HMS Erebus-The Search For Answers Begins

Tough to figure out where to put this...too new for the Ancient & Lost Civilizations forum, to early for the History forum (hint, hint), but this is a Victorian-era adventure that continues to this day. The fate of the Franklin expedition in its search for the North-West Passage has been a mystery for over 140 years. It involves prominent British characters such as Charles Darwin and Arthur Conan Doyle. Early hints of its fate were covered up by the British establishment as being utterly at odds with what it meant to be English.

But over the last couple of seasons, the Great White North has been giving up its secrets to a team of investigators from Parks Canada and the Canadian Forces. Here's the latest...

HMS Erebus-The Search For Answers Begins
In an exclusive interview with the Archaeology Hour, Marc-Andre Bernier, Chief of the Archaeology Division of Parks Canada has announced the timetable for the historic dives beneath seven feet or more of arctic ice on the remains of Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated expedition ship the HMS Erebus. Link

In any event... a ripping good yarn!

I need a link so I can read this whopping good tale..

Thank you!

originally posted by: baddmove
I need a link so I can read this whopping good tale..
Thank you!

Duh! Fixed! Thanks for the nudge.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Body swerving the cannibalism then? Just not British!

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Ocean Depths Data

Perhaps the shallow depths of most of the NW Passage was a major contributing factor?
It goes from deep near Greenland and progressively shallower as they sailed westward.
It snuck-up on them probably.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

The neat content of the link gives a mouth-watering thirst for learning more about this attempt to conquer the unknown for the glory of the Union Jack. Men don't change, merely their tools.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

This would be a good thread for a HISTORY forum (wink wink nudge nudge Bob's your uncle). Anyway, I remember reading something about how Inuit oral traditions were vindicated when the wreck was found. It seems like nobody had believed them before.
I saw that they believe the men might have had food poisoning. I think a boiler for the steam engine would have blown the ship to pieces so I think that can be ruled out. I hope they find a cause for the ship's sinking. I'd be interested in finding out what they think.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Might be a bit off topic but.....

I enjoy the story of the Erebus simply because I used to dive on HMVS Cerebus in Port Phillip Bay near Melbourne Victoria.

Some interesting facts about the name HMVS Cerebus

Launched in 1868 Cerberus is the only remaining breastwork monitor class warship left in the world. Cerberus not only has its hull but also its gun turrets and its guns.
Cerberus was the first of the modern battleships.
Preceding HMS Devastation by almost three years, Cerberus was the first British warship to dispense completely with sail power and to incorporate the shallow draft.
Cerberus was the first, and is the only remaining example, of a Monitor having a central superstructure.
The design for the Cerberus was the first in the world to incorporate the combination of a central superstructure with fore and aft gun turrets.
Cerberus is the only substantially intact surviving warship of any of Australia's pre-Federation colonial navies.
Cerberus is the oldest as well as the only surviving inaugural warship, to have served in the Royal Australian Navy.
Cerberus represented Cutting Edge Technology from the 1860's.
Cerberus was the flagship and most powerful warship of the Victorian Navy. In addition it was the most powerful warship of any of the Australian Colonial Navies.
Cerberus incorporated the latest developments in metallurgy, steam power, gun turrets and the use of low freeboard.
Cerberus was the first armoured warship built for Australia.

Ship of the similar famous name. Spent many days snorkelling and later scuba on this little ship. Scuttled in later years and utilised as a break wall for small boats. Hull remained above the water line with those massive guns.

Thanks for the story. Some pics of the ship I knew to follow.

Kind regards,

Bally

Here are some pics of the Cerebus I knew JC.

Specs of the HMVS Cerebus.



Pic of the ship as I knew her when I used to dive that location.

Do like the name, also there is a current naval training base in Victoria HMAS Cerebus.

Cheers,

Bally

a reply to: bally001
Very cool! I'm guessing that the water there is a little warmer, though!

And here's a link to a typically Canadian reaction to the high drama:

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Cheers mate,

Good to wake up to a laugh.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

The neat content of the link gives a mouth-watering thirst for learning more about this attempt to conquer the unknown for the glory of the Union Jack. Men don't change, merely their tools.

More details of the latest search coming out. Mind you, it's no coincidence that this is an election year, and everything is being stickhandled by the Prime Minister's Office. Still, it's been quite the saga up to now, and a lot of people are watching...Link

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck
As I may have hinted, the worst-kept secret of this whole search has been the control of the message through the Prime Minister's Office. There have been media embargoes but rumours of political shenanigans have been leaking out just the same. This is an election year, and our increasingly unpopular Dear Leader needs a hook.

The Toronto Star has been publishing accounts of the search through it's on-site reporter Paul Watson, throughout. It seems, though, that Watson, a Pulitzer Award winning journalist, is preparing to tell that political story to be found between the headlines and he claims the Star is trying to shut him up. He resigned...and the Star refutes his story. I link to the Canadaland website for more details...Link