When Dr. Welch realized that deadly diphtheria was about to devastate Nome’s population, he sent an urgent message to public health officials on January 22nd requesting one million units of anti-toxin. Then he and the town’s people waited.
Three days later, about one-third of the needed serum was discovered in Alaska at the Anchorage Railroad Hospital. Dr. John Beeson carefully packaged the precious commodity and turned it over to railroad conductor Frank Knight. The train headed north to Nenana with arrival expected the following day, January 27th. The 300,000 units would be enough to contain the deadly disease but more was needed to wipe it out.
After the 300,000 units of serum had left Nenana and Leonhard Seppala had departed Nome for the rendezvous with the serum in Nulato, more concerning news came from Nome. There was a possibility that more people had been infected with diphtheria and more people would become ill. Urgency increased and a new plan was put in place.
Seppala was the fastest and most savvy musher around Nome. His portion of the relay would be 630 miles. Bone decided to add drivers to the relay between Nulato and Nome to keep the serum moving at the greatest possible speed. Passing the serum to a fresh driver and team every 30 to 40 miles would be faster than what Seppala could travel going Nome to Nulato and back to Nome.
More drivers were added to the relay but there was no way to advise Seppala that he’d be meeting the serum somewhere around Shaktoolik, long before the Yukon River village of Nulato. The newly enlisted drivers were told to keep a lookout for Seppala and his Siberians. Upon meeting Sepp, they were to hand the serum over to the Norwegian who would turn and retrace his route back toward Nome where he’d hand off to another relay driver at the ready to rush the serum toward Nome.
One of the reasons Seppala was recommended for the serum relay was his expertise regarding Norton Sound, a shortcut from the mainland to Shaktoolik. If the ice was safe, it would save a day of travel on the other hand if the wind was coming off the mainland or if a storm was brewing the ice could break away from shore and be carried out to sea. Crossing was a gamble left to those who knew the weather patterns of the area. Seppala qualified.
Judging the ice was safe, Seppala in route to Shaktoolik, decided to cross Norton Sound. Likewise, Henry Ivanoff deemed the ice safe so when he departed Shaktoolik with the serum in his sled, he chose to cross Norton Sound. Neither man knew where the other was.
Ivanoff’s team encountered a reindeer and managed to get in a huge tangle. Seppala saw the tangled team but decided not to stop to help because time was so important. But Ivanoff recognized the team passing by. He ran after Seppala and yelled, “The Serum! I have it here!”
It was a meeting by chance. On January 31st, Seppala took the handoff and sped back across the sound to Isaac’s Point. Sepp’s team had traveled 84 miles that day. It was time to feed the dogs, warm the serum and rest at Isaac’s Point for a few hours. Seppala’s mind was on the children of Nome, especially his 8 year old daughter. Had she contracted diphtheria since he’d left on this mission of mercy?
Early on February 1st Seppala departed Isaac’s Point in the midst of an Arctic blizzard. The winds exceeded 65 miles per hour, the temperatures hovered around 40 degrees below zero and visibility was often near zero. Seppala, Togo and the Siberians summited Little McKinley and then descended to the village of Golovin where Charlie Olson waited to carry the serum 25 miles to Bluff where Gunnar Kaasen took over for the final 53 miles to Nome.
Kaasen arrived in Nome early on February 2nd. Dr. Welch brought the serum to a warm room in the hospital for thawing. Before noon the serum was ready for use. Within four days, 100,000 units had been administered to those who were either sick or showing symptoms. The remaining supply of serum would soon be exhausted! When and how would more serum arrive?
