3: The Great Serum Race

The Great Serum Race

A Crisis Begins

Nome, Alaska, a popular state during the gold rush in the early 1900s, was once again on the receiving end of much attention in 1925 when an outbreak of diphtheria threatened the 1,400 residents living there. Diphtheria is a highly contagious, deceiving disease to which children prove most vulnerable when the symptoms originally perceived to be a common sore throat or tonsillitis progress into a deadly illness if not properly treated. The first signs of an outbreak began in December 1924 when children were diagnosed with sore throats and tonsillitis. The sole doctor in Nome, Doctor Curtis Welch, became suspicious a he was well aware these cases were commonly the result of misdiagnosed diphtheria. After two children succumbed to diphtheria in January of 1925, Doctor Welch’s worst fears became reality. Under normal circumstances this situation could have been controlled through quarantine and the use of antitoxin to treat those infected; however, these were not normal circumstances.

A Call for Help

A limited supply of unusable, expired antitoxin was all that remained of the life saving serum, and quarantine could not suppress the emergence of cases from many who had already been exposed. Thus, extraordinary measures were needed, and fast, for time was critical. On January 22, 1925 Dr. Welch sent numerous telegrams desperately urging for help in finding and delivering the needed serum. After searching for the nearest supply of the diphtheria antitoxin, national leaders in Washington located the closest supply to be 972 miles away in Anchorage. With the serum successfully located a new obstacle was introduced, as officials had to determine the logistics of a difficult delivery. Nome was unreachable by all standard methods of transportation. Primitive airplanes could not fly in the acclimate conditions, no roads or railways reached Nome, and the ice coated sea surrounding Nome barred any ships from reaching the shore. The only way to get the serum to Nome was transporting the serum from Anchorage to Nenana over the railroads and then calling on the experienced mushers of Alaska to finish the 674 mile journey.

The Race Begins

On January 26th, the race was on as Locomotive “66”, the mercy train, was promptly dispatched, and Alaskan governor Scott Bone organized a relay of 20 of the most acclaimed mail carrier mushers along the Iditarod Trail. In this time alone three more children succumbed to the disease and new cases were discovered every day. The journey was underway, but time was running out. On January 27th, Bill Shannon began the next leg of the journey in a frigid 30 degrees below zero after getting the serum from the railroad station in Nenana.

Seppala's Leg of the Race

On January 31st, the serum was passed to the famed Leonhard Seppala who was faced with the hard decision of crossing the dangerous but time saving Norton sound in severe storm conditions while powerful waves were crashing on and threatening to break the ice or taking a longer route that wouold ensure safe passage while sacrificing time. Invoking the hero-like characteristics this great race required, Seppala bravely placed his faith in his lead dog Togo and miraculously succeeded in crossing the Norton Sound only three hours before the ice broke and was swallowed by the rapid waters of the raging storm. Seppla had completed the most difficult leg of the relay and handed the serum off to Charlie Olson who then passed the serum to Gunnar Kaasen.

Kaasen's Endurance and Balto's Success

Kaasen’s team was led by Balto, who proved his strength as a leader during the great storm despite his previous reputation for mediocre leadership qualities. Kassen forged on through Solomon without stopping, missing a letter meant to give him rest as others driviers completed the journey. However, even when Kaasen reached the safety shelter that marked the original end of his leg of the race, he continued on as the driver was asleep and he was making good time. Suddenly, a burst of wind lifted Kassen and his dogs into the air and knocked the serum from his grasp, threatening the failure of the thus far heroic journey. Reaching through the frigid air and plunging his bare hand into the snow, Kaasen searched until he found the serum. He then continued on and successfully completed the journey February 2nd of 1925.

A Record Breaking Achievement

This grueling journey normally would have taken 15 to 20 days to complete, however, this brave team completed the trip in a record 5 days and 7 hours. At time the temperature dropped to a painful 64 degrees below zero, but these determined mushers forged on when their country needed them most, providing a testament of endurance for all to follow. Within two weeks the infected children had received the antitoxin and the quarantine was removed. The serum race may have been over, but the race towards preventative measures in disease control had just begun.

Reasons for Ranking

Impact on Disease Control

In the 1920s there were 100,000 to 200,000 cases of diphtheria in the United States each year that claimed approximately 13,000 to 15,000 lives with treatment available. The courageous, collaborative action the comprised the Great Serum Race and the publicity it spurred inspired a national campaign in the 1930s for the use of a diphtheria vaccine. By the 1940s this vaccine became common after being combined with the tetanus and pertussis vaccines. These campaigns have succeeded in causing the once popular disease of diphtheria to fade into obscurity.

The influences of this feat of extraordinary efforts are still seen today, as the majority of children receive the DTaP vaccine and the “Race to Vaccinate” advocates for vaccinations in children before they reach two years of age. Currently, the AIP is responsible for disease prevention in the Artic and sub-Artic areas.

Dallas Seavey, winner of the 2012 Iditarod

Social Impact

In 1973 people passionate about the great importance of the famed Anchorage to Nome route rallied together to reopen the legendary mail route. Today this route is annually livened by enthusiastic mushers who take on the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, a total of 1,049 miles. This race helps celebrate the noble history of the trail and the dog sled method of transportation now viewed with utmost importance in the roots of Alaskan transportation and culture.