Post by EbonyPatriot on Mar 8, 2012 18:14:26 GMT -5
Heh sounds like a Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego reference. 
The links lead to pictures.
In the year 1925, Balto , the lead dog of the final relay team, lead his team into Nome with the diphtheria antitoxin. It was too late to save five of the inhabitants, but without the medicine, hundreds more of the children may well have died. Seventy years later, Spielberg would release an animated version, followed by two direct-to-video sequels: Balto II Wolf Quest, and Balto III: Wings of Change.
I do love all three films, but this post isn't about the movies. ^^
I also love the true story and so wanted to see who else loves it. ^^
For those not familiar with it, here’s the true story:
Nome had been a former gold rush town, but by 1925 the city was quiet once more. The sled dogs were used primarily for mail and racing. One of the most famous mushers was Leonard Seppala, a Norweigan whose favorite lead dog was Togo.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-5.jpg
Togo was twelve at that time and a great racer, a foundation sire, if you will, for many of the Siberian huskies today. At the time, Siberian huskies looked nothing like they do today: they were very small and fast, with varying colors. In fact, today racers prefer to use not Siberian huskies but a type called the Alaskan husky.
Balto, on the other hand, was too large and bulky. But there were many, many dogs, their names lost now.
Dr. Welsh was shocked when three of Nome’s children began dying from what he had assumed were sore throats. The grey on their throats revealed that it was diptheria, the Child Strangler. Thick greyish mucus cover the throat, suffocating the child. With so many of Nome’s children native, the contagious disease would decimate them. And there were few bottles of aged antitoxin left.
Dr. Welch sent a telegram to Seattle, desperate for antitoxin. Anchorage was able to find bottles: not as much as Welch needed, but enough to stop an epidemic.
But Nome, so far north, www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AtTheMuseum/PermanentExhibits/Balto/map.jpg was cut off. The sea was frozen. Despite the journalists down south saying that it would be a waste of time to not fly, the governor knew that the current planes could not handle the storm. The antitoxin could not be risked.
Instead, it was sent by train to Nenana. There relays of dog teams would run the mail trail, called the Iditarod. Never before had the trip been completed in less than a week; but the children didn’t have time to wait. It was a race against time and weather, for a blizzard raged the land.
Wild Bill Shannon led the first relay, followed by more teams. Two of Shannon’s dogs had run so hard that their lungs became frostbitten and died.
Seppala and Togo would take the longest trip, across the ice of Norton Sound. It was a dangerous shortcut, but Seppala trusted that Togo could lead him through.
But the governor had ordered more teams added, something that Seppala was not aware of. Fortunately, Ivanoff had stopped to untangle his team and was able to flag down Seppala. Seppala travelled the distance, yet at a terrible cost: Togo was injured and would never race again.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AtTheMuseum/PermanentExhibits/Balto/banner.jpg
Gunnar Kaasen, an employee of Seppala, was the second to last team. Kaasen was to use Fox, but Kaasen used Balto.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-3.jpg
The blizzard was raging now. The call was issued to hold the serum.
But Kaasen didn’t get the message and continued. Balto proved his worth, leading the team through and preventing them from falling into the river.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-4.jpg
The last relay was still sleeping when Kaasen arrived.
Controversly, Kaasen decided to keep on and before daybreak, Balto lead the team into Nome. Not an antitoxin was lost and the children were saved.
Seppala was furious when he returned to have the newspaper men giving Balto all the credit (and even some of Togo’s). A Hollywood producer, Sol Lesser, bought the team from Seppala and filmed a now lost reactment called “Balto’s Race to Nome”.
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=221&CISOBOX=1&REC=3
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=220&CISOBOX=1&REC=4
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=219&CISOBOX=1&REC=5
The team toured the country, with Balto at the reveal of his statue in Central Park.
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=223&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=218&CISOBOX=1&REC=6
Eventually the public lost interest. Togo would live out his life peacefully in New England, Kaasen and Seppala returned to Nome. Balto however, was sold, along with his teammates Tillie (the only female), Alaska Slim, Old Moctoc, Fox, Billy, and Sye were sold to Sam Houston’s dime museum in Los Angelos. There the dogs were abused, malnourished and ill.
blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2010/02/cleveland_claims_balto_lead_sl.html
If you’ve been paying attention to the links, you’ll find they’re to either the Cleveland Natural History Museum, a Cleveland school or the Cleveland Plain Dealer (the local newspaper). That's because it was a Cleveland business man, George Kimble, visited the dime museum and, remembering what the huskies had done, was furious. Kimble struck a deal with Houston: if Kimble could raise $2000 in two weeks, he could buy the team. If not, the deal was off.
A second race was on. Kimble returned to Cleveland and the entire city pitched in, children donating their money. In only ten days, Kimble had succeeded.
The entire team travelled to Cleveland, Ohio, and lead a sled through town to the Brookside Zoo (now called the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo). There, among the native fauna, in their own enclosure, the team lived out their lives.
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/postcards&CISOPTR=3897&CISOBOX=1&REC=3
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/postcards&CISOPTR=3759&CISOBOX=1&REC=4
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=222&CISOBOX=1&REC=2
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=217&CISOBOX=1&REC=7
When Balto was euthanized in 1933, the Cleveland Natural History mounted his skin, where he stands to this day. The fur, like the Chicago Field Museum’s panda, has faded from black to brown. But a video plays near the mount, showing clips of Balto’s reenactment into Nome, at Central Park, and in Cleveland.
Come 1998, when the mount was sent to Anchorage for an exhibit, the children of Palmer, Alaska asked Cleveland Museum to let Balto remain in Alaska. The Museum refused and when the children were told the full story, they agreed that Cleveland should remain Balto’s home.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-1.jpg
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-2.jpg
Today, the Iditarod is run every year to remember that run to Nome. And you can see Balto as well as buy the merchandise: www.cmnh.org/catalog/ShopbyScience/BaltoFanClub.aspx (Personally, I want that plush, mug and shirt D:).
The city and museum has never forgotten:
www.cmnh.org/site/AboutUs/PressRoom/2010/mar10balto.aspx
www.cleveland.com/parents/index.ssf/2010/04/visit_balto_and_iditarod_exhib.html
blog.cleveland.com/pdworld/2007/10/1_balto_a_sled_dog.html
To this day, if you visit the Wolf Wilderness exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, you can see statues of Balto and Togo.
oosi.ulib.csuohio.edu/oosi/big/01073.jpg
Some of my favorite Balto related items:
The Cleveland Natural History Museum’s pdf: www.cmnh.org/site/Files/AtMuseum/BaltoStory.pdf
web.archive.org/web/20101105094956/http://cmnh.org/site/Files/AtMuseum/BaltoStory.pdf
When Weather Changed History: Race to Nome (a documentary by the Weather Channel)
Togo’s Fireside Chats (the start is cute, the rest not so much)
Adventures of Balto (a nonfiction book)
Race to Nome by Kenneth Ungermann (a nonfiction book. The Cruelest Miles, frankly, is much the same).
Race Against Death by Seymour Reit (A short, fictionalized novel)
Balto: The dog that saved Nome, Alaska (A play starring Balto)
Balto, Sled dog of Alaska (a children's book)
Is anyone else a fan of Balto's true story?
The links lead to pictures.In the year 1925, Balto , the lead dog of the final relay team, lead his team into Nome with the diphtheria antitoxin. It was too late to save five of the inhabitants, but without the medicine, hundreds more of the children may well have died. Seventy years later, Spielberg would release an animated version, followed by two direct-to-video sequels: Balto II Wolf Quest, and Balto III: Wings of Change.
I do love all three films, but this post isn't about the movies. ^^
I also love the true story and so wanted to see who else loves it. ^^
For those not familiar with it, here’s the true story:
Nome had been a former gold rush town, but by 1925 the city was quiet once more. The sled dogs were used primarily for mail and racing. One of the most famous mushers was Leonard Seppala, a Norweigan whose favorite lead dog was Togo.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-5.jpg
Togo was twelve at that time and a great racer, a foundation sire, if you will, for many of the Siberian huskies today. At the time, Siberian huskies looked nothing like they do today: they were very small and fast, with varying colors. In fact, today racers prefer to use not Siberian huskies but a type called the Alaskan husky.
Balto, on the other hand, was too large and bulky. But there were many, many dogs, their names lost now.
Dr. Welsh was shocked when three of Nome’s children began dying from what he had assumed were sore throats. The grey on their throats revealed that it was diptheria, the Child Strangler. Thick greyish mucus cover the throat, suffocating the child. With so many of Nome’s children native, the contagious disease would decimate them. And there were few bottles of aged antitoxin left.
Dr. Welch sent a telegram to Seattle, desperate for antitoxin. Anchorage was able to find bottles: not as much as Welch needed, but enough to stop an epidemic.
But Nome, so far north, www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AtTheMuseum/PermanentExhibits/Balto/map.jpg was cut off. The sea was frozen. Despite the journalists down south saying that it would be a waste of time to not fly, the governor knew that the current planes could not handle the storm. The antitoxin could not be risked.
Instead, it was sent by train to Nenana. There relays of dog teams would run the mail trail, called the Iditarod. Never before had the trip been completed in less than a week; but the children didn’t have time to wait. It was a race against time and weather, for a blizzard raged the land.
Wild Bill Shannon led the first relay, followed by more teams. Two of Shannon’s dogs had run so hard that their lungs became frostbitten and died.
Seppala and Togo would take the longest trip, across the ice of Norton Sound. It was a dangerous shortcut, but Seppala trusted that Togo could lead him through.
But the governor had ordered more teams added, something that Seppala was not aware of. Fortunately, Ivanoff had stopped to untangle his team and was able to flag down Seppala. Seppala travelled the distance, yet at a terrible cost: Togo was injured and would never race again.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AtTheMuseum/PermanentExhibits/Balto/banner.jpg
Gunnar Kaasen, an employee of Seppala, was the second to last team. Kaasen was to use Fox, but Kaasen used Balto.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-3.jpg
The blizzard was raging now. The call was issued to hold the serum.
But Kaasen didn’t get the message and continued. Balto proved his worth, leading the team through and preventing them from falling into the river.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-4.jpg
The last relay was still sleeping when Kaasen arrived.
Controversly, Kaasen decided to keep on and before daybreak, Balto lead the team into Nome. Not an antitoxin was lost and the children were saved.
Seppala was furious when he returned to have the newspaper men giving Balto all the credit (and even some of Togo’s). A Hollywood producer, Sol Lesser, bought the team from Seppala and filmed a now lost reactment called “Balto’s Race to Nome”.
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=221&CISOBOX=1&REC=3
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=220&CISOBOX=1&REC=4
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=219&CISOBOX=1&REC=5
The team toured the country, with Balto at the reveal of his statue in Central Park.
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=223&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=218&CISOBOX=1&REC=6
Eventually the public lost interest. Togo would live out his life peacefully in New England, Kaasen and Seppala returned to Nome. Balto however, was sold, along with his teammates Tillie (the only female), Alaska Slim, Old Moctoc, Fox, Billy, and Sye were sold to Sam Houston’s dime museum in Los Angelos. There the dogs were abused, malnourished and ill.
blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2010/02/cleveland_claims_balto_lead_sl.html
If you’ve been paying attention to the links, you’ll find they’re to either the Cleveland Natural History Museum, a Cleveland school or the Cleveland Plain Dealer (the local newspaper). That's because it was a Cleveland business man, George Kimble, visited the dime museum and, remembering what the huskies had done, was furious. Kimble struck a deal with Houston: if Kimble could raise $2000 in two weeks, he could buy the team. If not, the deal was off.
A second race was on. Kimble returned to Cleveland and the entire city pitched in, children donating their money. In only ten days, Kimble had succeeded.
The entire team travelled to Cleveland, Ohio, and lead a sled through town to the Brookside Zoo (now called the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo). There, among the native fauna, in their own enclosure, the team lived out their lives.
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/postcards&CISOPTR=3897&CISOBOX=1&REC=3
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/postcards&CISOPTR=3759&CISOBOX=1&REC=4
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=222&CISOBOX=1&REC=2
images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/press&CISOPTR=217&CISOBOX=1&REC=7
When Balto was euthanized in 1933, the Cleveland Natural History mounted his skin, where he stands to this day. The fur, like the Chicago Field Museum’s panda, has faded from black to brown. But a video plays near the mount, showing clips of Balto’s reenactment into Nome, at Central Park, and in Cleveland.
Come 1998, when the mount was sent to Anchorage for an exhibit, the children of Palmer, Alaska asked Cleveland Museum to let Balto remain in Alaska. The Museum refused and when the children were told the full story, they agreed that Cleveland should remain Balto’s home.
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-1.jpg
www.cmnh.org/site/Img/AboutUs/Pressroom/Balto/Balto-2.jpg
Today, the Iditarod is run every year to remember that run to Nome. And you can see Balto as well as buy the merchandise: www.cmnh.org/catalog/ShopbyScience/BaltoFanClub.aspx (Personally, I want that plush, mug and shirt D:).
The city and museum has never forgotten:
www.cmnh.org/site/AboutUs/PressRoom/2010/mar10balto.aspx
www.cleveland.com/parents/index.ssf/2010/04/visit_balto_and_iditarod_exhib.html
blog.cleveland.com/pdworld/2007/10/1_balto_a_sled_dog.html
To this day, if you visit the Wolf Wilderness exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, you can see statues of Balto and Togo.
oosi.ulib.csuohio.edu/oosi/big/01073.jpg
Some of my favorite Balto related items:
The Cleveland Natural History Museum’s pdf: www.cmnh.org/site/Files/AtMuseum/BaltoStory.pdf
web.archive.org/web/20101105094956/http://cmnh.org/site/Files/AtMuseum/BaltoStory.pdf
When Weather Changed History: Race to Nome (a documentary by the Weather Channel)
Togo’s Fireside Chats (the start is cute, the rest not so much)
Adventures of Balto (a nonfiction book)
Race to Nome by Kenneth Ungermann (a nonfiction book. The Cruelest Miles, frankly, is much the same).
Race Against Death by Seymour Reit (A short, fictionalized novel)
Balto: The dog that saved Nome, Alaska (A play starring Balto)
Balto, Sled dog of Alaska (a children's book)
Is anyone else a fan of Balto's true story?
