Seward daily gateway., 1925-03-07
BILL SHANNON
 TELLSGATEWAY
 GRUELLING TRIP
LEFT NENANA FEBRUARY 27TH IN DENSE FOG, WITH PACKAGE
 OF ANTtTOxlN
MERCURY 62o BELOW
Three Dogs Dead with Frozen Lungs and Others Liable to De-Cold
 So Intense Is Stupefying

Willard J. Shannon. better known 10 Alaskans as just Bill" arrived in Seward on yesterdays freight on his Outside with the remnant of his team of famous huskies. Mir. Shannon was the man who took the package of antitoxin on the first relay from Me- mana to Nome, delivering it over at Tolovana after one of the most gruel- ing trips ever recorded in the annals of Alaska dogmushing.
 Lean, lanky and frost-scarred Bill" Shannon represents the type of Alas kan rapidly vanishing from the last frontier. Although but 34 years of years on the Yukon first as a soldier in the O. M. Corps, stationed at Fort Gibbons, where he was sent in 1914, and later as prospector dog musher and explorer. MT. Shannon was Out side during the world war, stationed at some post in the States, but as soon as his discharge was received he re- turned to the North, determined to wrest fortune from the frozen ground. Today he and his plucky wife are on their way to the States to re- main.
 He may take an offer made by a moving picture concern, or he may go back to the green-clad hills of the Adirondacks, where he was born, and where Alaska is little known.
 MT. Shannon is son of MT. and Mrs. Edward Shannon, of Constable, New York. He lived there until 15 years ago, when he joined the army and was detailed to Fort Gibbons, acting Quartermaster sergeant, Four teenth Infantry. He was stationed at the confluence of the Panama and Yukon rivers, at Fort Gibbon, a desc late spot which God forgot shortly after it was made. While in the States MT. Shannon was married at Vancou- yer, Wash, and following his dis charge from the army he and his plucky wife started for the Northland where they have remained ever since
 MT. Shannon had a team of II dogs, which he had raised from pups The strain is one-quarter wolf, the balance Mackenzie river huskie. Today he has eight, three of which are incapac- ltated from work and may never re- cover "Blackie," his famous leader, came back undamaged and with no thought of having competed in an epic Of the North, one which sagas of old would have sung mid changing shields of Viking hordes, had the race with Death occurred several hundred years age.
 On the morning of February 27, 'Bill' Shannon was approached at Nenana by Postoffice Inspector Wet gel, who told him he would like to have him take package to Tolovana the next day. The mercury at this time was around 40 below, with indi- cations of colder weather. MT. Shan non inquired the nature of the trip, and was told that an epidemic of diph- theria had struck Nome, and no medi- cine was to be obtained there; that it was desired to send serums through by dog team as rapidly as possible if human life was to be saved. MT. l Shannon said, ''If that is the case. I ! had better start today, and not wait" At D. m. that night he left for Camp l bells roadhouse, 32 miles away. The 1 trail was bad, the night was dark, and the cold was most intense, piercing thru the thickest fur garments, anc | with steady relentl less sapping the vitality of man anG beast. As he