I remember reading about these very remains in a book on my very last day of 6th grade. Most of my class mates were disturbed by the photos of these corpses, but I was rather intrigued by how well these bodies were well preserved for that long. Let these poor souls be with God.
"I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face up to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude." - Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
I suppose the "mummies" were the ones who were fortunate enough to die early on when someone else had the strength to bury them and put up grave markers- the rest apparently died in such a weakened condition that the ones still alive were in a similar state. Their (the un buried) remains may have been eaten by animals or scattered- yet most certainly would not be as well preserved as the one who were buried- unless perhaps some may have fell in a possibly hypothetical icy crevasse. I think this is the expedition that died partially and/or wholly due to an experimental canning sealing formula wherein toxic levels of lead were used; if so then the lead poisoning would compromise mental functioning and then slowly kill them as they ingested more of the lead via the canned food.
Nozyspy Then I guess you haven't seen pictures of the dead before? Lol I had to for Drivers Ed, Emergency Medical Technition and Medical Assistant class. So this doesn't phase me. Also, I saw these pictures in the History channel and books when I was between 7 or 8. It's sad how these men died though. I hope you slept well. 😊
Seriously though they had the Frozen in ice book in my elementary school library and the 1st time I saw it was like aged 8 or 9 and they had these very pics in there. Why or who or what idiot would allow babies to look at that mess!? I'm sorry but I had bunk beds and the fuzzy stuff they put over the planks of wood to the upper bunk would make me think if those faces at night in the dark for several years. My mom even went as far as to hang sheets over the under portion of the bunk in hopes I'd get over it and sleep in the bunk again. Ha...needless to say that thanks to this book I had many years of counseling and didn't sleep alone until I moved out of my mom's bed at 16 and into my daughter's dad's bed. Lmao! Anyways I'm fine now and look these up from time to time. Maybe to scare myself again who knows!! Lol!!
This is hands down the most haunting video on RUclips. The back story, the imagery, the music, the artwork. The hopes and dreams of young explorers dashed by the tragic events to follow. Whoever put this video together is a genius.
My god these Bodies are fantastically preserved..... The cold has frozen them so brilliantly that it is amazing to see how actually well reserved they are.... This is awesome. I love historical things like this. THNKS GHOST WATCHING!!
those were the days heroes walked the earth, climbing to the clouds, navigating to the unknown, risking their lives to satisfy their unberable need to find out what is out there. makes you feel jeulous
They had lead poisoning, scurvy and most probably starved to death if they didn't die from illness. I'm quite fucking happy in the time I live in now thanks.
the only thing man has ever accomplished is fooling himself about what a special animal he is. We're nothing but self replicating assholes, whatever your outside color, religion or ideology. and very soon, reproduction will become impossible thank goodness. the folly that is man will be gone from this rock flying through space
Freezing to death in the wasteland, far from home.... Can it possibly be any worse? Look what happened to La Grande Armee in the Russian campaign in 1812. Disease is the worst enemy in war, not the soldiers in the country you invade.
I've seen photos of John Torrington before and it is quite spooky to think he died so long ago. You can see exactly what he looked like etc. Here's a bit from wikpedia. Petty Officer John Shaw Torrington (1825 - 1 January 1846) was an explorer and Royal Navy stoker.[1] He was part of an expedition to find the Northwest Passage, but died early in the trip and was buried on Beechey Island. His preserved body was exhumed in 1984, to try to determine the cause of death.[2] It was the best preserved example of a corpse since the ancient Tollund Man which was found in the 1950s.[3] If you read into it he died on new years day.
Wikipedia doesn't even get the information right (doesn't help that they ban the legit researchers). -_- *Chief* Petty Officer John Shaw Torrington (*December 10, 1826* - 1 January 1846) was a first entry Royal Navy *Leading* Stoker aboard the HMS Terror from the ill-fated 1845-48 Sir John Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition. Apart from the Ships' boys, he was also the youngest crewman being 19 years-old when the expedition sailed from Greenhithe on May 19, 1845. He was the first documented to have died on the expedition on New Years Day, and buried on Beechey Island days later (this being determined due to the body was kept warm for at least a couple of days, as the brain had autolyzed before burial [impossible if the body was kept cold]). Torrington was exhumed 138 years later by the 1845-48 Franklin Expedition Forensic Anthropology Project (FEFAP) team, led by University of Alberta Physical Anthropology Professor Dr. Owen Beattie, on the morning of August 17, 1984. Preservation although remarkable visually, pathologically he wasn't "perfectly preserved", as the ante-mortem cell damage and decomposition was clear (couldn't find the gallbladder upon autopsy indicating the extent of the decomposition, for example). Physical characteristics: he stood 5' 4" tall; had dishwater blond shoulder length hair; brown eyes and pianist long fingers. Just prior to his death his lip was lacerated, too. Torrington was missing premolars and also had some cavities. He also was a smoker. The dark coloration on Torrington's forehead and nose was caused by the indigo dye that transferred from a flap of navy blue wool cloth that covered the coffin and onto his face. It is not decay. Death was determined to be Tuberculosis with Pneumonia complicated by a high level of lead poisoning (the lead was later tested to have come from specifically from the Goldner preserved food tins, not just environmental exposure).
These remains are invaluable archaelogical and historical evidence of the early exploration of arctic Canada and the Northwest Passage. I was unable to post a reply below, but specifically to Mr. MacKenzie regarding these men as having been reburied: No, that is an assumption that the evidence does not support. But ships of the time ALWAYS-- that is ALWAYS-- had aboard several skilled men whose job(s) was that of Carpenter. All such ships' accounts, even the history of the (English ship,) "Mayflower" in 1620 recount damage sustained while sailing. In the case of "Mayflower," it was MAJOR structural damage that would have proven deadly had it not been for certain items of the Cargo used to repair a ship's beam. Captain Cook's men in exploring the Sandwich Islands (Hawai'i,) had gone ashore several times to gather supplies needed to restock the ships en route-- such as fresh water, meat and other provender, AND WOOD. The ship's men routinely cut timber and dressed lumber for raw stock to be carried aboard such ships. And reading diaries, histories and other seafarer's accounts, by no means confined to such far-flung exploration as the Northwest Passage in utterly unknown waters, in Routine nautical journeys a crew of some 50-80 men (129 here between 2 ships-- 65 each,) would be EXPECTED to sustain 3, 4 or more deaths in a year-long trip just under "normal" conditions. Illness was always a danger, and why something like a case of TYPHUS in a ship's crew was a huge issue. No, they did not carry "coffins," but they (ALWAYS) carried bulk lumber, boards and the Carpenter to build coffins if needed for land burials. "Burial at Sea" was done only if there was no way to carry the dead back to shore-- home shore, some shore, ANY shore-- for burial because a "sea burial" meant the body is basically Lost forever. (And it *Was* typical in ships arriving in port in those days that the first thing they would off-load was... their dead.) Now notice here the Dates, which were marked on these men's graves. Note also the careful "shrouds" and winding, how their arms were tied down and chins strapped up, all of which is completely typical of respectful "undertaking" of the era. This was done in these as they were the First of the crews to die, whether of disease, exposure or as suggested lead poisoning is not known... but it is my contention in this expedition, that as death became more common and struck again, less time, energy, work and yes, Resources was expended, just as you suggest in very practical terms. But the fact remains that these first few WERE placed in proper coffins, WERE shrouded and strapped and "laid to Rest," and later burials of the men (who had gone ashore for the winter, these men did not die aboard ship on the high seas they died in camp; the ships were later lost in the icepack and sunk,) are far less elaborate and have yielded "mummies" below the permafrost of men simply wrapped in their bedding and buried... in the ground. It is a silent but powerfully eloquent testimony to the slow death the Franklin Expedition suffered as a team and individually.
This is really incredible. Thankx. Those poor lads--all so young. What a terrible suffering. The blond one had beautiful hair and perfect hands. Even in their contorted faces you see a sweet humanity. May they all rest in peace...
ahhhh.. the courage of men... the sacrifices they were willing to make... before everyone had a smart phone, tablet, and facebook profiles. No pettiness in these men. Just heart and soul. RIP human spirit, the living today are more dead than men that died 150 years ago......
The lead posioning theory has not been accepted by the scientific community. The level of lead found in other bodies shows minimal poisoning, although they were eating/ drinking from the same pantry. Also the level of lead poising in 1840 era england is not registered. London had extensive lead piping for water and sewer systems. May be lead ppm was high for todays standards even in london.
Not conclusive either way ,however lead may not have directly killed some crew ,lead was still present and consumed ,combined with the poor conditions of the area and the crew with the added inclusion of lead consumption, IMHO most certainly contributed to deaths. One thing "is" certain, consuming lead is NOT an acceptable health supplement. 😂
Nicely compiled movie showing some victims from that tragedy all the years ago, music fills the sombre mood nicely and just deserved as they perished in possibly the most loneliest of circumstances, bless them all.
I must have watched this video here many times now and am still drawn back to it.they took such great risk's in those day's and good men perished....The music that accompanies this is just beautiful...
A very moving piece made all the more moving to think I was on Beechy Island approximately three weeks ago and stood at the graves of these brave men. Our cruise ship was the only one to get through the Northwest Passage with the help of a Canadian ice breaker this summer. We observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the men who died on the Franklin Expedition
When you think about dieing old peaceful falling asleep in your lovely home and no pain. People just don't understand when I smile I have to tell them. It gives them comfort they then also smile. God bless them.
Just before heading into the Arctic, a couple of sailors from the expedition were dropped off at Greenland to be sent back home because of illness, they were the truly lucky ones.
Just two years after these Heroes died, My Great Great Grand Father Left Nauvoo Illinois in a wagon train in the middle of winter and set out for the west.. He's my Hero for what he went through but to look upon faces of men who lived at that time.. is an amazing thing.
I am a direct descendant of the Doctor of the HMS Terror from the Franklin Expedition. Maybe Dr.John Smart Peddie had some part in preparing these men for buriel? It sends a shiver down my spine thinking about it - really bringing history alive for me. RIP Dr Peddie, and all the men of the expedition.
Damn right. I am pretty sure that many of the soldiers in La Grande Armee in Russia 1812 died the same way. In war, it is not the enemy soldiers who are the threat. It is the diseases. May this men rest in heaven.
Well I'll be.I'm currently reading the Dan Simmons novel "The Terror" based on this expedition.Great read -he really makes you think about that bleak Arctic frozen landscape mired in endless night and plunged in sub 60 below zero temperatures.
One story from the rescue effort was heartbreaking. Two officers pulled a large sled more than 65 miles across the treacherous ice. When rescuers found the bodies of the men, they discovered the sled was filled with table silver. These men caused their own deaths. We do the same today. We drag baggage through life we don't need. This foolish baggage can destroy us. Let's determine to "lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us."
I am currently reading The Terror by Dan Simmons, a (mostly) fictional take on this true account. I cannot believe how much this video touched me, seeing firsthand the real men whose deaths I read about in the pages of a novel. Truly powerful stuff.
when i was about 8 i discovered a book about mummies and became fascinated with them, john torrignton in particular. a 6 years later i'm still obsessed.
@luckystar123451 and @Jeb Prikr - Since these mens' bodies were dried out by the natural mummification process, their skin lost its elasticity because of the loss of water. As a result, the skin recedes, exposing their teeth. It's the same reason the "your finger nails grow long after death" myth came to be. The skin becomes very dry and hard.
"Whilst 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 a hundred seamen he sailed away To the frozen ocean in the month of May.... To seek a passage all around the Pole Where we poor seamen must sometimes go Through cruel hardships they bravely strove Their ships on mountains of ice were drove
For a really amazing story about the man (John Rae) who discovered the fate of the Franklin Expedition, read Fatal Passage: The Story of John Rae. Rae was the stud of studs. He was maligned by Franklin's widow, a powerful and influential woman in England, because Rae came back and told how the expedition had failed and its members had resorted to cannibalism.
I'm sad that their remains have been disturbed. I'm also disappointed with myself that I've given in to a ghoulish curiosity to look at them. What a sad tale. RIP.
What a wonderful, moving film. How beautifully you compiled the pictures. I thought the pocket watch so touching. This is really an extraordinary piece you made, and the lines by Dylan Thomas very fitting. So glad i found your site.
amazing pictures , clothing, skin , etc a real insight into victorian seamanship! the grins may look sinister but as said the cold shrinks over and creates that look! all hail the sailors bravery ! tastefully done too this video! well done
+Michael McKenzie I'm a 30 year Franklin researcher. If you want to discuss the finer points of the Franklin Expedition, fine. But please no conspiracy stuff that doesn't exist. Ships took everything needed to repair them while afloat. There wasn't any Coast Guard to rescue them on the high seas, and a ship without a rudder or masts, due to a storm in the Atlantic and Pacific dead zones, could kill the whole crew simply due to dehydration. (Which is why the US and UK forced the Japanese ports open. For water!). You simply don't seem to understand the Franklin Expedition had bona fide carpenters aboard (even a blacksmith and sailmaker). They could not only fashion a new rudder, they could make a desk, *and coffins*. All which they learned while learning their vocations as apprentices. The sailors also weren't just sailors, Hartnell's profession before sailing was a cobbler (he repaired shoes -- interesting NMM tidbit: some of the material the searchers found were cobbler related, too. But a crowded ship couldn't stuff that aboard, right???). -_- The carpenter/wood wright skills were pretty good as well. It's mentioned in the "Frozen in Time" book, that the carpenter even kerfed the wood to fit the traditional shape of a coffin. A skill someone not a carpenter wouldn't understand to do. It showed they knew how to make complex wood shapes and designs, as expected of naval carpenters (even with lead poisoning). Planks were common, especially on discovery service expeditions (as they had to take what civilization they could with them). Where the Franklin Expedition was going it would be the only source of wood, too (above the tree line). If they were at the tree line, the carpenter would be expected to hewn planks from available wood (not buy it from the local Home Depot!). Coffins were made out of mahogany (for Torrington); nailed together with wrought iron nails; and covered with navy blue wool and outlined with white cloth tape. Nothing that's not aboard a discovery ship at the time, to repair desks/drawers/cabinets (and making clothes) -- especially considering their orders would have them traversing Russia to bring back the news of completing the Northwest Passage (and to make some gifts for their hosts -- like the carpenters did out of the remains of the Franklin search ship HMS Resolute, and that desk that sits in the Oval Office today, as a gift to the American president for offering search help). So those coffins were made out of materials aboard ship (as evident with the excelsior used for bedding for the bodies, and for Hartnell, filled the pillow his head laid upon). The most inane commentary you made so far was even to suggest scrapping a ship to simply make coffins (or boats for that matter), when ships aren't made of *mahogany*! Tell me what wood was used to build the boat sledges again? To suggest they cannibalized their ships to support some theory (the only real way to return home again -- even Lieutenant Back got the broken HMS Terror to the Ireland shore in 1836, in a forlorn hope effort, otherwise they'd perish on the high seas). Sailors just don't chop up their life rafts "just because". Even the two survivors at the "Boat Place" had an intact boat. -_- No evidence of reburial, because when the Captain Penny's crew tried to exhume Hartnell, they couldn't even dig that far to remove one body (why the coffin was damaged, they broke into it to see if it was a real grave [not a dummy grave common in the day] e.g., Bellot's dummy grave, for example). Sparks came out of their picks, digging permafrost is like striking iron. Dr. Beattie tried to use an aircraft preheater (contraption to warm engines in cold weather to make them start) to help melt the frozen earth in the "heat" of July, that wasn't efficient either. They had to resort to boiling water instead to even get down low enough to get to the graves -- something so precious, at the searchers time, they couldn't waste fuel on. They still had to cut them out of their clothes to extract the bodies. Permafrost is v-e-r-y difficult to melt, requiring a lot of fuel, time and melting water best used for *drinking* when there's no water company to pump fresh water for them. So, historian, hit the books again. Study. Even "Iceblink" was more plausible than the "reburial" idea. P.S. The #1 reason why your theory doesn't match even the forensic record is this: Torrington's eyes were intact. Reburial would've exposed Torrington to the air temperature (only way to exhume them is in summer), ruining his eyes as what happened to Hartnell with ONE exposure to the weather (why he wasn't as preserved as Torrington - the autopsy didn't help, either). Just a few hours of exposure is all it would take to ruin those eyes. So, no, they weren't reburied as some conspiracy. Only Hartnell was reburied 3x, first when the searchers opened and damaged his coffin (and Dr. Inglefield took his coffin plaque). Braine's coffin was intact and not disturbed, he died and wasn't buried for a considerable time. Torrington's grave, and preservation of his entire body, ensured he wasn't touched for 138 years.
I just read your insightful points about how the coffins were built. And I was fascinated by it. I too read Frozen in Time and Ice Blink. And you are correct. It was interesting about Hartnell's eyes. I watched NOVA's "Buried In Ice" which is how I gotten interested in the Franklin Expedition. I know that Torrington and Hartnell died in the middle of the Artic winter. And I think one of the coffins were dug at an angle. That's interesting about Hartnell being a cobbler. Thank you. This sounds like a silly question, but how could they die of dehydration when there was all that snow?
They didn't die of dehydration. They were mummified like freezer burn dries out meat. Flesh is turned to ice crystals that become hard and dry. The freezing though damages the cells, so they weren't "perfectly preserved". Cell damage was severe. Torrington's brain was just yellow fat when Drs. Beattie and Amy did their autospy 136 years later (showing Torrington was kept warm for a time before burial. Perhaps dying at night, and then in preparation for burial).
Its through the courage and sacrifice of men like these, that we learn and progress and find the knowledge that has taken us from caves to the stars May these heroes rest in peace.
I like this video, but the music really creeps me out. Good job! ALSO, BE WARNED: there's an idiot on RUclips named Derek Wilson, who likes to go looking for videos of graphic/questionable content....only to bitch and moan about the content. You'd be wise to block him from your channel, before he infects all of your decent viewers with his stupidity. Just a friendly heads-up.
Stop stalking me. I enjoyed this video very much. It is very well thought out and well done and I have left a positive comment and a "Like". Please go back to your worthless channel and stop harassing me and polluting this video commentary with your nonsense.
Hahaha no matter how much bullshit you type out your video still sucks ass. LOL. You are so fucking dumb. I couldn't give a shit less about anything you have to say. You make a dumb video and you think you deserve respect? Go fuck yourself little man. I always forget about you the second I hit the "reply" button but yet you keep on leaving me messages so I keep responding. You must be extremely butthurt over my not liking your video. So just stop now you dickhole. I win this battle. I will always win because I am so much better than you.
I remember watching a documentary on this about 20 years ago, and it was fascinating; and this sad, sad story has stayed with me. They were stuck in ice for two years and ultimately done in, at least in part, by lead-tainted canned food. I also remember that It was Saturday afternoon at lunchtime when we saw the scene of the mummies being autopsied. I've never been able to look at grilled cheese the same way.
Joylandcandy.... It is only disrespectful if these people are dug up for foul reasons... Crime investigators exume bodies all the time for forensic evedence. These were dug up for this reason, to try to find out what happened to them... This is the only time when it is acceptable...Otherwise they should be left alone...
thanks for the info. its always better to research the full story upon seeing a short clip like this. even when i watch a 1 hour long documentary which tells me most of a story i still like to find out more.
Got this from BBC News 9 September 2014 Sir John Franklin: Fabled Arctic ship found The loss of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror prompted one of largest searches in history, running from 1848 to 1859. The mystery has gripped people for generations, in part because no one knows for sure exactly what happened to the crew. In total more than 50 expeditions joined the search. Three bodies discovered over a century later in the 1980s were found to have a high lead content and to this day, many people believe the 129 crew members were poisoned by leaking lead in their poorly soldered tin cans. checkout more other RELIABLE news sources as more researchers verify data from this newest discovery
It's amazing how well these bodies are preserved. I have nothing but respect for these brave men, but to observe these graves is very fascinating. For hundreds of years, ships sank in the American great lakes such as lake superior. Many died going down, but their bodies are still well preserved. Even more preserved than the Franklin exposition. That's because of the lakes Ice cold waters and the fact that it's also freshwater that prevents from deteriorating. The most famous great lake shipwreck would probably be the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Beautifully done, GhostWatcher! An autopsy done on the mummies in the 1990s showed that some of the men died of lead poisoning from the ship's badly soldered tin cans - the lead in the solder leaked into the food. Just a little technical footnote in this tragic story.
No, Don, I suggest that someone else put them in WAY later....Do you really think a small ship with cramped space for water and food took space to store coffins?? No. Would starved, sick, and weak men build coffins? "Yeah. I am weak and can barely move from lack of food.....so yeah, let me use some of my energy to build a coffin." Nope. I think they were re-buried later on. Ships of that era were much smaller and cramped than people today think...the last thing they would carry is something for LAND BURIALS! We have to do better than that. Sorry.
After reading the book, John Torrington died on the voyage and the place where the grave site is located they did take the time to bury their dead. The remaining crew members were not that weak yet and it would be some time before the rest of them perished.
hutch1111111 OH, I have no doubt that they took great care in burying their dead, but they would hardly dismantle the ship to make coffins (lol!), nor does there seem to be any wood in the area (from the pictures). I suggest that they were probably re-interred later by some subsequent expedition (if those are indeed coffins). I suppose one solution is that those are not "coffins" in the way we use the term, but perhaps an odd plank or two. But some of the proposed solutions I have read here are implausible in the extreme. Can you imagine a ship (which always buries at sea) taking coffins along?! (lol). That would be a wonderful psychological message.....
***** You are correct. They would have extra wood to make repairs on the ship. They would have tried to keep things normal as possible for as long as possible. The first ones to die would have had coffins...later on towards the end...may be a different story.
Nancy Davis Brian You all should read the book and look at the oral history of the Inuit. They buried their dead in these coffins and eventually they where whittled down to small groups that died in various places, like a long boat that was found with five skeletons.
poor men i read this at a reader's digest book. two of them actuially discussed this. they were so close to safety when all died. a boat with skeletons, the perfectly preserved remains of ......., and tin cans along with the eskimo souvenirs. thank you for putting the RIGHT music to not freak the viewers.
I've just finished Clive Cussler's novel, Arctic Drift, featuring Franklin and his expedition. In it Franklin had acquired a quantity of rare Ruthenium ore, which in the book holds the key to reversing global warming. The story's hero, Dirk Pitt, heads to the Arctic to find the expedition ships and the ore. A friend sent me this link as I finished the book and I was fascinated to learn how much of the story was true. Cussler's known for mixing fact with fiction, though. Thanks for posting!
Pardon the rather obvious question: since these men were lost ON the expedition, where did what appear to be those fairly elaborate coffins come from?? I wouldn't think the expedition would have carried or made them.....
They were stranded from a ship. supplies like wood for coffins was available and believe me many ships carrying coffins to begin with. Do you also think that these dead guys built their own coffins and crawled inside ? But a just question you raise nonetheless
They died in the first winter, before things went drastically wrong. In fact, one of the men had been autopsied by the ship's doctor in an effort to determine the cause of his death. Ships naturally carried all the supplies they might need - i.e. wood to repair any part of the ship or anything in it. One of the jobs of a ship's carpenter was to make coffins. One of the jobs of the expedition leader was to bury the dead decently (if possible). One of these men appeared to have been sick when he first sailed, his illness became notable when it was too late to leave him at their last port of call.
Thanks for the corrections. An interesting note: project photographer Brian Spenceley went along on the 1986 expedition and was John Hartnell's great-great nephew. He was at his distant relative's graveside as they uncovered him. I was just a kid when Torrington's haunting photo was released back in 1984, and it left quite an impression on me.
@Darthbelal: While watching this, I thought "Wow, this is the only time I'll see people who were born in the 1820's." (The two mummies shown in this video.)
The 2 dead men died due lead poisoning from food cans. The lead seal of the new invention-canning-was dissolved by the acid in the food and slowly killed them. Other crew members must have been killed or weakened by similar, A UK tv programme was shown about 20 years ago where they were dug up and an autopsy performed, R I P
azntranc3951 Ohh, that reminds me of that movie Alive, with Ethan Hawk, [which details the story of a Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972.] (took this from Alive Movie wiki page) They ate some of the dead just to stay alive, must be the hardest decision ever, or may not when life depends on it.
When I was young in grade 5 or so, I had a field trip to Victoria near Vancouver in Canada they had a wax exhibition on the franklin expedition and the wax remains as a small boy freaked me out completely.
I read a book called "Ice Blink" about this. The Navy contracted for canned food with a guy named Stephen Goldner, who basically just filled the cans with filth, rotting food and so on and improperly canned it. The author believes it was botulism that killed the crew. The book is packed with information; great read.
I've also seen PLENTY of Americans with rotten teeth. Like, falling out rotten teeth. If somebody has bad teeth these days it's (usually) their own fault, nothing to do with the country. I met 3 English girls and one English guy in Vegas and they didn't have bad teeth.
YES, and some I thought look like Micheal Jackson too,may he rest in piece and I feel bad that I laughed at the bodies of these poor guys I don't think they should have been dug up in the first place.
When I was a child, I had a book of mummies that had John Torrington's picture in it. Once, I thrust my book in Mom's face, saying "Mom! MOM! LOOK! Tha-that guy's John Torrington, and--" "MICHELLE, GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!"
I wish you made it so the pictures were stationary. I don't like the zooming images of mummies. Walking Dead doesn't scare me, but RUclips real life mummies do.
Get the book, The Franklin expedition.. Read this in the 90's . Good close up photos, and excellent read of the history. Actually quite moving, I felt really sad when they dug up the bodies on how well preserved they were. They looked like from yesterday, had eyes and hair, had flesh and form, not mummies. They reburied them in the frozen area where they will be safe I hope.
I remember reading about these very remains in a book on my very last day of 6th grade. Most of my class mates were disturbed by the photos of these corpses, but I was rather intrigued by how well these bodies were well preserved for that long. Let these poor souls be with God.
"I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face up to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude."
- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
Good quote but they didnt freeze to death
They should have went west with the Inuit.@Daniel Appleton
They should have went West with the Inuit.@@Ninineonangel77
they should have went West with the Inuit.
@@Ninineonangel77 wrong.... Several froze to death... Over 50 percent actually...
...And considering what we know, John Torrington, and John Hartnell were the lucky ones, to have died that early in to the expedition.
Poor guys! Some of them weren't much more than boys!
Yes. I hope they rest in the hands of God, where they have found peace.
I suppose the "mummies" were the ones who were fortunate enough to die early on when someone else had the strength to bury them and put up grave markers- the rest apparently died in such a weakened condition that the ones still alive were in a similar state. Their (the un buried) remains may have been eaten by animals or scattered- yet most certainly would not be as well preserved as the one who were buried- unless perhaps some may have fell in a possibly hypothetical icy crevasse.
I think this is the expedition that died partially and/or wholly due to an experimental canning sealing formula wherein toxic levels of lead were used; if so then the lead poisoning would compromise mental functioning and then slowly kill them as they ingested more of the lead via the canned food.
Well, in the bitter end thex ate each others corps
The mummies were the ones from
Beechey island fairly early in the expedition.
ruclips.net/video/X4CpLDiMz0s/видео.html
Its ok, I wasn't planning to sleep tonight anyway...
Nozyspy Then I guess you haven't seen pictures of the dead before? Lol I had to for Drivers Ed, Emergency Medical Technition and Medical Assistant class. So this doesn't phase me. Also, I saw these pictures in the History channel and books when I was between 7 or 8. It's sad how these men died though. I hope you slept well. 😊
@@adarksidecry Lol
Y-yeah m e either
I know me too
Seriously though they had the Frozen in ice book in my elementary school library and the 1st time I saw it was like aged 8 or 9 and they had these very pics in there. Why or who or what idiot would allow babies to look at that mess!? I'm sorry but I had bunk beds and the fuzzy stuff they put over the planks of wood to the upper bunk would make me think if those faces at night in the dark for several years. My mom even went as far as to hang sheets over the under portion of the bunk in hopes I'd get over it and sleep in the bunk again. Ha...needless to say that thanks to this book I had many years of counseling and didn't sleep alone until I moved out of my mom's bed at 16 and into my daughter's dad's bed. Lmao! Anyways I'm fine now and look these up from time to time. Maybe to scare myself again who knows!! Lol!!
This is hands down the most haunting video on RUclips.
The back story, the imagery, the music, the artwork.
The hopes and dreams of young explorers dashed by the tragic events to follow.
Whoever put this video together is a genius.
it would have been better if they used the higher quality photos of john torrington
@@warshipsatin8764Pretty sure when this video was created, youtube videos couldn’t have 1080p anyway
My god these Bodies are fantastically preserved..... The cold has frozen them so brilliantly that it is amazing to see how actually well reserved they are.... This is awesome. I love historical things like this.
THNKS GHOST WATCHING!!
those were the days heroes walked the earth, climbing to the clouds, navigating to the unknown, risking their lives to satisfy their unberable need to find out what is out there. makes you feel jeulous
They had lead poisoning, scurvy and most probably starved to death if they didn't die from illness.
I'm quite fucking happy in the time I live in now thanks.
how did you manage tto write so eloquently, then fuck it all up by not being able to spell jealous correctly... smh
the only thing man has ever accomplished is fooling himself about what a special animal he is. We're nothing but self replicating assholes, whatever your outside color, religion or ideology. and very soon, reproduction will become impossible thank goodness. the folly that is man will be gone from this rock flying through space
Always an instant argument in the very first comment.😂
straight white anglo-saxon protestant man, No it makes one feel small.
Very touching, a beautiful job on this video, makes my heart sore for these poor unfortunate heroes.
Freezing to death in the wasteland, far from home.... Can it possibly be any worse? Look what happened to La Grande Armee in the Russian campaign in 1812. Disease is the worst enemy in war, not the soldiers in the country you invade.
I've seen photos of John Torrington before and it is quite spooky to think he died so long ago.
You can see exactly what he looked like etc.
Here's a bit from wikpedia.
Petty Officer John Shaw Torrington (1825 - 1 January 1846) was an explorer and Royal Navy stoker.[1] He was part of an expedition to find the Northwest Passage, but died early in the trip and was buried on Beechey Island. His preserved body was exhumed in 1984, to try to determine the cause of death.[2] It was the best preserved example of a corpse since the ancient Tollund Man which was found in the 1950s.[3]
If you read into it he died on new years day.
Wikipedia doesn't even get the information right (doesn't help that they ban the legit researchers). -_-
*Chief* Petty Officer John Shaw Torrington (*December 10, 1826* - 1 January 1846) was a first entry Royal Navy *Leading* Stoker aboard the HMS Terror from the ill-fated 1845-48 Sir John Franklin Northwest Passage Expedition. Apart from the Ships' boys, he was also the youngest crewman being 19 years-old when the expedition sailed from Greenhithe on May 19, 1845. He was the first documented to have died on the expedition on New Years Day, and buried on Beechey Island days later (this being determined due to the body was kept warm for at least a couple of days, as the brain had autolyzed before burial [impossible if the body was kept cold]).
Torrington was exhumed 138 years later by the 1845-48 Franklin Expedition Forensic Anthropology Project (FEFAP) team, led by University of Alberta Physical Anthropology Professor Dr. Owen Beattie, on the morning of August 17, 1984. Preservation although remarkable visually, pathologically he wasn't "perfectly preserved", as the ante-mortem cell damage and decomposition was clear (couldn't find the gallbladder upon autopsy indicating the extent of the decomposition, for example).
Physical characteristics: he stood 5' 4" tall; had dishwater blond shoulder length hair; brown eyes and pianist long fingers. Just prior to his death his lip was lacerated, too. Torrington was missing premolars and also had some cavities. He also was a smoker.
The dark coloration on Torrington's forehead and nose was caused by the indigo dye that transferred from a flap of navy blue wool cloth that covered the coffin and onto his face. It is not decay.
Death was determined to be Tuberculosis with Pneumonia complicated by a high level of lead poisoning (the lead was later tested to have come from specifically from the Goldner preserved food tins, not just environmental exposure).
KevyneShandris I find it sad that this is all the info we’ll ever get about his life.
These remains are invaluable archaelogical and historical evidence of the early exploration of arctic Canada and the Northwest Passage. I was unable to post a reply below, but specifically to Mr. MacKenzie regarding these men as having been reburied: No, that is an assumption that the evidence does not support. But ships of the time ALWAYS-- that is ALWAYS-- had aboard several skilled men whose job(s) was that of Carpenter. All such ships' accounts, even the history of the (English ship,) "Mayflower" in 1620 recount damage sustained while sailing. In the case of "Mayflower," it was MAJOR structural damage that would have proven deadly had it not been for certain items of the Cargo used to repair a ship's beam. Captain Cook's men in exploring the Sandwich Islands (Hawai'i,) had gone ashore several times to gather supplies needed to restock the ships en route-- such as fresh water, meat and other provender, AND WOOD. The ship's men routinely cut timber and dressed lumber for raw stock to be carried aboard such ships. And reading diaries, histories and other seafarer's accounts, by no means confined to such far-flung exploration as the Northwest Passage in utterly unknown waters, in Routine nautical journeys a crew of some 50-80 men (129 here between 2 ships-- 65 each,) would be EXPECTED to sustain 3, 4 or more deaths in a year-long trip just under "normal" conditions. Illness was always a danger, and why something like a case of TYPHUS in a ship's crew was a huge issue. No, they did not carry "coffins," but they (ALWAYS) carried bulk lumber, boards and the Carpenter to build coffins if needed for land burials. "Burial at Sea" was done only if there was no way to carry the dead back to shore-- home shore, some shore, ANY shore-- for burial because a "sea burial" meant the body is basically Lost forever. (And it *Was* typical in ships arriving in port in those days that the first thing they would off-load was... their dead.) Now notice here the Dates, which were marked on these men's graves. Note also the careful "shrouds" and winding, how their arms were tied down and chins strapped up, all of which is completely typical of respectful "undertaking" of the era. This was done in these as they were the First of the crews to die, whether of disease, exposure or as suggested lead poisoning is not known... but it is my contention in this expedition, that as death became more common and struck again, less time, energy, work and yes, Resources was expended, just as you suggest in very practical terms. But the fact remains that these first few WERE placed in proper coffins, WERE shrouded and strapped and "laid to Rest," and later burials of the men (who had gone ashore for the winter, these men did not die aboard ship on the high seas they died in camp; the ships were later lost in the icepack and sunk,) are far less elaborate and have yielded "mummies" below the permafrost of men simply wrapped in their bedding and buried... in the ground. It is a silent but powerfully eloquent testimony to the slow death the Franklin Expedition suffered as a team and individually.
I cannot watch this enough. Lovely music for such a sad story....
That way Hartnell and Torrington died.... i cant imagine it. They got at least a proper place to rest.
Beautifully done and the perfect choice of music.
This is really incredible. Thankx. Those poor lads--all so young. What a terrible suffering. The blond one had beautiful hair and perfect hands. Even in their contorted faces you see a sweet humanity. May they all rest in peace...
R.I.P. guys...
ruclips.net/video/X4CpLDiMz0s/видео.html
This music almost makes me feel like I'm there. Perfect for this sad video.
ahhhh.. the courage of men... the sacrifices they were willing to make... before everyone had a smart phone, tablet, and facebook profiles. No pettiness in these men. Just heart and soul. RIP human spirit, the living today are more dead than men that died 150 years ago......
Truest words I've heard this month
That's indeed beautiful and true.
Good time for a "OK boomer"
Poignant video, superbly presented in a caring and respectful manner. RIP those poor souls who lie in that icy wasteland.
Lead poisoning killed most, lead was used to seal the canned foods that were eaten on the voyage.
paulspydar Good observation! Also there were lead in the ship's pipes. And also Goldner's used some food of questionable content in their cans.
The lead posioning theory has not been accepted by the scientific community.
The level of lead found in other bodies shows minimal poisoning, although they were eating/ drinking from the same pantry.
Also the level of lead poising in 1840 era england is not registered. London had extensive lead piping for water and sewer systems. May be lead ppm was high for todays standards even in london.
Not conclusive either way ,however lead may not have directly killed some crew ,lead was still present and consumed ,combined with the poor conditions of the area and the crew with the added inclusion of lead consumption, IMHO most certainly contributed to deaths. One thing "is" certain, consuming lead is NOT an acceptable health supplement. 😂
Perfect song I think for this haunting video. I keep coming back to it. Bless their souls.
Jan H I think it really captures the sea and ice atmosphere in those early Victorian days
elsa1942 what song is it?
The song in fron The mission movie. It is Ennio Moriccone! The master....
@@fishels3895 The mission. Ennio Moriccone
Loo Rhodes thanks man.
Nicely compiled movie showing some victims from that tragedy all the years ago, music fills the sombre mood nicely and just deserved as they perished in possibly the most loneliest of circumstances, bless them all.
This is truly sad, but beautiful. Bless these men. Wonderful music!
I must have watched this video here many times now and am still drawn back to it.they took such great risk's in those day's and good men perished....The music that accompanies this is just beautiful...
Lorraine Shuttlewood
A very moving piece made all the more moving to think I was on Beechy Island approximately three weeks ago and stood at the graves of these brave men. Our cruise ship was the only one to get through the Northwest Passage with the help of a Canadian ice breaker this summer. We observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the men who died on the Franklin Expedition
When you think about dieing old peaceful falling asleep in your lovely home and no pain. People just don't understand when I smile I have to tell them. It gives them comfort they then also smile. God bless them.
Just before heading into the Arctic, a couple of sailors from the expedition were dropped off at Greenland to be sent back home because of illness, they were the truly lucky ones.
Just two years after these Heroes died, My Great Great Grand Father Left Nauvoo Illinois in a wagon train in the middle of winter and set out for the west.. He's my Hero for what he went through but to look upon faces of men who lived at that time.. is an amazing thing.
I am a direct descendant of the Doctor of the HMS Terror from the Franklin Expedition. Maybe Dr.John Smart Peddie had some part in preparing these men for buriel? It sends a shiver down my spine thinking about it - really bringing history alive for me. RIP Dr Peddie, and all the men of the expedition.
May your ancestor rest well along with the other poor souls of this voyage.
poor boys.
Damn right. I am pretty sure that many of the soldiers in La Grande Armee in Russia 1812 died the same way. In war, it is not the enemy soldiers who are the threat. It is the diseases. May this men rest in heaven.
Well I'll be.I'm currently reading the Dan Simmons novel "The Terror" based on this expedition.Great read -he really makes you think about that bleak Arctic frozen landscape mired in endless night and plunged in sub 60 below zero temperatures.
RIP, John Hartnell and John Torrington. You deserved a better fate.
One story from the rescue effort was heartbreaking. Two officers pulled a large sled more than 65 miles across the treacherous ice. When rescuers found the bodies of the men, they discovered the sled was filled with table silver. These men caused their own deaths. We do the same today. We drag baggage through life we don't need. This foolish baggage can destroy us. Let's determine to "lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us."
I am often drawn back to this very touching & moving video...the music is so mesmerising too
Rest in peace, dear boys. You are heroes.
Thanks for posting this, terribly sad but fascinating and the music really fits in well.
I am currently reading The Terror by Dan Simmons, a (mostly) fictional take on this true account. I cannot believe how much this video touched me, seeing firsthand the real men whose deaths I read about in the pages of a novel. Truly powerful stuff.
Amazing story and video. Very well done. Thanks so much for posting!
Wow, they actually had good teeth for that time.
RIP gentlemen!!!!
How do you know what people's teeth were like at that time? Probably a lot better due to the lack of sugar
when i was about 8 i discovered a book about mummies and became fascinated with them, john torrignton in particular. a 6 years later i'm still obsessed.
Yep, that's me. You're probably wondering how I got myself in this situation.
hands down the best channel on youtube!!!!! what a sad fate for these men
They died of a young age lot of them :(
I can't stop coming back to watch this one. So haunting. And that music. So sad.
@luckystar123451 and @Jeb Prikr - Since these mens' bodies were dried out by the natural mummification process, their skin lost its elasticity because of the loss of water. As a result, the skin recedes, exposing their teeth. It's the same reason the "your finger nails grow long after death" myth came to be. The skin becomes very dry and hard.
Fantastic work. Beautifully done. Thanks GW.
"Whilst 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 a hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May....
To seek a passage all around the Pole
Where we poor seamen must sometimes go
Through cruel hardships they bravely strove
Their ships on mountains of ice were drove
love the history and watching stuff like this. Amazing how well preserved the bodies are.
For a really amazing story about the man (John Rae) who discovered the fate of the Franklin Expedition, read Fatal Passage: The Story of John Rae.
Rae was the stud of studs. He was maligned by Franklin's widow, a powerful and influential woman in England, because Rae came back and told how the expedition had failed and its members had resorted to cannibalism.
Really amazing
RIP boys eventually all of us here will be joining you
I'm sad that their remains have been disturbed. I'm also disappointed with myself that I've given in to a ghoulish curiosity to look at them. What a sad tale. RIP.
What a wonderful, moving film. How beautifully you compiled the pictures. I thought the pocket watch so touching. This is really an extraordinary piece you made, and the lines by Dylan Thomas very fitting. So glad i found your site.
love ennio morricone!!!! so sweet and beatifull music
amazing pictures , clothing, skin , etc a real insight into victorian seamanship! the grins may look sinister but as said the cold shrinks over and creates that look!
all hail the sailors bravery ! tastefully done too this video! well done
+Michael McKenzie
I'm a 30 year Franklin researcher. If you want to discuss the finer points of the Franklin Expedition, fine. But please no conspiracy stuff that doesn't exist.
Ships took everything needed to repair them while afloat. There wasn't any Coast Guard to rescue them on the high seas, and a ship without a rudder or masts, due to a storm in the Atlantic and Pacific dead zones, could kill the whole crew simply due to dehydration.
(Which is why the US and UK forced the Japanese ports open. For water!).
You simply don't seem to understand the Franklin Expedition had bona fide carpenters aboard (even a blacksmith and sailmaker). They could not only fashion a new rudder, they could make a desk, *and coffins*. All which they learned while learning their vocations as apprentices.
The sailors also weren't just sailors, Hartnell's profession before sailing was a cobbler (he repaired shoes -- interesting NMM tidbit: some of the material the searchers found were cobbler related, too. But a crowded ship couldn't stuff that aboard, right???). -_-
The carpenter/wood wright skills were pretty good as well. It's mentioned in the "Frozen in Time" book, that the carpenter even kerfed the wood to fit the traditional shape of a coffin. A skill someone not a carpenter wouldn't understand to do. It showed they knew how to make complex wood shapes and designs, as expected of naval carpenters (even with lead poisoning).
Planks were common, especially on discovery service expeditions (as they had to take what civilization they could with them). Where the Franklin Expedition was going it would be the only source of wood, too (above the tree line). If they were at the tree line, the carpenter would be expected to hewn planks from available wood (not buy it from the local Home Depot!).
Coffins were made out of mahogany (for Torrington); nailed together with wrought iron nails; and covered with navy blue wool and outlined with white cloth tape. Nothing that's not aboard a discovery ship at the time, to repair desks/drawers/cabinets (and making clothes) -- especially considering their orders would have them traversing Russia to bring back the news of completing the Northwest Passage (and to make some gifts for their hosts -- like the carpenters did out of the remains of the Franklin search ship HMS Resolute, and that desk that sits in the Oval Office today, as a gift to the American president for offering search help).
So those coffins were made out of materials aboard ship (as evident with the excelsior used for bedding for the bodies, and for Hartnell, filled the pillow his head laid upon).
The most inane commentary you made so far was even to suggest scrapping a ship to simply make coffins (or boats for that matter), when ships aren't made of *mahogany*!
Tell me what wood was used to build the boat sledges again?
To suggest they cannibalized their ships to support some theory (the only real way to return home again -- even Lieutenant Back got the broken HMS Terror to the Ireland shore in 1836, in a forlorn hope effort, otherwise they'd perish on the high seas). Sailors just don't chop up their life rafts "just because". Even the two survivors at the "Boat Place" had an intact boat. -_-
No evidence of reburial, because when the Captain Penny's crew tried to exhume Hartnell, they couldn't even dig that far to remove one body (why the coffin was damaged, they broke into it to see if it was a real grave [not a dummy grave common in the day] e.g., Bellot's dummy grave, for example). Sparks came out of their picks, digging permafrost is like striking iron. Dr. Beattie tried to use an aircraft preheater (contraption to warm engines in cold weather to make them start) to help melt the frozen earth in the "heat" of July, that wasn't efficient either. They had to resort to boiling water instead to even get down low enough to get to the graves -- something so precious, at the searchers time, they couldn't waste fuel on.
They still had to cut them out of their clothes to extract the bodies. Permafrost is v-e-r-y difficult to melt, requiring a lot of fuel, time and melting water best used for *drinking* when there's no water company to pump fresh water for them.
So, historian, hit the books again. Study. Even "Iceblink" was more plausible than the "reburial" idea.
P.S. The #1 reason why your theory doesn't match even the forensic record is this: Torrington's eyes were intact. Reburial would've exposed Torrington to the air temperature (only way to exhume them is in summer), ruining his eyes as what happened to Hartnell with ONE exposure to the weather (why he wasn't as preserved as Torrington - the autopsy didn't help, either). Just a few hours of exposure is all it would take to ruin those eyes. So, no, they weren't reburied as some conspiracy. Only Hartnell was reburied 3x, first when the searchers opened and damaged his coffin (and Dr. Inglefield took his coffin plaque). Braine's coffin was intact and not disturbed, he died and wasn't buried for a considerable time. Torrington's grave, and preservation of his entire body, ensured he wasn't touched for 138 years.
I just read your insightful points about how the coffins were built. And I was fascinated by it. I too read Frozen in Time and Ice Blink. And you are correct. It was interesting about Hartnell's eyes. I watched NOVA's "Buried In Ice" which is how I gotten interested in the Franklin Expedition. I know that Torrington and Hartnell died in the middle of the Artic winter. And I think one of the coffins were dug at an angle. That's interesting about Hartnell being a cobbler. Thank you. This sounds like a silly question, but how could they die of dehydration when there was all that snow?
They didn't die of dehydration. They were mummified like freezer burn dries out meat. Flesh is turned to ice crystals that become hard and dry. The freezing though damages the cells, so they weren't "perfectly preserved". Cell damage was severe. Torrington's brain was just yellow fat when Drs. Beattie and Amy did their autospy 136 years later (showing Torrington was kept warm for a time before burial. Perhaps dying at night, and then in preparation for burial).
Jesus. Blabber
Its through the courage and sacrifice of men like
these, that we learn and progress and find
the knowledge that has taken us from
caves to the stars
May these heroes rest in peace.
@rcknrllcwby I remember that to. Can you imagine staring into the face of your great, great grandfather and being older then him?
these were the bravest men I ever heard of. Salute to these wonderful men.
Pretty creepy and amazing how well the bodies are preserved.
Thank you for your reverent treatment of the dead in this video. Great work.
I like this video, but the music really creeps me out. Good job!
ALSO, BE WARNED: there's an idiot on RUclips named Derek Wilson, who likes to go looking for videos of graphic/questionable content....only to bitch and moan about the content. You'd be wise to block him from your channel, before he infects all of your decent viewers with his stupidity. Just a friendly heads-up.
Stop stalking me. I enjoyed this video very much. It is very well thought out and well done and I have left a positive comment and a "Like". Please go back to your worthless channel and stop harassing me and polluting this video commentary with your nonsense.
Hahaha no matter how much bullshit you type out your video still sucks ass. LOL. You are so fucking dumb. I couldn't give a shit less about anything you have to say. You make a dumb video and you think you deserve respect? Go fuck yourself little man. I always forget about you the second I hit the "reply" button but yet you keep on leaving me messages so I keep responding. You must be extremely butthurt over my not liking your video. So just stop now you dickhole. I win this battle. I will always win because I am so much better than you.
Ass Muffin!
jenwha
You like that? I came up with it myself.
Derek Wilson Wait, how did you find that comment? Without being tagged or anything?
I remember watching a documentary on this about 20 years ago, and it was fascinating; and this sad, sad story has stayed with me. They were stuck in ice for two years and ultimately done in, at least in part, by lead-tainted canned food.
I also remember that It was Saturday afternoon at lunchtime when we saw the scene of the mummies being autopsied. I've never been able to look at grilled cheese the same way.
Let them rest in peace.
the eyes pull you in. It's amazing that the eyes are not only preserved but still look alive!
The background music is from the "The Mission" (1986)...greetings from Ecuador!
good stories and recent history never gets old.
It's amazing, unbelievable, yet scary how the eye balls are still intact. And it's so sad how the expidition went wrong.
Brought tears to my eyes.
They died a horrible death.
Joylandcandy.... It is only disrespectful if these people are dug up for foul reasons... Crime investigators exume bodies all the time for forensic evedence. These were dug up for this reason, to try to find out what happened to them... This is the only time when it is acceptable...Otherwise they should be left alone...
This video gives these poor sailors deaths some dignity and the music is quite approprate. Bravo!
@miceskin: This is from "The Mission" soundtrack, and it was written by the great Ennio Morricone.
thanks for the info. its always better to research the full story upon seeing a short clip like this. even when i watch a 1 hour long documentary which tells me most of a story i still like to find out more.
Got this from BBC News 9 September 2014
Sir John Franklin: Fabled Arctic ship found
The loss of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror prompted one of largest searches in history, running from 1848 to 1859.
The mystery has gripped people for generations, in part because no one knows for sure exactly what happened to the crew.
In total more than 50 expeditions joined the search.
Three bodies discovered over a century later in the 1980s were found to have a high lead content and to this day, many people believe the 129 crew members were poisoned by leaking lead in their poorly soldered tin cans.
checkout more other RELIABLE news sources as more researchers verify data
from this newest discovery
It's amazing how well these bodies are preserved. I have nothing but respect for these brave men, but to observe these graves is very fascinating. For hundreds of years, ships sank in the American great lakes such as lake superior. Many died going down, but their bodies are still well preserved. Even more preserved than the Franklin exposition. That's because of the lakes Ice cold waters and the fact that it's also freshwater that prevents from deteriorating. The most famous great lake shipwreck would probably be the Edmund Fitzgerald.
poor men R.I.P
Indeed.
Beautifully done, GhostWatcher! An autopsy done on the mummies in the 1990s showed that some of the men died of lead poisoning from the ship's badly soldered tin cans - the lead in the solder leaked into the food. Just a little technical footnote in this tragic story.
No, Don, I suggest that someone else put them in WAY later....Do you really think a small ship with cramped space for water and food took space to store coffins?? No. Would starved, sick, and weak men build coffins? "Yeah. I am weak and can barely move from lack of food.....so yeah, let me use some of my energy to build a coffin." Nope. I think they were re-buried later on. Ships of that era were much smaller and cramped than people today think...the last thing they would carry is something for LAND BURIALS! We have to do better than that. Sorry.
After reading the book, John Torrington died on the voyage and the place where the grave site is located they did take the time to bury their dead. The remaining crew members were not that weak yet and it would be some time before the rest of them perished.
hutch1111111
OH, I have no doubt that they took great care in burying their dead, but they would hardly dismantle the ship to make coffins (lol!), nor does there seem to be any wood in the area (from the pictures). I suggest that they were probably re-interred later by some subsequent expedition (if those are indeed coffins). I suppose one solution is that those are not "coffins" in the way we use the term, but perhaps an odd plank or two. But some of the proposed solutions I have read here are implausible in the extreme. Can you imagine a ship (which always buries at sea) taking coffins along?! (lol). That would be a wonderful psychological message.....
*****
You are correct. They would have extra wood to make repairs on the ship. They would have tried to keep things normal as possible for as long as possible. The first ones to die would have had coffins...later on towards the end...may be a different story.
Nancy Davis Brian You all should read the book and look at the oral history of the Inuit. They buried their dead in these coffins and eventually they where whittled down to small groups that died in various places, like a long boat that was found with five skeletons.
The coffins were made by the crews of the search parties - they carried coffins as it was expected there would be casualties.
poor men
i read this at a reader's digest book. two of them actuially discussed this. they were so close to safety when all died. a boat with skeletons, the perfectly preserved remains of ......., and tin cans along with the eskimo souvenirs.
thank you for putting the RIGHT music to not freak the viewers.
that was a sad story with sad endings.but i guess the men can at least have a proper burial someday.they were so young.
I've just finished Clive Cussler's novel, Arctic Drift, featuring Franklin and his expedition. In it Franklin had acquired a quantity of rare Ruthenium ore, which in the book holds the key to reversing global warming. The story's hero, Dirk Pitt, heads to the Arctic to find the expedition ships and the ore. A friend sent me this link as I finished the book and I was fascinated to learn how much of the story was true. Cussler's known for mixing fact with fiction, though. Thanks for posting!
Pardon the rather obvious question: since these men were lost ON the expedition, where did what appear to be those fairly elaborate coffins come from?? I wouldn't think the expedition would have carried or made them.....
They were stranded from a ship. supplies like wood for coffins was available and believe me many ships carrying coffins to begin with. Do you also think that these dead guys built their own coffins and crawled inside ?
But a just question you raise nonetheless
They died in the first winter, before things went drastically wrong. In fact, one of the men had been autopsied by the ship's doctor in an effort to determine the cause of his death. Ships naturally carried all the supplies they might need - i.e. wood to repair any part of the ship or anything in it. One of the jobs of a ship's carpenter was to make coffins. One of the jobs of the expedition leader was to bury the dead decently (if possible). One of these men appeared to have been sick when he first sailed, his illness became notable when it was too late to leave him at their last port of call.
Thanks for the corrections. An interesting note: project photographer Brian Spenceley went along on the 1986 expedition and was John Hartnell's great-great nephew. He was at his distant relative's graveside as they uncovered him. I was just a kid when Torrington's haunting photo was released back in 1984, and it left quite an impression on me.
@Darthbelal: While watching this, I thought "Wow, this is the only time I'll see people who were born in the 1820's." (The two mummies shown in this video.)
For those asking about the music, it's from Ennio Morricone's score for "The Mission". Gorgeous film music.
The first man was the same age as my boyfriend.
The second was the same age as me.
Brings it all home, doesn't it?
@@ivo_the_dog u r weird dude
At that temperature they should have a reasonably long shelf life...very well made documentary, thanks for posting :)
The 2 dead men died due lead poisoning from food cans. The lead seal of the new invention-canning-was dissolved by the acid in the food and slowly killed them. Other crew members must have been killed or weakened by similar, A UK tv programme was shown about 20 years ago where they were dug up and an autopsy performed, R I P
Also at some of the grave sites, they found signs of cannibalism from cut marks on some of the bones.
azntranc3951 Ohh, that reminds me of that movie Alive, with Ethan Hawk, [which details the story of a Uruguayan rugby team who were involved in the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed into the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972.] (took this from Alive Movie wiki page) They ate some of the dead just to stay alive, must be the hardest decision ever, or may not when life depends on it.
Thank you very much. I love history and this is the best it can get. I will read that book and tell you how muck I liked it!
Thanks again,
S
@quercus Another factor in the condition of their teeth is that sugar was expensive back then; nutmeg was often used as a substitute.
When I was young in grade 5 or so, I had a field trip to Victoria near Vancouver in Canada they had a wax exhibition on the franklin expedition and the wax remains as a small boy freaked me out completely.
There was a documentary on PBS back in the 1980's on these three mummies. Very interesting.
Good call! It was Nova's "Buried In Ice."
May these fine explorers continue to rest in peace and may their immortal souls preserve well in heaven.
I do wonder why no notes were left here to explain why these men died. Kinda sloppy from Franklin not to leave any information.....
I read a book called "Ice Blink" about this. The Navy contracted for canned food with a guy named Stephen Goldner, who basically just filled the cans with filth, rotting food and so on and improperly canned it. The author believes it was botulism that killed the crew.
The book is packed with information; great read.
Judging from their teeth, they do look English.
Well I'm sure you won't have pearly whites after you've been dead over a hundred years but good one
I've also seen PLENTY of Americans with rotten teeth. Like, falling out rotten teeth. If somebody has bad teeth these days it's (usually) their own fault, nothing to do with the country. I met 3 English girls and one English guy in Vegas and they didn't have bad teeth.
I used to be a dental hygienist. It's hard not to be observational of something you're used to looking at all day 5 days a week.
***** Did you ever see teeth in the US a hell of a lot of them are even worse! At least they still have most of theirs!
+Kaitlin Smith I'm pretty sure he wasn't referring to the color of their teeth.
May God bless the souls of brave people who had explored the world for our futures.
does anyone else think the thumbnail looked like lady gaga? lol
lol! damn right
Disrespect...Total disrespect ! The day will come and you'll be dead and people are to disrespect you ? Total disrespect !
YES, and some I thought look like Micheal Jackson too,may he rest in piece and I feel bad that I laughed at the bodies of these poor guys I don't think they should have been dug up in the first place.
You know Tori one day your body will look like this, but the question is where will your soul be ? Because our souls goes for eternity !
people are so touchy..
When I was a child, I had a book of mummies that had John Torrington's picture in it. Once, I thrust my book in Mom's face, saying "Mom! MOM! LOOK! Tha-that guy's John Torrington, and--"
"MICHELLE, GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!"
I wish you made it so the pictures were stationary. I don't like the zooming images of mummies. Walking Dead doesn't scare me, but RUclips real life mummies do.
Get the book, The Franklin expedition.. Read this in the 90's . Good close up photos, and excellent read of the history. Actually quite moving, I felt really sad when they dug up the bodies on how well preserved they were. They looked like from yesterday, had eyes and hair, had flesh and form, not mummies. They reburied them in the frozen area where they will be safe I hope.
John Torrington died on January 1, whata helluva way to start out the new year. Poor guys.