The Tragic Voyage of Terror: The Lost Franklin Expedition

Summary by Krater

An account of the failed 1845 Franklin Expedition, detailing the ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, the disappearance of Sir John Franklin and his crew, Lady Franklin's efforts to find them, and modern archaeological discoveries that solved the mystery.

From the video

Answers: What was the story of the lost Franklin Expedition?

• Franklin expedition history
• HMS Erebus and HMS Terror shipwreck discoveries
• Lady Franklin search campaigns
• Arctic exploration survival

What it concludes

• The Franklin Expedition's ships, Erebus and Terror, became permanently locked in ice off the coast of King William Island in 1846.
• The expedition's canned food provisions were poorly soldered with lead, leading to widespread lead poisoning and food spoilage among the crew.
• The crew abandoned their ships on April 22, 1848, and attempted to trek southward along Back River, leading to total fatality from starvation, cold, and scurvy.
• Modern archaeological findings, including bodies with cut marks and high lead concentrations, provide evidence of scurvy, lead poisoning, and cannibalism.
• HMS Erebus was discovered in September 2014 in shallow water near King William Island, and HMS Terror was found in September 2016 in Terror Bay.