More Than 275 Artifacts Recovered from Franklin Expedition’s HMS Erebus

A team of researchers conducted 56 dives over 11 days in September on the wreck of the HMS Erebus from the 1845 Franklin Expedition near Gjoa Haven recovering more than 275 additional artifacts from the historic shipwreck. The newly retrieved artifacts … Continue reading

Ship’s Bell from Franklin’s HMS Erebus Recovered

In September, the wreck of one of the two ships in Franklin’s lost  expedition of 1845 was located near the the Victoria Strait in Canada. As both ships in the expedition were similar sized bomb vessels, modified for exploration, it was initially unclear whether … Continue reading

Location of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror Still A Mystery

For the third year of a three year program, Parks Canada archaeologists have failed in their attempt at finding the wrecks of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.  This year they searched an area west of King William Island, where Sir John Franklin and his expedition became … Continue reading

Search Restarts for the Terror, Erebus and HMS Investigator

After a season’s delay due to lack of access to icebreakers, Parks Canada is renewing its search for Franklin’s ship’s Erebus and Terror.  They will also be searching for the HMS Investigator, a ship which was caught in the ice … Continue reading

HMS Terror from Franklin’s Doomed Expedition Found

In an interesting historical coincidence, just days after the luxury cruise ship, Crystal Serenity, completed a passage through the Canadian Arctic’s Northwest Passage,  HMS Terror has been found.  HMS Terror is the second of two ships from Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated expedition to traverse … Continue reading

The Star Spangled Banner and the Search for HMS Terror

History is full of strange connections.   This week an almost 200-year-old copy of “The Star Spangled Banner” is to be sold at auction house at Christie’s auction house in Manhattan.   The sheet music is currently valued at between … Continue reading

HMS Investigator, Abandoned in 1853, Found in Arctic

Earlier this month we posted about a new expedition by Parks Canada to search for Franklin’s ships, the Terrorand the Erebus.  Parks Canada also intended to search for theHMS Investigator, a ship which was caught in the ice and sank when sent … Continue reading

Ship From Franklin Expedition & Possibly the Battle of Baltimore Found

The wreckage of one of two missing ships from Franklin’s lost expedition of 1845 is believed to have been found. It is not known yet if the wreck is of HMS Terror or HMS Erebus. The Franklin expedition was an attempt … Continue reading

Franklin Records Found as Search Resumes for Franklin’s Ships

An update to a previous post. An Inuit family says a box that was hidden for over 80 years in the Arctic contains documents linked to the doomed Franklin expedition and has just turned the box over to the the Canadian Conservation … Continue reading

Video from Franklin’s Terror — A Shipwreck Frozen in Time

Recent video of the extremely well-preserved wreck of Franklin’s ship Terror may shed new light on the many mysteries of Franklin’s lost expedition.  In 1845, Captain Sir John Franklin departed England in command of two specially outfitted ships, Erebus and … Continue reading

The Battle Of Fort McHenry & the Star Spangled Banner

At around 6AM, 200 years ago today, the British Royal Navy began a fearsome bombardment of Fort McHenry at the mouth of Baltimore harbor. The British had attempted to take Baltimore by both land and sea. The British army attack … Continue reading

New Study May Debunk Lead Poisoning Theory in Franklin Expedition

Exactly what happened to the ill-fated Franklin expedition remains a mystery.  in 1845, Captain Sir John Franklin, with a crew 129, attempted to traverse the last unnavigated section of the Northwest Passage and never returned.  Some of the bodies expedition crew have been found but the wrecks … Continue reading

New Identity for Arctic Explorer Emerges 140 Years Later

New facial reconstruction technology applied to the skull of one of the members of the ill-fated Franklin expedition may rewrite accepted history. The skeleton long believed to be that of Henry Le Vesconte, a lieutenant aboard HMS Erebus, is now believed to be that of  Harry … Continue reading