Canada Identifies Ship Found From 1846 Arctic Expedition

By Scott Neuman / NPR

Published October 3, 2014 at 4:46 AM PDT

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

The Erebus and the Terror among icebergs, as illustrated in The Polar World by G. Hartwig in 1874. Sir John Franklin, British naval officer and arctic explorer, commanded the 1845 expedition of the ships to search for the Northwest Passage. All members of the expedition perished. — The Erebus and the Terror among icebergs, as illustrated in *The Polar World* by G. Hartwig in 1874. Sir John Franklin, British naval officer and arctic explorer, commanded the 1845 expedition of the ships to search for the Northwest Passage. All members of the expedition perished.

As we reported last month, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that a team of archaeologists had discovered one of two ships from a doomed Arctic expedition 160 years ago. At the time, the searchers weren't sure if they'd found British Capt. Sir John Franklin's HMS Erebus or the HMS Terror.

Now, Harper says the archaeologists have determined which one: "I am delighted to confirm that we have identified which ship from the Franklin expedition has been found. It is in fact the HMS Erebus," he said in Parliament, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

The ship from the 19th century expedition was found in Nunavut — Canada's northernmost territory. Both the Erebus and Terror were icebound during the expedition that left England in 1845 in an attempt to chart an unnavigated portion of the Northwest Passage.

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The CBC says that Franklin, who commanded the expedition from Erebus, "is believed to have been on the ship when he died."

The wreck of HMS Terror has yet to be found.