerously busy road known as death road with the dog main him safely to the other aspect. The friend was the first manual dog within the U.S. Six months later, Frank founded the Seeing Eye organization to teach puppies to help human beings.
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Above: Balto the hero dog models for his sculpture in 1925!
Original photo caption: "Famous dog hero to be modeled for New York. Balto, the dog who brought serum and a blinded master into Nome, Alaska, in a raging blizzard, and whose efforts stopped the scourge of diptheria, is to be modeled in a panel relief by G. R. Roth, famous sculptor. The Municipal Art Society has appropriated $7,000 for the panel which will be placed in Central Park as a memorial. Photo shows Balto in the arms Gunnar Kasson, his driver and personal friend, giving the panel the dog 'once-over,’ and Mrs. Roth.”
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Bottom: Statue of Balto in Central Park at East 67th Street
NYC Parks Caption: “The glowing bronze of this statue on a rock outcropping near the East Drive at 67th Street reflects the loving pats of countless children and adults who recall the story of a heroic dog.
“In January 1925, the city of Nome, Alaska experienced an outbreak of diphtheria. At that time, Nome had a population of 1,429 people and there was only enough antitoxin serum in distant Anchorage to treat about 300 people exposed to the disease. A train line did run over 325 miles from Anchorage to Nenana, the station closest to Nome, but Nome was icebound seven months out of the year. Alaska’s two open-cockpit planes were not safe in the frigid and windy weather.
“A relay of mushers and their dog-sled teams was the only way to deliver the fur-wrapped twenty-pound package of serum to the ailing community 674 miles from Nenana. The route followed the old Iditarod Trail used by mail drivers from Anchorage to Nome (now the route of the dog-sled championships).
“The 20 teams of over 200 dogs covered the frozen terrain at about six miles per hour, in blizzard conditions with temperatures of 50 degrees below zero. An international audience listened over their radios and read in their newspapers of the race to Nome.
“The last musher, Gunnar Kasson, and his team lead by Balto, a black and white Alaskan malamute, raced over the frozen tundra in only five days and seven hours – a world record time. Within days after the arrival of the serum, the epidemic, which had claimed five lives, was over.
“Gunnar Kasson later described the incredible trip to reporters: "I couldn't see the trail. Many times I couldn't even see my dogs, so blinding was the gale. I gave Balto, my lead dog, his head and trusted him. He never once faltered. It was Balto who led the way. The credit is his."
“Balto survived the journey, and toured the United States with the rest of the dog team. On December 17, 1925, 10 months after his arrival in Nome, Balto was present as this bronze statue was unveiled in Central Park. Balto died in 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio, where his stuffed body is on display at Cleveland’s Natural History Museum.
“Private donations collected under the auspices of the Municipal Arts Society paid most of the cost of this sculpture. Brooklyn-born sculptor Frederick George Richard Roth (1872-1944) received the commission for the statue, which was awarded the 1925 Speyer Prize by the National Academy of Design.
“A low-relief plaque shows the dogsled team braving the blizzard and bears an inscription dedicating the statue to all of the sled dogs that helped save lives of so many people. From the moment of its unveiling, the sculpture has been a favorite of young park visitors, many of whom come from far and wide to sit astride the dog hero celebrated in several books as well as in Steven Spielberg’s animated film, Balto (1995).”
Source: top / bottom
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8 Dogs Who Were Famous Before The Internet Was Invented
It seems like everyone’s dog has a dog Instagram account today, but dogs have been going viral for hundreds of years. Here are eight great canines known and loved the world over before the Internet was a thing.
Rin Tin Tin
This German Shepherd (and there are several on this list) was discovered on a battlefield in France during the first World War by an American soldier who took the dog home with him and trained him to act in silent movies. He ended up making almost 30 films over his lifetime and, according to Hollywood legend, saved Warner Brothers studio from bankruptcy before talking movies were even invented. He even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hachiko
In the 1920s, a Japanese akita named Hachiko was so faithful that he would meet his master, Professor Ueno, at the Shibuya train station every evening and walk him to the train the morning. The professor had a sudden attack at work and died. Hachiko waited for him to get off the train, and when he didn’t, Hachiko came back to meet the next day’s train. He continued to do this every day for almost ten years. This dog didn’t get a star, but he did get a statue at the train station and the love of the whole nation.
Checkers
Famous as part of one of the biggest political speeches of all time, Checkers was a cocker spaniel belonging to then-Senator Richard Nixon. During his campaign as Eisenhower’s presidential running mate in 1952, Nixon was accused of accepting private donations, which was a big no-no back then. As it happens, one of those donations was this dog to Nixon’s daughter Julie. Nixon went on national television and delivered what’s referred to as “The Checkers Speech,” in which a candidate averted disaster by deflecting the mistake, saying in essence, “But the kids love this dog, do you really want me to take it away from them?” — and he won the vice presidency. Although Checkers is well-remembered as Nixon’s dog, he passed away in 1964, four years before Nixon himself was elected president.
Old Drum
This hound dog became famous only after his death, but he became a symbol for dogs everywhere. In 1869, An attorney named George Graham Vest took the case of a dog who was shot by a neighbor. The owner sued for damages and Vest’s closing arguments, known as “Eulogy to a Dog” and including the phrase “Man’s Best Friend,” managed to create a legal precedent regarding how dogs are viewed in court matters. Vest won the case, and later became a U.S. senator; a bust of the dog is in the Missouri Supreme Court building in Jefferson City.
Balto
The world’s most famous sled dog, Balto was part of a life-saving team in 1925 that made a 650-mile trek in a blizzard to deliver diptheria serum from Nome to Anchorage, Alaska in just 5 days. The same route is the Iditarod trail — and the famous dog sled race was created in honor of this historic run. There’s a statue of Balto in New York’s Central Park and his taxidermied remains are displayed in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Buddy
You may not know this German Shepherd but you know what she inspired. In 1928, a 20-year-old named Morris Frank, blind for four years, acquired a dog in Switzerland that had been specially trained to lead the blind. In front of incredulous reporters, he crossed a dangerously busy street known as Death Avenue with the dog leading him safely to the other side. Buddy was the first guide dog in the U.S. Six months later, Frank founded the Seeing Eye organization to train dogs to assist humans.
Laika
Back in 1957 the space race was underway; after successfully launching Sputnik 1, the Soviets chose a former stray mutt named Laika to be the first live being launched into orbit. Unfortunately, the launch was a one-way trip. The official story was that she was euthanized by remote after six days in orbit but the truth was she died just a few hours after launch due to high temperatures. But her short flight did pave the way for future crewed missions.
Pompey
The oldest entry in this list is a pug dog belonging to William, Prince of Orange, in the 16th century. “William The Silent” was nearly assassinated while in France; Spanish insurgents tried to enter his tent at night during a military campaign, but his dog woke him up by jumping on his face. The dog was honored by being immortalized next to the prince on his tomb at the church of St. Ursula in Delft, Netherlands.
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The Siberian Husky and German Shepherd 2 Solid but Unconcerned Dogs
When you see the Siberian Husky or the German Shepherd, it is most likely that you believe of them on the display as King of the Yukon or Rin Tin Tin (specifically if you adulted seeing old films). In enjoyment, these canines have endured through lots of generations with unusual and incredible names such as JFK's GSD, "Clipper;" Hitler's GSD, "Blondi;" and "Chucka," the Siberian Husky possessed by Sgt. Robert Preston. Both types are similarly renowned for their rescue work. Togo, a Siberian Husky, led the husky team lugging the Diptheria serum to Nome in 1925. Tracker, the German Shepherd, served in the law enforcement agency in the Sudbury Area in Ontario where he was involved in around 500 look for missing individuals, lawbreakers, drugs and safety details in the very early 1990's. The Siberian Husky and the German Guard share numerous characteristics. They are both longer than they are tall, are pleasant with household as well as friends yet unresponsive with strangers, and are dedicated working pets. Both have actually unusual realities connected with them, as well. The Siberian is around 3000 years old, coming from Siberia, to draw sleds with tiny lots. He is smaller sized compared to one would certainly think, at regarding 35 50 pounds. He is called the "houdini" as a result of his ability to obtain over and under fences and also this ability should be curbed considering that, when he is free, he removes running and will certainly run conveniently for hrs. Siberians are also incredibly solid since 1963, Charlie the Husky was the strongest pet dog ever before he moved a 3,142-lb sledge. The Siberian likewise has some interesting physical qualities such as a nose that stays dry during the night to ensure that it doesn't ice up in sub-zero temperatures and, often, blue or piebald eyes. And also Siberians are accountable for the phrase "3 Pet dog Evening" initially created by the Eskimos who were explaining how cold it was by exactly how many Huskies they had to copulate at evening to maintain cozy. There are also numerous surprising truths about the GSD. As the Siberian appears small for his stamina, the GSD appears large for his agility and grace. He evaluates in at 60 to 140 extra pounds and also is the only breed whose back legs have been reproduced to crouch below his front. This characteristic started to be viewed as a defect in the mid-twentieth century as well as numerous breeders now breed straighter back legs. The GSD is component of the Herding Team as that was his initial purpose though most canine pet parents would position him the Working Team. The initial seeing eye pet dog, Friend, was a GSD trained in 1928. And the GSD places third in canine knowledge. The German guard is a current breed despite the fact that it appears as if they have actually been with us for lots of centuries. He was developed in the very early part of the twentieth century, which seems impossible taking into consideration just how a lot he has actually accomplished in such a short time. Outstanding Husky German Shepherd Mix Facts make exceptional friends however major training is required as both are persistent as well as independent. Once trained, a Siberian Husky or a German Shepherd will certainly verify to be a devoted, loyal dog that is even-tempered. Both have high activity degrees as well as often be a one-person pet dog. These breeds certainly verify that dog is man's ideal friend as well as, correctly trained, we could be pet dog's friend, also.
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This week we are featuring hidden gems of #nyc. And one of the most beloved #landmarks in #newyorknewyork is in #centralpark and loved by #children of all ages. Our #kids wanted to spend hours in this special section of #nycentralpark at 67th Street on the East Side. With other playful bronze statues nearby to #climb on and pretend play and also close to the #tisch children's #zoo your entire #family are in for a treat. But most visitors don't even know why there is a statue of an #alaskanhusky so prominently displayed in Central Park - and since 1925. It's worth reading the #history of this amazing #sleddog and the team he led in the record setting #blizzard in 1925 #alaska. The small village of #nome was stricken with a diptheria outbreak that was killing citizens and the town had run out of serum. Trains were unable to run so a team of #sleddogs and #mushers all over Alaska banded together in a symbol of unthinkable courage, sacrifice and heroism to run a relay of teams to deliver the precious medicine starting in #anchorage almost 700 miles away. #balto ran the next to last stage of the route rescuing the entire team in an icy #river and through completely whiteout conditions that even the musher couldn't see through. At the last stage, the team awaiting was not ready so Balto continued onto Nome and delivered the precious serum saving countless lives. This story came at a crucial time in US history and was widely celebrated and published in the media with especially strong coverage in the #newyorktimes. Many great books and movies cover the story of Balto and worth checking out before or after a trip to see him in person. Please tag a #doglover who would enjoy this bit of history! (at Central Park (Manhattan))
#history#blizzard#zoo#climb#family#balto#doglover#newyorktimes#mushers#tisch#alaskanhusky#nome#sleddogs#landmarks#anchorage#nyc#sleddog#children#nycentralpark#river#centralpark#alaska#kids#newyorknewyork
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Many people equate the Iditarod with the serum run of 1925, which delivered diptheria serum to Nome in the depths of a winter epidemic.
While the Iditarod follows some of the same trail, and ends in Nome, it is not all about the serum run. It’s about keeping the tradition of mushing, the knowledge and skills, and the breeds of northern dogs alive.
The serum run is its own tale.
Many works of fiction have dealt with it, including a fun but somewhat inaccurate cartoon “Balto”…
It was fun, and included a few real life moments like when Gunnar Kaasen’s sled flipped in severe winds and the serum cylinder got lost in a snowbank. He got frostbite feeling for it with his bare hands. Balto was his lead dog, and did lead the team through “visibility so poor that Kaasen could not always see the dogs harnessed closest to the sled.”
The real Balto was not part wolf, northern dogs are not part wolf… they are closer to the original model, the wolf, but they are dogs… which are really just a subspecies of wolf anyway.
Today he’s preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History…
and honored (along with all sled dogs) by a statue in NYC…
You’ll note he is not wearing a modern x-back harness, (or any other modern harness) but something that resembles a horse collar. That’s what was used in those days, and can be seen on the photo of his team above.
The working dogs were sturdier, heavier, stronger and fluffier than the racing Alaskan huskies of today.
The serum run had a few obstacles. It wasn’t being run in reasonable weather in March, but in awful weather in January…
The first musher in the relay was “Wild Bill” Shannon, who was handed the 20 pounds (9.1 kg) package at the train station in Nenana on January 27 at 9:00 \{\{nbsp\}\}PMAKST by night. Despite a temperature of −50 °F (−46 °C), Shannon left immediately with his team of 11 inexperienced dogs, led by Blackie. The temperature began to drop, and the team was forced onto the colder ice of the river because the trail had been destroyed by horses.
Today you will occasionally find mushers complaining about the trail being destroyed by snow machines… though they can also break and flatten a trail to make it better.
A sled dog is, pound for pound, stronger than a horse. Also has a lighter footprint. While dogs float over the snow, horses sink and tear up a trail. I know, I have both.
The wiki page gives a neat overview of the Serum Run, its many obstacles and dangers, and the tough dogs and gutsy mushers who braved actual snow, sleet, dark of night, zero visibility, awful windchills, hands frozen to the driving bow, river overflows, and rampant reindeer…
yes… reindeer…
Henry Ivanoff’s team ran into a reindeer and got tangled up just outside Shaktoolik.
Usually it’s moose that are a hazard…
The true unsung hero of the Serum Run was Togo.
Leonhard Seppala and his team covered the longest and most hazardous part of the run.
Just outside Shaktoolik to Golovin Lead dogs: Togo and Scotty. Forty-eight-year-old Seppala, with a team of dogs had left Nome with the intent of intercepting the serum at Nulato, unaware that the relays had been faster. Leaving Isaac’s Point on the north side of Norton Bay that morning, traveled the 43 miles to just outside Shaktoolik, meeting Ivanoff. Turned his team around into the wind with a temperature of −30 degrees and darkness. Risked the 20 mile sea ice crossing between Cap Denbigh and Point Dexter in a blinding blizzard. Togo’s sense of smell permitted them to stay on course got them to their stopping point on the North shore of Norton Bay, at an Eskimo sod igloo. Seppala fed the dogs and warmed the serum, hoping the blizzard would lessen. Early Sunday morning with −30 degree temperatures, deadly winds, and the storm not lessening, reached Dexter’s Roadhouse at Golovin with completely exhausted dogs.[2] Serum now 78 miles from Nome.
The sled dog who did the lion’s share of the work was Togo. His journey, fraught with white-out storms, was the longest by 200 miles and included a traverse across perilous Norton Sound — where he saved his team and driver in a courageous swim through ice floes.”[21]
They made a round trip of 261 miles (420 km) from Nome to Shaktoolik and back to Golovin, and delivered the serum a total of 91 miles (146 km), almost double the distance covered by any other team.
In October 1926, Seppala took Togo and his team on a tour from Seattle to California, and then across the Midwest to New England, and consistently drew huge crowds. They were featured at Madison Square Garden in New York City for 10 days, and Togo received a gold medal from Roald Amundsen. In New England Seppala’s team of Siberian huskies ran in many races, easily defeating the local Chinooks. Seppala sold most of his team to a kennel in Poland Spring, Maine, and most huskies in the U.S. are descended from one of these dogs. Seppala visited Togo, until he was euthanised on December 5, 1929. After his death, Seppala had Togo preserved and mounted, and today the dog is on display in a glass case at the Iditarod museum in Wasilla, Alaska.
If you look into the eyes of a Siberian Husky in the US today, you are looking down the decades to Seppala’s serum run team, and Togo…
Rev
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_serum_run_to_Nome
There are many books out there, here’s one…
http://www.librarything.com/work/177360/reviews/108507519
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Serum-Race-Blazing-Iditarod/dp/0802777236
the Great Serum Run Many people equate the Iditarod with the serum run of 1925, which delivered diptheria serum to Nome in the depths of a winter epidemic.
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follow that dog: serum run echoes
follow that dog: serum run echoes
In 1925, Diptheria broke out in Nome AK. There was a serum available, far away. How to get it there… The seas were frozen. Airplanes were primitive, open cockpit affairs, if the plane’s engine didn’t freeze, the pilot would. Trains, impossible. It came down to the doughty sled dog. While Balto got the glory (and the cartoon) for being the leader of the team who came into Nome, there was a relay…
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