The Lost Franklin Expedition

In May of 1845, two vessels of the Royal Navy, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, set out from England. En route to the Canadian Arctic, their mission was to find the Northwest Passage, a trade route from the Atlantic to the Pacific over Canada. But the men were never seen again. This mystery last almost 170 years before the ships were once again found. But these ships were some of the most technologically advanced and well prepared ships for the job. So just what happened? Check it out and find out just what might have happened to the Doomed Franklin Expedition.
#History #Disaster
Works cited:
www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/...
www.history.com/news/franklin...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankli...
AMC's The Terror
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[@tacitus6384]

"They offloaded 5 men who were too ill to continue the journey." They were the lucky ones.

[@fluffywolfo3663]

Some Englishman after being too sick to go on the expedition: "I may never live with this shame. I was _the man too sick to explore the unknown-_ Years later: "Shit, at least I'm alive."

[@martywood8543]

@@fluffywolfo3663 Yep.

[@kaengurus.sind.genossen]

The only survivors

[@snakeguy8646]

I don’t think it’s a guarantee they lived tbh, if I remember they may have had Tuberculosis, which also is theorized to have been spreading among the crews of the ships

[@SkyPilot-qx2sb]

This sounds like a horror Documentary line to be honest. What makes it more frightening… it’s true.

[@RuhrRedArmy]

The thought of Crozier potentially surviving years afterwards in the frozen wilderness is truly haunting and sad

[@alexanderbrambila8274]

Haunting yes, sad no. I like to think their love of home and the small chance of seeing loved ones again, kept them going long after all hope was lost. Hope preserves us in our time of need. And maybe, just maybe they did make it, made a new life with the inuit people.

[@letsgobrandon416]

Does sound quite strange, as wouldn't continuing south be a better chance than surviving in the arctic?

[@alexanderbrambila8274]

@@letsgobrandon416 without supplies and man power going south would be harder than staying with a tribe and surviving.

[@Saralee-fp2rr]

I needed to rewind to make sure I heard that correctly

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@letsgobrandon416 "Does sound quite strange, as wouldn't continuing south be a better chance than surviving in the arctic?" In theory, sure. In reality...Crozier and his men were surely suffering from malnutrition, and without skill or experience in Arctic overland travel. It was over 1200 miles to the seasonal Hudson Bay Company outpost at Fort Resolution, and even farther to the nearest year round one at Fort Churchill - over brutal terrain, much of it uncharted. It was feat well beyond their strength.

[@thundercactus]

I read a very interesting paper on the Franklin's lead toxicity. And it posited that the source was primarily, and overwhelmingly, the water purification system. It's been assumed the cans were the primary source, BUT, despite being the first "batch" from that company, those cans were used many more times on many other ships without incident. And the amount of lead poisoning that could have been absorbed from the food just didn't seem to add up to what they were finding in the bodies. What makes way more sense is the specialized water system on the Terror and Erebus. Because they had steam locomotive engines fitted, which had massive 2000lb/hr water requirements, and seawater would have fouled them quickly, the ships needed a lot of fresh water in reserve to fill the need. Now, the primary source of distilled water on the ships was the Fraser patent stove, which was heated by steam, thus producing potable water for the crew (but only enough for the crew). There was a lead lined water tank as reserve, but if they were to use the engines they'd need a way to produce a lot of distilled water very quickly. Enter the Fraser patent steam heating furnace. A furnace that heats the ship by steam, thus in addition to heating, also produces a lot of distilled water, has the heat to melt ice and snow gathered in a deck tank into fresh water, AND can also supply steam for the Fraser stove. Now in most lead water systems on land, you get a nice calcification build up in the pipes which will naturally protect the lead from the water and vice versa.But on a freshly build heating system of lead pipes, with brand new lead water tanks, there's no calcification buildup. And distilled water does NOT like being pure water, so it desperately tries to absorb anything into it, like lead. And you know what makes that process MUCH faster? Heat. So running hot steam through lead pipes, then gathering the condensate basically guarantees a large amount of lead contamination. Not only were they drinking this water, but also using it to bake biscuits with all the flour they had brought. This would explain the levels of lead toxicity, as well as providing a plausible reason they may have abandoned ship; had a furnace broken from corroding its own steam pipes, it could have been cause to abandon ship. Not just due to the change of environment, but the fact that damp clothing is very deadly for anyone wanting to go outside in the arctic.

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Huh, very interesting. I had read that they had potable water distiller, but didn't know the exact details on it. Very cool. Got any sources in case others want to read up on it as well?

[@thundercactus]

@@MaritimeHorrors Yes! KZbin is hating the link, it's a journal of the Hakluyt Society; "Identification of the Probable Source of the Lead Poisoning Observed in Members of the Franklin Expedition" by William Battersby It's remarkably difficult to find on its own, I had trouble finding it again myself, but it's well worth the read!

[@victoriadiesattheend.8478]

@@thundercactus thank you.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

"This would explain the levels of lead toxicity, as well as providing a plausible reason they may have abandoned ship." It's an interesting thought, and a close analysis of the surviving pipes and furnace components on the wrecks might tell us a lot. But I also think we hardly need to look at the furnace and pipes for a reason why Crozier abandoned the ships in April 1848. Nutrition *had* to have been a pressing concern; they had three years of food stores, which on normal rations would last until July 1848; even had they spent the previous 9-12 months on reduced rations (and they probably did), it's doubtful the stretching of the food stores would get them through to the summer of 1849. And that does not even get into the issue of scurvy, which almost certainly had to be a live concern at that point. They would have needed fresh game, and they would have needed it urgently.

[@abrahamdozer6273]

@@richardmalcolm1457 The Inuit escaped getting scurvy by eating their seal meat raw, the fat of which contains high levels of vitamin C. As soon as you cook it, though the Vitamin C is destroyed by the heat. There is no way that you would have convinced a Royal Navy crew to eat their meat raw even if they knew what vitamins were, anyway.

[@oban6051]

“He was simply tired of the arctic” as a soldier stationed in Alaska I feel this on a spiritual level.

[@thepodcastcrew1113]

Thanks that gave me a good chuckle!

[@crabbyj]

😆😆😆

[@spookieboogi6161]

*looks left looks right* yes sir it’s… the same as it was 8 hours ago just lots of snow and *squints* oh and I just watched my sanity jump off a cliff

[@biggsweaty]

I wish you well out there

[@philliphampton5183]

Wainwright?

[@lawsharland7278]

fucking crazy that Crozier was still trying to escape the arctic 12 yrs after the expedition first departed imagine being trapped in the great white nothing for 12 full years

[@louise_rose]

Is that more than just a legend? I figured he would have died in 1847/49 like the rest of them

[@lawsharland7278]

@@louise_rose their are reports from the Inuit of crozier still being alive with one other person and a cairn of European construction was found in the areas that the Inuit described

[@richardmalcolm1457]

We actually don't *know* it was Crozier. What we have is a second hand report relayed by Inuit to Charles Francis Hall in the 1860's, describing a party of four white men. Hall eagerly glossed the description of one of the men as surely being Crozier. But we really don't know. And there's other founded scholarly speculation (see Dave Woodman's book) based on other Inuit reports that Crozier died on King William Island in the summer of 1849.

[@louise_rose]

@@richardmalcolm1457 Exactly. It's basically hearsay and it seems extremely unlikely that Crozier and a few other men would have travelled on for years in the wilderness, covering many hundreds of kilometers all on their own, They knew nothing about how to hunt wood buffalo, Arctic birds or whatever, and they were ill adjusted to the climate.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@louise_rose Indeed! And consider also Crozier's age (49 at the outset of the expedition) and health, permanntly damaged from the Antarctic expedition with Ross. Given this, how likely is it that he was "the last man standing" (or one of the last men)? I mean, it's not *impossible* - we simply don't know! There's so little concrete information to go on. But the odds were definitely against it. If there was a senior officer left alive in those final summers, it's more likely to have been the much younger, more athletic James Fitzjames. But I hate to speculate on the basus of so little data.

[@Henry-cd9pw]

Fun fact about the 1819 franklin expedition where he ate his boots, there was also literal cannibalism. At one point they ran out of food, so some guys went off to hunt. Later only one returned and with lots of meat. Soon afterwards one of the guys at camp died while “cleaning his musket”. To save themselves the remaining crew killed the cannibal, Michel, when he returned from hunting.

[@margotwenty6436]

The Inuit often had to turn to cannibalism to survive if your land Visited by strange looking people would you not rather eat them then yourselves

[@tylerbrown5478]

@@margotwenty6436 no I wouldn't

[@loggue9193]

@@tylerbrown5478 then you have never experienced true hunger

[@hallamhal]

I think there was someone in the Donner Party who died whilst 'cleaning their musket', seems to be a recurring theme

[@mollybennett3291]

I feel like I read a book about this… it envovled someone carving whale bones I think?

[@CoconutsGlow]

With names like Erebus (Darkness) and Terror... Hindsight is 20/20 but damn that's some heavy foreshadowing.

[@MaritimeHorrors]

I think the intentions were originally to be intimidating to the enemies of the Royal navy, but I agree. Probably why we name spaceships things like Discovery and Apollo instead of Doom and Destruction.

[@blackhawk4ful]

Five bucks they Would add a third ship: hms we are all going to die

[@cdgconverselimbo6505]

800 Miles… that’s roughly the distance between Denmark and Italy …through snow, low on food and suffering from lead poisoning and scurvy. Fucking insane.

[@Huntress_Hannah]

The man who stayed home with his wife successfully dodged being eaten

[@normanby100]

His wife would eat part ofhim most nights.

[@thatchannel195]

Hello. What's the news from the other provinces?

[@lonemaus562]

@@normanby100 lol nice one

[@jaysonstinson9458]

lo

[@mattstorm360]

@@mervviscious He could have taken his wife with him on the expedition.

[@beanieweenietapioca]

As a young child I remember watching the Nova special that featured the 1980s exhumation and autopsies of Beachy Island. My parents would never have let me watch, say, a zombie movie at that age; but a PBS documentary was just fine, right? The faces on those exhumed sailors horrified me for years afterwards.

[@Conehead919]

Me too bro. I stoped eating chicken bc skin reminded me of the 3 bodies

[@nono-fb8tr]

I had the opposite reaction. I watched that same Nova special as a kid and it sparked a life long fascination with mummified remains and old human remains in general. To this day I daydream about being a forensic anthropologist and studying old bodies.

[@allecto0940]

@@nono-fb8tr me too.

[@aratsincapacity]

I has to close the tab and listen to the rest of this video because that body frightened me so bad (╥﹏╥)

[@freak49]

I saw that Nova episode and it was the first time I heard this story. Ever since then I've had this obsession with stories of extreme survival - the Donner Party, the Essex, etc

[@armavirumquecano6190]

"And when I say there is no cannibalism in the Royal Navy, I do mean that there is a certain amount."

[@richardmalcolm1457]

Perfect!

[@Phoebe5448]

Well, it was called the custom of the sea for a reason.

[@Assassinus2]

"And what do you think the Argylls ate in Aden? Arabs? Yours etc., Captain B.J. Smethwick in a white wine sauce with shallots, mushrooms, and garlic."

[@lauragoodspeed7044]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@indyj16]

1846/47 was also the same winter when the Donnor Party got trapped in the mountains, snowed in.

[@Katpiratefan275]

Holy crap! 1846/47 a winter of tragedy.

[@Linnnaeus]

Abraham Lincoln was supposed to go with them as he was friends with the Donner's, but his wife convinced him not to

[@Katpiratefan275]

@@Linnnaeus smart lady. Can only imagine President Lincoln resorting to cannibalism, or emerging from the blizzard and everyone believing they are saved, but And still as screwed as the rest of them. Yeesh

[@ZGryphon]

I used to have a friend who would always tell the person in charge of seating at restaurants that his name was Donner, just to make them come out to the lobby when a table was ready and announce, "Donner, party of four..." (Or however many,.)

[@ZGryphon]

@@Katpiratefan275 By a strange coincidence, that winter was _also_ the height (if "height" is the appropriate word) of the Great Hunger in Ireland.

[@clemdane]

The Terror tv series on AMC was absolutely brilliant. Yes, they added some supernatural elements, which I would normally loathe, but it didn't detract from the story. The performances were stellar across the entire cast and the writing as well. I normally hate when anyone takes liberties with history, but in this case the look and feel of it made me feel like I had traveled back to 1845. Some found the series slow, but I didn't mind the pace. They managed to maintain the suspense and tension until the very end.

[@johnbooth9957]

That was amazing

[@clemdane]

@@meddle98 I envy you watching it for the first time!

[@robparker1227]

Why did Hickey abduct Crozier near the end? Given that he later stated he wasn't trying to escape (I'd assumed he needed Crozier to pilot the ship, to which they were supposedly returning) it didn't make sense, unless it was something to do with delivering the chief to the creature?

[@MackerelCat]

Actually I found it disappointing

[@zmajodnocaja5088]

the monster made it unwatchable for me. what a load of s-h-i-t

[@brettspieleiq2384]

For me, the monster in the amazon series always was just a symbol of all the things the crew could not understand about the far north and the cold and the dangers that were out there or that they only imagined. I'm not normally into horror movies, but man was that series great!

[@sean5558]

Wasn’t it an AMC series

[@samanthab1923]

sean Yes, it was really good too.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@sean5558 It was an AMC series, but Amazon carries it, and I suspect most people have seen it via Amazon.

[@benharbak]

I read the book years before the AMC series and it's well worth the read. Dan Simmons is a masterful author and captures the hopelessness and bone-chilling cold the crews must have felt.

[@zmajodnocaja5088]

no, it's just a stupid monster a bad writer invented because he couldn't write an interesting novel despite the fact the real story is astonishing.

[@EireForTheIrish]

Been fascinated and obsessed with this mystery for years now... I can't even open a tin of beans without thinking about these poor souls and what they went through....

[@louise_rose]

I know, and you are far from alone. I first read about it in a book (from the 1920s) about the history of polar exploration - very good book by the way, it tells of many expeditions you won't find in most popular books - and of course also about the many expeditions that came to searxh for them. It's such an amazing, tragic drama. Franklin and his men were lost, but the wave of rescue expeditions helped clear up the geography of much of the high north. It's fortyy years since I read that book for the first time, and I was thrilled when the ships were actually found, in good condition in the cold water, a couple of years ago. I hope at least one of them can be lifted some day and restored, sort of, in a museum further south.

[@harrietharlow9929]

All the stories of the early polar expeditons are poignant, but the two that haunt me are the Franklin and Scott expeditions.

[@lonemaus562]

Idk why that made me laugh lol

[@sergiobarros2697]

@@louise_rose do you remember the name of the 20’s book you mentioned…looks interesting.

[@55elledge]

I found out about the Franklin expedition when I was in elementary school shortly after the exhumations on beechy island. Now they have found both ships, in a remarkable state of preservation. They almost look like the could be pumped out and refloated. Almost exactly in the spot where the natives in the area said it was.

[@leflayart]

I watched the show The Terror, and the accuracy of casting look-a-like actors to the real life people is absolutely astounding.

[@mariakelly1059]

I didn't see the series, but I loved the novel the series was based on, by Dan Simmons.

[@Zeruel3]

@@mariakelly1059 Having read the novel and seen the series I really, really recommend the series, it's as good if not better in some bits and virtually everything is historically accurate

[@pemo2676]

@@mariakelly1059 i also recommend the series - really beautiful filmmaking and as accurate to the time period as you can get other then a few small exceptions. and tuunbaq

[@JD_79]

The food cans are such a hotly debated topic that we will never really know what state the food was in. It has been speculated that the food provided for this expedition was actually considered good by the standards of the time and that the quality went downhill sometime later. I have read accounts that the Navy was using this food source elsewhere in service for years before they began to encounter problems with it. Additionally, while the lead sealing the cans is an issue it was not nearly as much lead as they were receiving from the water system piping and, as scary as this sounds, was not considered an excessive amount of lead exposure over what the average British subject was being exposed to already. Again, this is speculative. Lead poisoning may have been a big factor or might have paled in comparison to the scurvy the crew was certainly experiencing three years into the expedition.

[@felixbeutin8105]

Also the lead would be electrochemically attracted to the tin in the cans

[@mariakelly1059]

I read a very interesting nonfiction book called Iceblink that explores the lead poisoning theory extensively.

[@tomhenry897]

This was government contractors makeing the food Even in WW2 they took short cuts

[@kimraudenbush615]

Actually, the lead poisoning alone was enough to doom the expedition. What you need to remember is that the poisoning itself didn't kill most of them, the RESULTS of the poisoning did. One of the effects is reduced concentration, meaning you can't think clearly, and are more likely to make bad decisions. It also weakens the muscles. Below is a list of lead poisoning symptoms quoted from the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registration website: "Continuum of Signs and Symptoms of Ongoing Lead Exposure [ATSDR 2010] Lowest Exposure Dose Signs and Symptoms: Impaired Cognitive Abilities/Subclinical Neuro/Psychoneuro/Neurobehavioral Findings (patient may appear asymptomatic) Decreased learning and memory Decreased verbal ability Early signs of hyperactivity or ADHD Impaired speech and hearing functions Lowered IQ Low Exposure Dose Signs and Symptoms Irritability Lethargy Mild fatigue Myalgia or paresthesia Occasional abdominal discomfort Moderate Exposure Dose Signs and Symptoms Arthralgia Constipation Difficulty concentrating/Muscular exhaustibility Diffuse abdominal pain General fatigue Headache Tremor Vomiting Weight loss High Exposure Dose Signs and Symptoms Colic (intermittent, severe abdominal cramps) Encephalopathy-may abruptly lead to seizure, change in consciousness, coma, and death Paresis or paralysis"

[@tomhutchins7495]

Just a quick note on decoupling the screw propeller: while it is certainly a benefit that hauling the screw inside the hull would protect it from ice, the main reason this was done was because the screw was an emergency propulsion. Early steam engines were inefficient, used coal very quickly, and combined with the small coal bunkers on board this meant they were only used if the ship were dangerously becalmed. The reason you pull the screw out of the water is that trailing a static screw produces a lot of drag.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

Good points. Add to that that Franklin only had enough coal to do 12 days full steaming. Much is made of Terror's and Erebus's propulsion as a great advance; but while it was certainly an improvement on any previous polar expedition, it really would have been of only very limited, sparing use. Virtually all of their voyage would have been under sail power only.

[@eliotreader8220]

@@richardmalcolm1457 i understand both of the steam engines that powered both ships was adapted underpowered steam locomotives instead of marine type stationary steam engines. I understand the Royal navy brought them cheap. i expect they got through a lot of fuel getting up steam every time they used them

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@eliotreader8220 Right. Just so. A key reason the RN did this was not just the low cost, but also the limited space. EREBUS and TERROR were small (sub-400 tons) and maritime engines and the requisite coal supply would have eaten up much of the room in the hold needed for food supplies.

[@Katpiratefan275]

Well, the locomotive engine would be rendered useless then, a giant paper weight. It's top speed would have only been 4 knots. And looking at maps of the Arctic, you can't go very fast either without being extremely careful, not without running the risk of ripping your keel out from under you. I understand they thought having a locomotive engine and propeller on board was a good idea, but in the case of Arctic exploration, would have been a better idea to look at other options or other use of space.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@Katpiratefan275 In truth, the better idea would have been not to send it at all! Well - or at least, to send a radically different kind mission. It's generally accepted that Franklin had very little chance of succeeding, even had the climate not been so adverse in 1846-48.

[@karanhdream]

We found the wrecks of those ships mainly thanks to the testimony of the inuit hunters and their oral history. Inuits have what could be the most accurate oral history on the planet. Since they have no written history, their lives depended on the accuracy of the information passed down. Sadly, their testimony was ridiculed and denied by England's victorian society. They were insulted and dragged through the mud, because they saw how the men resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. 170 years later, it is thanks to them that the Erebus and Terror were found.

[@ComedyLoverGirl]

I wonder if the Inuits had tried to help the stranded sailors. They clearly did interact with them, considering they knew the abysmal condition of their canned supplies, the cannibalism going on, and also could identify Crozier as one of the last people standing. Did they try to help, and did the sailors try to approach them for help, but couldn't make it work because of the language barrier or prejudice? Or were they wary of each other and kept their distance? Or perhaps they actually did help the sailors and that's why a few of them were able to stay alive on the ice for up to 12 years after the beginning of their ill-fated expedition.

[@joshuahadams]

@@ComedyLoverGirl probably, but caring for that many half-starved and frozen people is hard for small nomadic families. Like sure you could give them some meat, fish, or wild vegetables - maybe teach them to hunt and fish - but it’d be hard nursing them back to anything resembling healthy.

[@barbararice6650]

The cunts watched people starve, so fucking get out of here, oh but the bastards have mobile phones and modern technology these days, technology Franklin's men gave their lives to acquire 👈😑

[@amandaduckett3093]

@@ComedyLoverGirl I'm guessing they would have, but a similar situation ass the Donner party probably went down, where the whites refused help because of racism

[@sethescope]

​@@joshuahadamsyou make a good point - and realistically speaking, how many supplies could they spare without putting themselves at risk? or greater risk, I suppose, considering the inherent risk of living in Arctic conditions and how I imagine food wouldn't typically be in huge supply. my super duper basic understanding is that the size of a community depends on access to resources. that's why - based on my understanding - communities tend to be larger in places with better conditions and vice versa. I imagine most inuit people at the time, being regular people, would have wanted to help and probably did help as much as they could. but like you point out, their ability to help was understandably limited

[@ImCarolB]

Even if I learn nothing new about the Franklin Expedition, which was not the case here, I have to listen to every podcast I encounter. It's so horribly fascinating.

[@garyreid6165]

I have never heard of this story. When AMC brought The Terror to the small screen, I began to wonder. Expeditions like these were siren calls to adventurers, either experienced or novice. The show was a very handsome production. I remember having to applaud the production design, props and especially the wardrobe. The cast was also top notch, as well. In that environment, where it is always cold and food is scarce, God only knows what was running through the crews of The Terror and Erebus. They were fighting multiple battles on multiple fronts from within and without and they lost their lives.

[@jebediahkrimsoncraftleding3012]

The book by Dan Simmons, by the same name, is incredible. It's incredibly oppressive, so it took me a bit to get through, but if you enjoyed the show I imagine you'd love the book.

[@cavemanstyle1376]

"The Terror" series was phenomenal. An amazingly dark piece of art. The sense of dread and despair is unrelenting.

[@DoubleRainbows667]

​@hey it's pete cry about it

[@DannieKamete]

@hey it's pete Cringe how? Go read a book and increase your vocabulary. He's using language the way it's meant to be used. If you've ever seen The Terror, this description absolutely spot on

[@Clovernoris]

@@heyitspete6472 look in the mirror bozo

[@apancher]

Wow, this had me entranced from start to finish. The idea of anyone not from that area surviving in the wilderness for over a decade is mindblowing.

[@nobbynoris]

This expedition was definitely one of history's great "I wish I hadn't tried that" moments.

[@clarsach29]

The Dan Simmons novel "The Terror" is really worth a read. You get a vivid picture of the cold, the dark and the claustrophobia on board the ships marooned in the pack ice during polar night and of the misery and despair of scurvy and exhaustion as they trudged south.

[@ZGryphon]

Sir Michael Palin (of Monty Python and travel documentaries fame) has also written a nonfiction book about the career of HMS _Erebus_ (and _Terror_ as well, since as exploration ships they always deployed together), which is less dramatized, but barely less dramatic. No monsters, though, apart from arguably the Admiralty.

[@broaddusmarines]

I’ve watched season one of the Terror three times over. Probably the best thing I’ve watched all year.

[@TypeZeta2]

Season one of The Terror is really good. Keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time

[@krymera666x7]

I’ve been to the gravesite of sailors from both the expedition and rescue party. It a cold and desolate place, but rather beautiful when I saw it in daylight.

[@admanios]

I feel like it's worth mentioning that Dr. John Rae was the one who reported to the Admiralty that the Inuit had discovered evidence of cannibalism among the Franklin crew. Franklin's wife took offense to that and had Rae's name dragged through the mud for taking the Inuit at their word.

[@tomhaskett5161]

She got Charles Dickens to weigh in on the controversy. Later, Dickins and Wilkie Collins wrote a play about it called "The Frozen Deep"

[@barbararice6650]

What kind of cunts watch people starve 👈😕

[@TUMARK2]

Even Lewis and Clark hoped to find a water route to the Pacific. It was one of their objectives. Which is why the took such a difficult and roundabout way west, rowing and pushing a boat upriver on the Mississippi

[@forestshepherd253]

The Missouri, are you thinking of?They were not exploring the Mississippi during their expedition.

[@charlottescat3794]

I love this story. It was one of the stories (along with the story of the wreck of the Dutch ship Batavia - man is that a hell of a story) which has me considering going into Maritime Archaeology. Hopefully once I have finished my studies for work!

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Sounds like an interesting one, I will have to look into it. Thank you, and good luck with your studies.

[@AtlasNL]

It certainly is an interesting story, and a beautiful ship. There’s a reconstruction in Lelystad in the Netherlands you can visit.

[@jackpayne4658]

The historian Mike Dash wrote a great account of these events, 'Batavia's Graveyard'. You would be hard pressed to invent such an amazing tale - I'm very surprised that it isn't a film yet.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@MaritimeHorrors You might also consider a video on the disastrous 1786-89 Lapérouse Expedition - the parallels to Franklin are striking - kind of a Tropical Seas version of Franklin, and we know even less about its fate.

[@lori5353]

@@MaritimeHorrors Will you also look into doing an episode about the tragic USS Jeannette Expedition? My great great grandfather survived both the USS Polaris Expedition (he was one of the seamen who survived being marooned on a drifting ice floe in Arctic conditions for 6 months) and the USS Jeannette Expedition (he survived months traversing Arctic Siberia trying to find civilization/help after their ship was crushed in the ice and sank). I inherited some of his personal belongings/documents that up until a few years ago had been stored away in a trunk in my parents attic for the past 30 years. I would gladly share photos/videos of the items upon request.

[@theghostofsetokaiba3761]

I have been obsessed with this mystery for awhile now. One thing I watched on another documentary said that the climate at the time was going through a harsher winter than normal. I believe Franklin died of stress from the expectation & condition of the exploration.

[@williamjnothingburgeresq]

Nah, he was ripped apart by an Eskimo polar bear spirit. I saw it on tv

[@MaritimeHorrors]

I saw that documentary, very informative.

[@Iron-Bridge]

Nah, Tun Baaq killed him bro.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

"I believe Franklin died of stress from the expectation & condition of the exploration." Well....Franklin was 59 and in poor health when the expedition set out in 1845 - this is noted in much of the last correspondence sent home from Disko Bay by officers and men. Seems reasonable to think that the hardship of two winters in the Arctic weakened him to the point where he could have been vulnerable to a number of dangerous illnesses - most likely, pneumonia. It's striking that the Victory Point and Gore Point notes by Franklin just weeks before his death state "All well." Franklin and his officers were likely assuming (not unreasonably) that leads would open up again that summer, and they'd resume their journey onward.

[@williamjnothingburgeresq]

@@richardmalcolm1457 no, I'm pretty sure it was the bear spirit. It ripped his leg off and threw him down a hole

[@Alan-ej6wb]

I was able to go to beechy island and one of my most prized possessions is some rusty tin from the cans.

[@MaritimeHorrors]

That's an awesome keepsake!

[@Del-Canada]

Don't reuse it though or try to lick the insides.

[@alanluscombe8a553]

@@MaritimeHorrors thanks, I must say I am assuming it was from franklins men because I don’t know if it may have been some of the supplies that were left for them.

[@notbillcosby2499]

Holy crap that’s awesome

[@robertstone9988]

Be careful some places there's laws against collecting what might be historical artifacts. I know where I live if I was to find like a Roman coin I have to turn into the museum if I keep it it's theft

[@angelofthedead5589]

Brought here by Wendigoon. This provided even more information on this tragedy. But one last thing… Crozier, as a true Irishman, was just built different.

[@LaputanMachad]

We're hard to kill

[@VitZ9]

@@LaputanMachad Unless we are blowing ourselves up to get rid of the English.

[@Goddot]

@@LaputanMachad God knows the Brits tried

[@ComedyLoverGirl]

@@Goddot Lol your dark sense of humour kills me.

[@Balrog-tf3bg]

He wanted one last drink

[@spiffywolf2850]

Getting sick and getting kicked from the trip might have seemed shit luck at the time but getting off those doomed vessels was a blessing lol

[@Lakridza67]

My grandmother was an Amundsen. I often think of CPT. Crozier, and his wisdom in navigating this passage. I loved the show ‘The Terror’. Ross was depicted brilliantly in this show. Franklin was played beautifully by C. Hinds.

[@lejammiedodgere]

Great video my guy, you clearly put a lot of work into your vids!

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Hey shipmate, appreciate the support. Fan of your videos as well. Keep up the good work!

[@NashmanNash]

To think that with steam engines actually meant for ships(and fuel for more than 12 days) Erebus and Terror might have made it..But yeah...putting a partly disassembled steam locomotive with 25 HP on them was cheaper.. Edit:To clarify..the tug that pulled Erebus out of harbor had a bit over 200 HP engines...

[@bl7355]

Even if Erebus & Terror had more powerful engines, their bows were not shaped for ice breaking. They would have simply piled up the ice in front of them. The engines were intended for pushing through calm water when conditions were favourable. Getting iced in for one, possibly two winters was always expected to be a reality of the voyage. That is why it took ages before any rescues were attempted because it was assumed the ships were just doing what was planned. Also, tugs are/were designed for power, not range. A tug with a 200hp engine has the benefit of being able to go alongside every day.

[@richardmalcolm1457]

Oh, how I wish that were true. But even a propulsion system like HMS RATTLER's (200hp screw) woudn't have got them through Victoria Strait's pack ice. The first problem is, TERROR and EREBUS were too small for a plant like that, let alone the amount of coal they'd need to operate it for any length of time. The second problem is...well, really, as @B L says above, you need a modern icebreaker to get through at all; this is true today, too. No wooden steam warship of the 1840's was adequate to the job. This is just one more aspect in which the Franklin Expedition was poorly conceived.

[@b1646717]

I would resort to cannibalism as soon as we miss dinner.

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Attention all hands! I now have merch! My channel artist has made up some merch on her teepublic. All funds go to paying her for the wonderful work she does. So if you want to show your support for the channel and the great art she does, pick something up! www.teepublic.com/user/dragonrise_studio/albums/146205-maritime-horrors

[@phatlaluke]

It was homeward bound one night on the deep Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep I dreamed a dream and I thought it true Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew With one hundred seamen he sailed away To the frozen ocean in the month of May To seek a passage around the pole Where we poor seamen do sometimes go Through cruel hardships they mainly strove Their ship on mountains of ice was drove Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe Was the only one that ever came through In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow The fate of Franklin no man may know The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell And now my burden it gives me pain For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main Ten thousand pounds I would freely give To say on earth that my Franklin do live

[@jarcuadanantus28]

If you don’t like stuff, skip ahead. Me: Oh what is it just some bones or something? Well. That face will haunt my nightmares forever now.

[@gl540]

they said they would provide timestamps and i was so ready i skip ahead but.... 😃😃???????

[@watermelonspice513]

bOnEs

[@vmm5163]

His teeth were the finest teeth I've ever seen

[@vitamemec4708]

LMAO same. How does one unsee it

[@vicstanfieldshire7754]

Stan Rogers song about The Northwest Passage is so good, now this video shows up and you have given it new life. Thanks so much

[@ashkash8686]

If that was crozier, he must have been one heck of a survivalist.

[@lonemaus562]

Could they really have been walking in the cold and dark for that many years ? I can’t imagain how that would be possible

[@JD-tn5lz]

Not dark all year, summers of no dark. No doubt enough mosquitoes to darken the flesh in June and July. Another failure is often underestimating caloric needs. Pulling a sledge across terrain, or just packing all day, easily an five to eight thousand calories need per day

[@CharlesFreck]

Individuals/small groups have been known to accomplish some truly epic feats at times. They might have had some years there where they actually got very lucky with hunting. They might have had more knowledge then we presume. They could have been aided by the Inuit. I know here in Australia, many of our early explorers survived solely because the local Aboriginals would give them food and shelter for a while. It's odd that the Inuit didn't have any accounts like this, of taking any of the last survivors in. Maybe that's cultural? Still, I don't imagine the Inuit were such cold people that they wouldn't have potentially given some food to the smaller parties out of pity.

[@lisacepluch1152]

@@CharlesFreck I was just thinking the same thing. Surely if the Inuit people had seen man walking within a reasonable distance they would have attempted to help them.

[@vmm5163]

@@lisacepluch1152 the Innuit may not have offered help if they thought the men were cannibals. Probably keeping their distance would have been the wisest thing

[@briancrawford8751]

@@CharlesFreck The Inuit could not feed themselves and their children AND a bunch of sick sailors. They weren't going to jeopardize their own lives and well-being for the sake of a bunch of strangers.

[@elscruffomcscruffy8371]

The Terror Tv Series is bloody brilliant! What a great video. Thank you!

[@JJDoggett]

Great video! Learnt some new info here, the bit about the Inuit finding one of the ships is really interesting and very spooky too knowing what had gone on. Appreciate the warning about THOSE photos too, I find this mystery fascinating but I have watched videos where they just put them up and more than one book on the subject has them on the cover!

[@captainahab1533]

Found your channel literally just this morning, when I watched this video. Holy shit man... This stuff is pure gold!

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Much obliged, shipmate!

[@Katpiratefan275]

I almost think that some could have survived if they made the trek back to Beechey island. It's half the distance than going south to Backs fish River, they still had a camp set up there, they have hunted game there before, and if anyone came looking, that would be one of the earliest places they would have been found

[@boowiebear]

12 years he survived. Incredible.

[@mariuszmiroslaw2290]

But by that time this person would have come to civilization. Well, unless it would actually be him. As a commander who lost all of his souls, he would actually have no reason to come back.

[@stephenhester9804]

Always had an interest in this, one of my ancestors was among the crew of the first Ships that went looking for them.

[@vmm5163]

Wow that's impressive 👍👍👍

[@jarrodsoos1417]

I just found your videos and am blown away by the quality all around, from the details, sound quality, your voice and reading quality. I love hearing videos on my way to work and this is definitely a channel ill use and am glad I found!

[@jeffblacky]

I ran into a old British veteran during a DDay convention back in 1982 His great grand uncle served on the Erebus . The family never heard from him again and assumed died

[@kbrynngonzales]

You should totally talk about The Endurance expedition led by Ernest Shackelton

[@vaclavholek4497]

I remember watching the National Geographic documentary when they found the bodies in the 1980s. I was a kid back then, and have always had an interest in the Franklin Expedition since then.

[@gTheHun]

Great content! Good job, and if I could suggest: please add map with indications on what you are mentioning, instead of repeated cuts of the same picture; that would put things in better perspective. Keep up the good work 👏

[@Leprechaunlock]

Oh man I been excited for you to cover this one

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Yea, this one was pretty brutal, but none the less interesting!

[@Mysucculentchinesemeal]

I love maritime history. I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve seen this channel. Very cool idea you have here, I look forward to a rainy day off to watch everything.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

In case you don't know this - Sir is a title that goes with the person's first name and not their surname. So in the case of Sir James Ross it's Sir James nor Sir Ross.

[@alevine1951]

Superbly well-presented post on all levels. Surely no shortage of maritime horrors - bring 'em on! Deserves more subs - just added mine.

[@WojciechP915]

Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea

[@elisabethandersen1102]

Kipling?

[@jaydenwilliams6885]

Stan Rogers was the GOAT

[@Brian-nw2bn]

Your videos are brilliant man! Somethin about maritime mysteries is just perfect to fall asleep to. Keep up the great work brother youll blow up in no time! Godspeed!

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@5:36 - Just a niggle: It's a commonplace that Francis Crozier was rejected out of hand to command the expedition, and rejected specifically because of his Irish background. In fact, however, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Haddington, had consistent misgivings about Sir John Franklin's fitness for the job (due to his age and health) when Franklin's name was mooted, and apparently privately approached Crozier to offer him the job at the end of 1844. Crozier, racked by depression, turned Haddington down. He wrote about it to his friend, Sir James Ross, as to why he turned it down. "In truth, I sincerely feel I am not equal to the hardship. I am, in truth, still of opinion as to my own unfitness to lead. You, on that subject as well as all others, know my whole mind." (30 December, 1844) It is the great irony of Crozier that the command was nonetheless thrust on him in the worst possible circumstances in June 1847, when Franklin died during the expedition's third summer, while the ships were frozen in pack ice off King William Island.

[@matthew-dq8vk]

Yeah, I think if there were any mumblings about Croziers Irish heritage it would have come from Barrow. Barrow was definitely kind of one of those 'British discoveries should be made by english sailors'' types. Can't really do anything about it if Haddington tells him to hush though, Nice to hear at least Haddington knew Crozier should have been the one

[@richardmalcolm1457]

@@matthew-dq8vk It's a good question, actually. I've not dug into Barrow's correspondence enough to sort out just what his real view of Crozier was; but in broad strokes, I don't disagree with you. (The irony is, the first commander to complete the Northwest Passage was an Irishman anyway!)

[@matthew-dq8vk]

@@richardmalcolm1457 Sure, It definitely wasn't the whole admiralty and I think certain pieces of Franklin lore like to exaggerate how bad Crozier was treated due to being Irish. It was probably there, but not to the extent it's mythologized. He was northern Irish after all and upper middle class.

[@nitinh2499]

Great video! I’m in awe of the bravery of sailors who set out on expeditions like this, even though they knew that they might never make it back. It takes a lot of courage to sign up for a journey like this one. May their souls Rest in Peace.

[@ColFork85]

Great video again, worth the small wait!

[@jay-kg8ke]

The terror season one was a great show.

[@samanthab1923]

I really enjoyed it. Have to get the book.

[@nickbryant2318]

Recently found your channel, love the content. Your videos are teaching me some cool history and very interesting

[@SolamenteVees]

Fantastic video. The Terror was completely engrossing- highly recommended.

[@francessimmonds5784]

I read another account that said the Inuit that found the ship found some men alive on board, one of which warned them not to go near the tents, presumably because of cannibalism. I wonder which version is true.

[@victoriadiesattheend.8478]

Personally I believe that most of the Inuit stories are correct.

[@patroberts5449]

I also agree that the Inuit had no need to lie and would have been pretty horrified by the condition of these “explorers” and I say that because obviously the people that lived there were smarter and more equipped to deal with that environment.

[@samanthab1923]

Interesting

[@bloodyhell8201]

@@gsesquire3441 this is different though.

[@lucasfragoso7634]

@@gsesquire3441 not true for the inuit at least proven by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen the man who would reach the other side of the passage for the first time spent plenty of time living with and learning how to survive from the inuit which also helped him reach the south pole! Had they really wanted to mess with him he wouldn't have accomplished his goals

[@17Watman]

Historybuffs also did a video covering this story as well for those interested.

[@magsbulldog]

Great watch . I went to Orkney and and found out about John Rae which lead me here. Thanks for posting.

[@TartanCatholic]

Terrible how Dr John Rae was treated, I'm from Kirkwall.

[@schnauzersrule8886]

One thing is for sure, these were tough men. Thank you for this episode. It was very good.

[@annikabjornson998]

The Terror is a fascinating book. A whole lot of fiction tossed in, but it’s a great read. I haven’t watched the show as the book was scary enough for me. And then there’s the monster too.

[@JulikaJune]

Hello 👋, it's my pleasure to connect with you on here. I'm originally from Brazil but currently living here in United States, Austin Texas. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from

[@DerpyPossum]

I can’t be the only one thinking of that one Stan Rogers song, right?

[@justinmelendez9875]

Fun fact: two of the newest maps added to TF2 Halloween rotation were named Erebus and Terror, named after these ships

[@ieatbugsandplants9216]

Just stumbled across your channel today man loving your work time to binge thanks for the quality uploads!

[@rogerrendzak8055]

Good documentary 👍!! I'm a history buff, and know a tiny bit about, The Northwest Passage. My brother and I, had the boardgame 'Northwest Passage' circa 1972 (remember that?). A game, where there were 4, different colored, oil tankers (2"). You toss toss dice, and advance your ship through, the ice routes, picking up barrels of oil (which looked like, orange notebook paper, donuts ⭕), along the way. You'd stick them onto, the ship's smokestacks. Whoever possessed, the most disc's at the end, wins the game. I used to love, playing it!! But, the box itself had some information about, The Northwest Passage, and that's what introduced me, to this.

[@PNWdad365]

As someone who's dad served on a submarine and who grew up near a navy shipyard and naval base, I love everything maritime.

[@Scipio_Americanus]

Great story stevie

[@terrybardy2848]

This is a very good video! Quite well presented and very interesting. Thank you! Great job! Bravo!

[@MaritimeHorrors]

I truly appreciate the kind words, shipmate.

[@samuelhavens4455]

Just found your channel. Can’t wait to watch more! So good.

[@jenniferchin429]

Great presentation and case. I love learning about the old explorations of the arctic, and the hardships they faced. They showcase the indomitable human spirit of exploration and discovery.

[@operationcreation5583]

Wow,such a great video, very informative and entertaining

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Thanks for the support, shipmate.

[@gluteusaurusmaximus6133]

Back in those days there was almost never any real closer when a sailor went MIA. No matter how long they went missing there was always the possibility that they might return one day. People shipwrecked back then could end up in a country far away, and with no way of making contact with loved ones. It could take a sailor years to make it back home. And indeed this happened enough to keep hope alive (so to speak).

[@hammysauce]

I was obsessed with this when I was in 3rd grade! Couldn't stop telling my mom about the cool book with the frozen mummies!

[@christyler6234]

I don’t know why this popped up in my feed, but I’m glad I watched it. Subscribed immediately thereafter, look forward to more videos. Great work here.

[@viktordickinson7844]

The backbones of these men were stronger than our entire bodies. We can only pray to have such strength for even one day.

[@sethescope]

no, unfortunately they weren't just fundamentally stronger or different than us in some way. they were just trying to survive. we have really good survival instincts, and our brains are wired to be able to do a lot in order to survive. my hope is that no one ever has to be in a position like this.

[@skookapalooza2016]

Your channel is growing because of your excellent content, sir. You have a great channel and hope to see you soon reach 50,000 subscribers. I don't think it will take very long.

[@h.m.s.thunderchild8518]

Vey, very well done lad. Exceptionally measured and not at all overblown for the sake of theatrics, views or likes. Many a channel could learn from this video.

[@slyaspie4934]

Great video glad I just search for Franklin think I'll checking out your other stuff, thank you

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Much obliged, shipmate. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@robcohen7678]

Wow I'd never seen that particular corpse at 11:27, the preservation is crazy. I really liked "The Terror" right up until it got to the scary monster part, which really disappointed me. I thought it was actually going to stay a historical drama with some fictionalized elements but was not ready for it to go in that direction.

[@forestshepherd253]

Fuck, that one really got me. I was like, "Oh what? Disturbing images? I've seen all kinds." And then there I was alone in my kitchen at 2 in the morning, closing the windows 'cause I was so spooked and was imagining such a face outside. Quite creepy, corpses!

[@MatthewChenault]

That’s John Hartnell’s body. John Torrington’s remains were in better condition, which, at the time of the discovery, made it one of the most well-preserved ice mummies found (this was prior to the discovery of Ötzi, the Ice man).

[@jimhjortsberg2990]

Franklin: Uses military grade vessels with a combined weight of over a 1000 tons, over a hundred crew members and government sponsorship in order to claim the northwest passage but ends up dying in failure. Amundsen: Takes 6 people with him in a modified 45 ton fishing boat and claims the northwest passage because he can.

[@blastproces]

The timing for the Franklin lot was bad due to unusual cold summers at that time not bad seamanship

[@jimhjortsberg2990]

@@blastproces i dont think i claimed any such either. Just made an observation regarding scale.

[@cyberpunk-2O77]

@@jimhjortsberg2990 if anything, the government being involved in the supply of the ship made it worse

[@throbbingfellow1136]

@@cyberpunk-2O77Agreed, the admiralty wasn’t exactly known for making the best decisions.

[@Pewnhound112]

Amundsen was not forging upon uncharted territory. Massive, MASSIVE detail in those days.

[@stormcutter59]

Ever since I heard about this expedition it stayed with me for a long time. It's really haunting really. For what these men would have gone through to end up as they did hurts me deeply whenever I think about it. But I didn't know some new stuff you bring up here like the potential of a few men making it as far as 1858. To have survived that long I shudder to think of what they would have done to stay alive. I couldn't imagine the hardship. But it makes me wonder if maybe one or two of them might have actually made it and lived for a time.

[@benisaten]

Really enjoying the channel, good work. Respects from 🇨🇦.

[@tyrstead5872]

Stan Rogers' northwest passage must be listened to after watching this.

[@davidgeddesFraserburgh]

Brilliant, first read about the Erebus and Terror a long time ago, just finished watching the tv series and reading the Dan Simmons book, it’s taken over my life😂🤔

[@MaritimeHorrors]

It's a fascinating event. I really do hope we learn more with the discovery of the wrecks now.

[@davidgeddesFraserburgh]

@@MaritimeHorrors definitely, I guess they were like the modern day astronauts, but it must have been horrific what they went through, being left in the tents to die, terrible.

[@Dulcimertunes]

Are you a fan of Sir Ernest Shackleton too?

[@davidgeddesFraserburgh]

@@Dulcimertunes yes, never read any of the books, but watched a few documentaries👍

[@joeomalley2835]

Informative video. I finished The Terror awhile back so I was interested in reading up and watching some videos on The Franklin Exploration.

[@TroupeGoal]

The Terror brought me here. Fantastic show. This video was v interesting on the background

[@tylera.2869]

If you enjoy this story, I highly recommend playing The Pale Beyond. The story in the game is different, but the events are similar.

[@chubbysolaireeaterofpussy3192]

underrated channel

[@MaritimeHorrors]

I greatly appreciate the support, shipmate. In all honesty though my first video was posted two months ago. So I don't think I'm doing too bad so far. But all the same, appreciate the love.

[@johnnycash1365]

Over 7 billion people on the planet and I've not seen 1 comment underrating this channel. Hate these type of comments.

[@chubbysolaireeaterofpussy3192]

@@johnnycash1365 it only had about 100 views and a few likes a week ago, things are clearly different now

[@koreycowan1976]

The mini series that was on the AMC channel about this expedition was AWSOME!

[@Maritime_History]

Thank you for having uploaded this. Very informational.