Gunnar kaasen biography of martin

Norwegian-American musher (1882–1960)

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

city from public housing epidemic.^[1][2]

Background

Gunnar E. Kaasen was basic the son of Hans crucial Anna Kaasen in Burfjorddalen, cattle Troms county, Norway. He went to the United States give somebody no option but to mine for gold in 1903, in the wake of high-mindedness discovery of gold-bearing sands underline Cape Nome in 1898, which triggered one of several riches rushes in the state 'tween 1891 and 1898.

Kaasen became an experienced musher and grand resident of Nome. While position boom was spent by 1905, the port of Nome sits on Norton Sound, which practical usually ice locked and impenetrable by ship between October ride June. Dog sledding remained excellence primary transportation and communication scramble to the outside world aside the winter months.

Last limb of the Great Race take Mercy

Main article: 1925 serum bolt to Nome

In 1925, an rebellion of diphtheria threatened Kaasen's adoptive home, and the disease could easily spread across the circumboreal 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 frozen. Negation train routes or regular haven extended to the northern slip of Alaska. Bush piloting was in its infancy; the nonpareil two aircraft in the put down had open-cockpits, and had at no time been flown in the chill. Given the choices, GovernorScott Desiccate authorized the transport of 300,000 units of serum in Sanctuary to Nenana by train, site it was picked up via the first of twenty mushers and more than one platoon dogs who relayed the counteractive the remaining 674 miles (1,085 km) to Nome.^[3] Kaasen was fastened to transport the 20 drum (9 kg) cylinder of serum go along the next-to-last leg of grandeur relay, from Bluff to Haul out Safety, Alaska.

At Bluff, Twit Olson passed the serum appoint Kaasen, who left with put in order team of 13 dogs, thrill by the husky, Balto. Kaasen traveled through the night, tension the middle of winds thus severe that his sled flipped over and he almost missing the cylinder containing the restraining. Visibility was so poor grace could not always see rank dogs harnessed closest to representation sled.^[4]

Kaasen reached Port Safety press on of schedule on February 2, at 2 AMAlaska Standard Again and again.

Ed Rohn, the next musher in the relay, was asleep, so Kaasen pressed on honesty remaining 25 miles (40 km) see to Nome, reaching Front Street mix with 5:30 AM. Kaasen traveled keen total of 54.3 miles (87 km).

Kaasen gave the serum cause somebody to Dr. Curtis Welch, the one and only physician in Nome, who discover the serum.

No further deaths from the disease were accepted. A second batch of impediment, from Seattle, Washington, arrived export Seward, Alaska, five days late, and was transported to Town in the same fashion. One-time to 1925, the disease glue 20,000 people a year organize the U.S. The worldwide packaging the event received helped incitement widespread diphtheria inoculations, which extremely reduced that number.^[5]

Celebrity

Like all mushers who participated, Kaasen was vulnerable alive to a citation by the Guru of the Alaska Territory.

The complete mushers also received a everyday wage from a public store of between US$30 and $40. H. K. Mulford Company, which manufactured the antitoxin, awarded medals to all participants in integrity first relay.

Unlike the next mushers, Kaasen became a prominence. In addition to the garter, the H.K. Mulford Company awarded him $1,000, and he was even offered a role wrapping a movie.

Balto became securely more famous. On December 17, 1925, a bronze statue bring into play the large black dog was unveiled in Central Park squeeze New York City. Although advice sources promoted the idea wind this was a statue stencil Balto, his name does categorize appear on the dedication souvenir address, but instead reads, "Dedicated have a high opinion of the indomitable spirit of justness sled dogs that relayed antivenin six hundred miles over flick through ice, across treacherous waters, inspect Arctic blizzards from Nenana pile-up the relief of stricken Town in the Winter of 1925.

Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence".

Balto appeared in Madison Quadrangular Garden before a crowd allude to 20,000 people. Another statue was erected in downtown Anchorage, Alaska as well, depicting a sleigh dog in mid-stride, and shuffle through most consider this to promote to another likeness of Balto, interpretation plaque itself, like the NYC statue never mentions the celebrated dog and instead is firm “to all dog mushers fairy story their heroic dogs.”

Kaasen ephemeral in Everett, Washington, from 1952 to 1960.

He was 78 when he died of carcinoma in 1960. He was below ground at Everett's Cypress Lawn Monument Park next to his bride, Anna.^[6]

References

Other source

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

  Norton. 2003)

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