Sled Dogs to the Rescue

Sled Dogs to the Rescue

A Terrible Disease In January 1925, sled dog teams raced in a blizzard through the wilderness of Alaska. They battled through heavy snow and icy winds to save children's lives.

It all started when a terrible disease spread through the town of Nome, Alaska. The children became very sick and needed medicine right away. The medicine that could save the children was in Anchorage, almost1, 000 miles (1, 600 km) away.

The medicine could be delivered part of the way, to Nenana, by train. Even so, it was 674 miles (1, 085 km)from the last train stop to Nome. Back then, sled dogs were used to deliver goods in the snow. It was clear that sled dogs were the best way to deliver the medicine. However, the distance was too far for one sled dog team. A relay was the only hope.

The Great Sled Dog Relay More than 20 top mushers and 150 dogs were set to take part in the relay. Mushers would hand off the medicine to the next team at different posts along the way. On January 27, the medicine arrived by train where the first sled dog team waited. The package, wrapped in heavy fur to keep the medicine from freezing, was handed off.

The race to Nome was on. The dogs battled through rough wilderness in the bitter cold. The medicine was passed from team to team. Many times, the mushers had to stop to warm the medicine by a fire. Some of the dogs did not survive the journey.