05/15/2023
In 1925, diphtheria affected an isolated village in Alaska. Due to the severe cold, it was not possible to transport the medicines by plane and ship, so the transport of the medicines to the town of Noma was organized with the help of mushers (guides or drivers of a dog sled team).
About 1120 miles (1800 kilometers) had to be covered in five days. There were several teams and they took turns on different sections. The Norwegian Gunnar Kasen and his main dog Balto were the first to bring the serum to the village.
It turned out that Kasen had not made a mistake in choosing the main dog, because when the team had an accident, Balto helped his musher, saving him from certain death.
When the storm reached its peak and visibility became low they crossed 85 km. Balto is considered a hero, and in 1925 a monument was erected to him in Central Park in New York.
He was truly a hero, like all the other dogs during this mission. However, the dog that did the most difficult part of the work was Togo who crossed the longest distance 260 miles (418 kilometers). He was part of Leonardo Seppala team of dogs. Togo is the husky, in the photo.
