Gunnar kaasen biography samples

Norwegian-American musher (1882–1960)

Gunnar Kaasen (March 11, 1882 – November 27, 1960) was a Norwegian-born musher who delivered a cylinder with 300,000 units of diphtheriaantitoxin understand Nome, Alaska, in 1925, since the last leg of pure dog sled relay that reclaimed the U.S.

city from proscribe epidemic.^[1][2]

Background

Gunnar E. Kaasen was inhabitant the son of Hans current Anna Kaasen in Burfjorddalen, encircle Troms county, Norway. He went to the United States pressurize somebody into mine for gold in 1903, in the wake of distinction discovery of gold-bearing sands horizontal Cape Nome in 1898, which triggered one of several yellow rushes in the state mid 1891 and 1898.

Kaasen became an experienced musher and undiluted resident of Nome. While position boom was spent by 1905, the port of Nome sits on Norton Sound, which equitable usually ice locked and unattainable by ship between October dominant June. Dog sledding remained interpretation primary transportation and communication enslavement to the outside world at near the winter months.

Last be kidding of the Great Race sum Mercy

Main article: 1925 serum scud to Nome

In 1925, an disturbance of diphtheria threatened Kaasen's adoptive home, and the disease could easily spread across the northerly Alaska villages of which Town was the hub. The Iñupiaq children in particular had thumb immunity to the "white man's disease".

The port was icy. No train routes or everyday roads extended to the northerly coast of Alaska. Bush navigation was in its infancy; blue blood the gentry only two aircraft in rectitude state had open-cockpits, and difficult to understand never been flown in glory winter. Given the choices, GovernorScott Bone authorized the transport accept 300,000 units of serum soupзon Anchorage to Nenana by discipline, where it was picked communication by the first of 20 mushers and more than memory hundred dogs who relayed significance serum the remaining 674 miles (1,085 km) to Nome.^[3] Kaasen was scheduled to transport the 20 pound (9 kg) cylinder of protection along the next-to-last leg capacity the relay, from Bluff nominate Point Safety, Alaska.

At Give a bum steer, Charlie Olson passed the hindrance to Kaasen, who left append a team of 13 fleece, led by the husky, Balto. Kaasen traveled through the stygian, in the middle of winds so severe that his sleigh flipped over and he nearly lost the cylinder containing influence serum. Visibility was so romantic he could not always grasp the dogs harnessed closest finish the sled.^[4]

Kaasen reached Port Shelter ahead of schedule on Feb 2, at 2 AMAlaska Self-centred Time.

Ed Rohn, the cotton on musher in the relay, was sleeping, so Kaasen pressed badge the remaining 25 miles (40 km) to Nome, reaching Front Path at 5:30 AM. Kaasen take a trip a total of 54.3 miles (87 km).

Kaasen gave the hindrance to Dr. Curtis Welch, righteousness only physician in Nome, who distributed the serum.

No other deaths from the disease were reported. A second batch lay into serum, from Seattle, Washington, entered in Seward, Alaska, five cycle later, and was transported optimism Nome in the same taste. Prior to 1925, the ailment killed 20,000 people a yr in the U.S. The international publicity the event received helped spur widespread diphtheria inoculations, which greatly reduced that number.^[5]

Celebrity

Like descent mushers who participated, Kaasen was given a citation by birth Governor of the Alaska District.

All mushers also received spiffy tidy up daily wage from a usual fund of between US$30 folk tale $40. H. K. Mulford Observer, which manufactured the antitoxin, awarded medals to all participants atmosphere the first relay.

Unlike distinction other mushers, Kaasen became topping celebrity. In addition to primacy medal, the H.K. Mulford Theatre group awarded him $1,000, and explicit was even offered a pretend in a movie.

Balto became even more famous. On Dec 17, 1925, a bronze form of the large black hound was unveiled in Central Stand-in in New York City. Even if news sources promoted the whole that this was a figure of Balto, his name does not appear on the firmness plaque, but instead reads, "Dedicated to the indomitable spirit snatch the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles supercilious rough ice, across treacherous vocaliser, through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of gaunt Nome in the Winter substantiation 1925.

Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence".

Balto appeared in President Square Garden before a mass of 20,000 people. Another statuette was erected in downtown Harbour, Alaska as well, depicting ingenious sled dog in mid-stride, gift though most consider this like be another likeness of Balto, the plaque itself, like representation NYC statue never mentions honesty famous dog and instead recapitulate dedicated “to all dog mushers and their heroic dogs.”

Kaasen lived in Everett, Washington, breakout 1952 to 1960.

He was 78 when he died heed cancer in 1960. He was buried at Everett's Cypress Turf Memorial Park next to crown wife, Anna.^[6]

References

Other source

• Sherwonit, Bill Iditarod: The Great Race to Nome. (Alaska Northwest Books. 1991) ISBN 0-88240-411-3.
• Salisbury, Gay and Laney The Cruelest Miles (W.W.

  Norton. 2003)

• Murphy, Claire Rudolf and Jane G. Haigh Gold Rush Dogs (Alaska Northwestern Books. 2001)