The real story of Balto, a sled dog that saved the city from an epidemic at the beginning of the 20th century. The true story of the Balto's feat: Life after death

In the winter of 1925, a diphtheria epidemic began in the town of Nome, Alaska. This disease spares no one, and for children it is deadly: several children died, the rest could get sick at any time. The vaccine that could have saved them was expired; the closest city in which she was found was Anchorage. From there the vaccine was delivered to Nenana, but from Nenana to Nome is more than a thousand kilometers! How to overcome this snowy desert, where there are no roads or rails? The plane could not take off due to bad weather - constant snowstorms and severe frosts. Remained the only way- dog team.

Relay of Life

An entire expedition was equipped to deliver the vaccine - 20 drivers, 150 sled dogs (Siberian huskies) - but the decisive role was played by two teams: Leonard Seppala (the leader was a dog named Togo) and Gunnar Kaasen (his dogs were led by the famous Balto). Although Seppala's team did the most and the hard part way, it was Balto who delivered the vaccine to Nome. His flair and ability to find the road saved not only the inhabitants of Nome from diphtheria, but also the driver from death. During a severe snowstorm, in conditions of almost zero visibility, Kaasen could no longer control the dogs; he relied on Balto - and the leader led the team to the city.

The participants of the “Great Race of Mercy” covered the distance from Nenana to Nome in one hundred twenty-seven and a half hours. People and dogs walked through a blizzard at temperatures ranging from -40 to -60 degrees, struggling with hurricane-force winds. A telegram from Nome calling for help was sent on January 25; the vaccine was delivered on February 2, 1925, at 5:30 am. This could be considered a miracle.

Monuments and memory

The story hit the front pages of all newspapers, Balto became a celebrity. This almost ruined him: the sleds turned Balto and other dogs into circus “stars”, participants in the show, and began to transport them around the country and show them to everyone. At the same time, the animals were kept in terrible conditions, they were poorly fed and treated roughly. A resident of Cleveland named George Kimble, seeing this, could not remain indifferent: he collected money and bought the dogs. Balto was sent to the Cleveland Zoo, where he died in 1933, at the age of 14.

From the remains legendary dog They made a stuffed animal, which is located in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and a monument to Balto was erected in Central Park, New York. They say Balto was present at its opening.

He was less fortunate - his small statue is located in the far corner of New York's Seward Park. But his descendants still participate in the annual Iditarod race, which is held in memory of the Great Race of Mercy.

Ekaterina 12.07.2012

Many have seen Steven Spielberg's cartoon "Balto", which tells how sled dogs saved children from diphtheria by delivering needed medicine.

This story is not fiction, it really happened in 1925 and forever glorified Siberian Huskies.

The Husky breed is endowed with a friendly and calm character; these dogs quickly get used to a new home and get along well with children. At the same time, huskies do not tolerate a leash; they can only pull a sled, but are completely unsuitable as service or hunting dogs.

Siberian Husky Balto was born on February 10, 1919 in Alaska in the town of Nome. He was a simple sled dog and was used in the early years of his life to deliver food around the city, as he was considered rather slow and unsuited to hard work.

The dog received his name in honor of the famous Norwegian explorer of the Sami people, Samuel Balto, who visited Nome during the gold rush.

FOUR-LEGGED HERO

The town of Nome, standing on the shore Bering Sea, is the brainchild of the gold rush that broke out in Alaska at the end of the 19th century. Over time, the mines dried up, leaving almost 1.5 thousand residents without work and a source of income. On top of all the other troubles, in mid-January 1925, an epidemic of diphtheria, a disease to which children are most susceptible, began in this godforsaken place. As it turned out, the existing vaccine had expired.

When several children died, and many were on the verge of death, the only doctor in the city sent a desperate cry for help onto the radio. It turned out that there was little vaccine left in the city of Anchorage, which was located more than 1.5 thousand kilometers from the settlement. By this time, navigation had already ended, and the only plane that could transport the medicine was standing with a frozen engine.

And yet a solution was found. The box with the medicine was delivered by train to the town of Nenana, where it ended Railway, and for the last 650 kilometers there was no other way except on dogs. 20 mushers and 150 dogs had to go through this difficult path, passing the life-saving medicine as a relay race. Meanwhile, the air temperature quickly dropped to -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Balto with his owner

As often happens, the press paid most attention to the final stage of vaccine delivery. The hero was the Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen with his team of Siberian huskies, led by the inexperienced but resilient leader Balto. On February 2, 1925, a box of vaccine, wrapped in reindeer skins, was received by Kaasen from the previous crew.

The storm that day raged in earnest, and Kaasen, as he later said, without even seeing own hands, lost my bearings. The dogs moved in the right direction only thanks to Balto's instincts. At some point hurricane wind, blowing at a speed of about 30 meters per second, lifted the sleds and dogs into the air, the package with the serum fell into the snow.

Fortunately, the driver still managed to find him. In this snowy whirlwind, Kaasen missed the team waiting for him at the next stage, and he had to continue his difficult journey to Nome, which was still more than 30 kilometers away. The dogs, at the limit of their strength, kept walking and walking forward behind their leader, but gradually, one after another, they fell into the snow.

Kaasen cut the lines and continued to drive forward, but soon he too became exhausted and, breathing heavily, collapsed on the sledge. And Balto alone dragged the team further in frosty temperatures of -60 degrees (-51 degrees Celsius). The dog could not know about the sick children and the medicine, but he understood that the owner’s life depended only on him.

They arrived in Nome at 05:30 on February 2, having covered 85 kilometers in seven and a half hours. The serum froze, but did not spoil, and with its help the diphtheria epidemic was stopped in five days. The driver Gunnar Kaasen, the leader Balto and the rest of the dogs were immediately recognized as heroes in the USA.

"GLORIOUS" LIFE

In the wake of fame, Kaasen organized a tour across the country. Crowds of people came to see Balto and the husky team. In order not to lose their shape, the dogs pulled the team on wheels. The press was full of reports about Balto's feat. But public interest is notoriously short-lived, and the excitement gradually died down.

Leonard Seppala, the owner of the four-legged hero, believed that the honors went to the last crew and Balto undeservedly. Therefore, when a certain Sam Houston wanted to buy a dog from him, Seppala agreed without hesitation. Houston organized a performance in one of the city theaters, where only gentlemen who paid 10 cents were allowed to enter.

After a couple of years, Balto found himself completely forgotten. George Campbell, a Cleveland businessman, decided to find the legendary dog. Arriving at the theater, George was shocked by what he saw. Balto and the rest of the huskies were put on steel chains in cramped, dirty cages. At the slightest movement the shackles caused them severe pain. An indifferent, emaciated and sick semblance of a proud husky looked at George through the bars.

The angry businessman went to Houston and insistently demanded that the dogs be sold to him. He did not resist for long, but gave in for 2 thousand dollars. To Campbell's credit, it must be said that he promptly began collecting money throughout the country, and the required amount was collected by the appointed time. The dogs were purchased and brought to Cleveland on March 19, 1927.

At the Cleveland Zoo, where the tortured animals were placed, they have regained popularity. People came to look at them, drew them, photographed them. On the very first day, 15 thousand visitors visited the enclosures!

REAL HEROES

In this glorious story (this often happens), the real heroes remained in the shadows. In fact, most of the work performed belonged to the team of that same Seppala, led by the dog Togo. The dog was already 12 years old at that time. And Balto, who had traveled a relatively short but glorious part of the journey, was half his age.

Seppala received the serum near the village of Shaktolik, about 300 kilometers from Nome. That day the air temperature was -30 degrees. And the driver decided to shorten the route by walking on the ice of Norton Bay. Through darkness and snowstorm they made their way for 80 kilometers along the edge of the ice, which in places cracked dangerously under the sledges.

One day the ice around them broke off, and they were almost carried out to the open sea. But, fortunately, the ice floe was almost washed ashore. The driver with the leader and the lines climbed over the one and a half meter wormwood to pull the sled and the rest of the dogs there. And again they were unlucky - the harness fell into the water.

Then the leader Togo jumped into the icy water and pulled the lines until the ice floe came close to the shore so that the dogs could get out onto the strong ice and pull out the precious luggage. Throughout the entire journey, Togo coped well with the responsibilities of a leader: he guessed the right path in the dark, forced tired and cold dogs to work, and warned the musher about holes and cracks. They barely made it: three hours after the team passed Norton, the ice in the bay finally broke up.

Having reached the northern coast, Seppala and his dogs spent the night in a hut. He hoped that after some time the storm would subside. However, in the morning the frost continued to get stronger. Nevertheless, the driver and the dogs resumed their journey, rushing to deliver the long-awaited medicine for the dying children.

When the team approached Golovin, the dogs fell into the snow, completely exhausted. The leader Togo lost his paws, he could no longer even move, having walked several hundred kilometers through the snowstorm and frost. But there are still 85 kilometers left to Nome. Here Kaasen and Balto took over the baton. One can understand Seppala's resentment that it was not Togo, but Balto who became the hero of the race. He even called him an upstart.

LIFE AFTER DEATH

The dog Balto died in 1933. After his death, he was stuffed in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. There is also a film from 1925, depicting Balto and his associates.

Back in 1925, sculptor Frederick Roth sculpted a statue of a dog for New York's Central Park - Balto was even present at the official opening of the monument. The tablet describing his feat ends with three words: “Endurance, loyalty, intelligence.”

Bronze Balto still meets children in Central Park - his muscles are tense, his ears are alert, as if he is still ready for any challenge, despite the darkness, blizzard and fear.

Galina BELYSHEVA

Balto (Bolto) (eng. Balto) - sled dog from a team that transported medicines during the diphtheria epidemic in 1925 in the cities of Alaska, USA.
Balto was born in 1923 in a small town in Alaska, in the city of Nome. Balto spent the first few years of his life transporting food for the city. It was considered rather slow and not suitable for heavier work. Last years Balto spent his life at the Cleveland Zoo in Ohio and died in 1933.
Epidemic
At the beginning of 1925, diphtheria, terrible disease, affecting children, flared up in the settlement. A vaccine with sulfur was needed, moreover, for all adjacent hospitals. Having contacted all nearby cities by telegraph, it turned out that a little vaccine remained in the city of Anchorage, which lay a thousand miles from the settlement.
An ice storm and storm prevented planes from taking off. It was decided to transport the vaccine by train to the city of Nenana, but no further due to the lack of railway lines. However, Nenana was located at a distance of more than a thousand kilometers of icy desert. Residents of Nome proposed a solution: equip a dog sled and rely on the speed and strength of the dog's paws and the skill of the team's leaders.
Having equipped the team, the teams set off to face the icy wind and snow. Many gave up during the transition. This is not surprising, since it was almost impossible to find the road in a snowstorm. The first to arrive in Nenana was Gunnar Kassen, whose team of huskies was led by Balto. However, on the way back, Gunar was paralyzed by frostbite and could not continue leading the team.
And so, when Gunar Kassen lost all hope of saving the children of Nome, Balto, who remembered the road, began to lead the team himself, he led the team back to the city, without slowing down until they arrived safely in Nome. Upon arrival, the dogs were so exhausted that they did not even have the strength to bark, but the vaccine was delivered to the sick.
Consequences
Since that time, every year competitions began to be held along the same path traversed by Gunar, Balto and the famous team of huskies. Not many participants could handle the same harsh conditions, the same route, despite the fact that the temperature during the competition was much higher than that established in 1925.
For decades, visitors to New York's Central Park have been able to marvel at the sight of a bronze husky statue, the only one of its kind. This is a statue of Balto, the husky dog that became a symbol of pride for the entire American people in the mid-1920s.
Amazed by such a miracle, the press makes Balto the new hero of the entire nation. Newspapers fill with articles around the world, and by the end of the year a statue carved by F.G. Roth is installed in Central Park, engraved with the words: "Endurance, Devotion, Intelligence."
The route taken by the huskies now became the site of an annual sled dog race that lasted until 1973. And today the name is Balto and his incredible story is not forgotten in the hearts of the young and the memory of the elderly...
After Gunar Kasson's team returns to Nome, after some time, he organizes a tour around the country. Balto and his team of huskies gather crowds of people around them, creating a stir and attracting attention. The dogs pull the sled on wheels to keep in shape. All media are full of reports about the famous tour.
After some time, the messages disappear from the media and the excitement suddenly drops. George Campbell is on Balto's trail. He soon finds out that along with Balto's growing popularity, the interest of commercial organizations in his person has also grown. As a result, Sam Houston bought Balto and his team and organized a performance in one of the city theaters. Entrance for gentlemen only. George came to the theater and saw a terrible picture. Balto and the other dogs were placed on steel chains. When trying to escape from the shackles, the chains hit the dogs, causing serious pain.
An outraged Campbell came to Houston and asked to buy the dogs back. As a result, he agrees to sell them for 2 thousand dollars and gives George a period of two weeks. Campbell returns to Cleveland. Fundraising begins across the country. The dogs are bought and brought to Cleveland.
At the Cleveland Museum, Balto and other huskies are becoming popular again, children come to see them, tours are held, and paintings are made from them.
After his death, the stuffed Balto was exhibited in the Cleveland Museum, the black color was replaced by brown. The stuffed Balto remained standing in one of the cold basements of the museum.
To this day, Balto’s story is taught in schools in Alaska; his act has not died; he will forever remain a symbol of valor, honor, dignity and the unbroken will to win.

Perhaps many have seen a cartoon about a brave dog named Balto. The plot was based on real story which happened in 1925. The dog, who was at the head of the team, managed not to get lost in the snowstorm and bring the medicine for diphtheria to its destination. Children at school are still told about his heroic deed. Alaska.

In January 1925, a diphtheria epidemic occurred in the small gold mining town of Nome, Alaska. The disease threatened to destroy all the children in the city. The local hospital did not have enough medicine for everyone. The antitoxin was supposed to be delivered to the city by plane, but due to the low temperature it could not take off. Then the decision was made to deliver the serum by dog sled.

The distance that 150 sled dogs had to run was 1085 km. Overcoming the journey, called the Great Race of Mercy, took the dogs five and a half days.

The hero of this run was a coal-black Siberian husky named Balto. For the first years of his life, the dog was used only as a food carrier. He was considered too slow and unendurable for harder work. Later he was put in a dog sled, but still not considered good leader. The dog showed his leader's character during the transportation of the medicine.

The team with Balto, led by Gunnar Kaasen, had to cover the last section of the 84 km long route. As Gunnar later recalled, due to the intensifying snow storm, nothing was visible at arm's length. Thanks to Balto, the team managed to avoid death in the Topkok River. The dog stopped in time, sensing danger. Strong gusts of wind overturned the sled once. When the driver came to his senses, he was horrified to discover that the serum had disappeared. Cassin miraculously managed to find a box with andidote with his bare hands deep in the snow at -31 ° C. The team moved on.

The next section of the route, from Safety to Nome, was to be run by driver Ed Ron's team. Balto arrived at Safety at 2 am. In order to save time, Gunnar Kassen decided not to wake Ed up and drove on. The team arrived in the city at 5.30 am, the children were rescued. The epidemic was stopped in 5 days.

Half-frozen and almost exhausted dogs were recognized as heroes. This story immediately spread throughout the country on the radio. Everyone wrote about the feat of Balto, Kaasen and other dogs. The dog spent the last years of his life at the Cleveland Zoo. He died at the age of 14 in 1933. Balto was stuffed by a taxidermist and placed in the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Balto had monuments erected in several American cities.
There is also a statue in the form of a dog in Tokyo. This is the one that met its owner from the train even after his death. Hachiko is the national Japanese symbol of devotion and fidelity.

Perhaps many have seen a cartoon about a brave dog named Balto. The plot is based on a true story that happened in 1925. The dog, who was at the head of the team, managed not to get lost in the snowstorm and bring the medicine for diphtheria to its destination. Children in school in Alaska are still told about his heroic deed.

The distance that 150 sled dogs had to run was 1085 km. Overcoming the journey, called the Great Race of Mercy, took the dogs five and a half days.

The hero of this run was a coal-black Siberian husky named Balto. For the first years of his life, the dog was used only as a food carrier. He was considered too slow and unendurable for harder work. He was later placed in a dog team, but was still not considered a good leader. The dog showed his leader's character during the transportation of the medicine.

The team with Balto, led by Gunnar Kaasen, had to cover the last section of the 84 km long route. As Gunnar later recalled, due to the intensifying snow storm, nothing was visible at arm's length. Thanks to Balto, the team managed to avoid death in the Topkok River. The dog stopped in time, sensing danger. Strong gusts of wind overturned the sled once. When the driver came to his senses, he was horrified to discover that the serum had disappeared. Cassin miraculously managed to find the box with the antidote, digging out deep snow with his bare hands at -31 ° C. The team moved on.

Monuments to Balto were also erected in several American cities.