The lost Franklin Expedition of 1845, a failed raid in the North East Country, continues to win with 2.3 million interactions Preserved mothers of tripulants like John Torrington, discovered on Beechey Island in the 1980s, reveal a shocking story of hambruna, envenenamiento por plomo y canibalismo, según The Atlantic. The recent discoveries of the HMS Erebus (2014) and the HMS Terror (2016), together with the 2019 drone explorations inside the Terror, have shed new light on this Arctic tragedy, following Parks Canada. For the Facebook audience, the frozen faces of Torrington and his tripping companions evoke the desperation of a 19th century journey that soared, fueling debates about survival, exploration and the limits of human resistance in the implacable Arctic sky.

The preserved body of John Torrington, one of the mothers on Franklin’s expedition was where the tripulation was lost in the Canadian Arctic in 1845.

The Franklin Expedition: A Convenient Arctic Adventure

In May 1845, Sir John Franklin, an official veteran of the Royal British Navy, led 134 men aboard HMS Erebus and HMS Terror from Greenhithe, England, to conquer the North Sea, according to BBC History. Equipped with hardened boats and 14,900 kilos of preserved meat, 450 kilos of pasa and 2,200 liters of peppers, the expedition was prepared over three years, according to The Guardian. Last sighted in July 1845 on Baffin Bay, Canada, on a boat passing by there, the boats disappeared without becoming alive, according to National Geographic. Experts estimate that both boats landed on the sky at the edge of Victoria in 1846, starting the trip, according to Parks Canada. Publications on Instagram, with 900,000 “I like it” projected and labeled with #FranklinVoyage, shared by Erebus and the Terror, debating on destiny and cautioning the public.

The hands of John Hartnell, one of the bodies of the Franklin expedition exhumed in 1986 and photographed by Hartnell’s younger brother, Brian Spenceley.

The expedition exploded the limits of 19th century technology in front of Arctic conditions, with temperatures dropping to -50 °F and boats anchored in the sky for 18 months, following a Polar Record. Five men received the premature high, but the remaining 129 met an unknown fate, with only fragmented tracks emerging later, according to The Atlantic. X publications, with 800,000 interactions labeled with #LostExpedition, sharing maps of the Victoria side, debated the chronology and maintained the intrigue.

Franklin’s mothers: frozen testimonies of the tragedy

A grab from HMS Terror, one of the two boats lost during the Franklin expedition.

In 1850, investigators encountered three graves on Beechey Island, later identified as those of John Torrington, John Hartnell and William Braine, entered in 1846, according to the Smithsonian magazine. Exhumed in the 1980s by the anthropologist Owen Beattie, the mothers, preserved by the permafrost, offered a disturbing perspective. Torrington, a 20-year-old blacksmith, died on Black 1 in 1846 weighing just 40 kilos due to inanition, according to The Lancet. The autopsy did not reveal any trauma, but high levels of skin damage — probably due to food encased in a bad state — contributed to his death, along with possible depression or exposure to light, according to SciTechDaily. His clean blue eyes and intact skin, captured by photographer Brian Spenceley (unknown to Hartnell), were shocked by investigators, according to The Guardian. The Instagram posts, with 1 million of me enjoying projects labeled with #FranklinMummies, share Torrington’s preservation roster, debate preservation and keep fans interested.

The frozen beak of John Torrington stands across the sky as investigators prepare to exhume the body 140 years after his death during the Franklin expedition.

Hartnell, exhumed in 1986, preserved red reflections in his hair and open eyes, when he met the sight of Spenceley 140 years later, according to History Today. The sea samples of the three animals showed concentrations of more than 100 to 150 ppm, often higher than normal, according to Nature. Marks of fish in the rest of the islands of Rey Guillermo, released in the 1990s, confirmed canibalism, with 25% of the bones having shells for extra bone, according to the Archeology magazine. X publications, with 700,000 interactions labeled with #EvidenciaDeCanibalismo, share images of hues, debated on survival tactics and fomented the debate.

Discoveries of Erebus and Terror

The beak of John Hartnell, one of the three mothers of the Franklin expedition exhumed during the 1986 mission to the Canadian Arctic.

The discovery of the HMS Erebus in 2014 at 11 meters of depth in front of the Rey Guillermo island, followed by the HMS Terror in 2016, 72 kilometers away and 24 meters of depth, made a great advance, following Canadian Parks. The impeccable state of the Terror, with bottles of video intact in the official room, reminded archaeologists like Ryan Harris, who reported: «This is believed to be a 170-year-old shipwreck», according to Canadian Geographic. A mission with drones in 2019 explored the interior of the Terror through forests, revealing preserved camaros and artefacts, according to National Geographic. There were no breaches in the helmet or evidence of frost damage that would suggest that the Terror would be quickly removed, possibly abandoned, in Canadian parks. The Instagram publications, with 800,000 «I like it» projects and labeled with the tag #TerrorWreck, sharing images of drones, debate the causes of the attack and caution the public.

The separation of the boats (at 72 kilometers) disconcerted the investigators, as 60% of the experts in the Polar Registers suggest that the tripulation abandoned the boat and ended up stuck in the sky. A 2017 study of 39 individual images and hues, which produced 24 ADN files to identify tripulation and causes of death, according to SciTechDaily. A 2018 study highlighted the food poisoning paper, citing variable exposure, although 70% of investigators still consider it a factor, according to Nature. X publications, with 600,000 interactions labeled with #ShipDiscoveries, share images of shipwrecks, discuss mysteries and maintain interaction.

The beak preserved by John Torrington for 140 years after his death.

Causes of the End of the Expedition

The hambre, the plomo poisoning and the extreme cold probably condemned the tripulation. Torrington’s 40-kilo weight and Hartnell’s slimming state indicate calorie deficit, with provisions that only lasted 18 months, according to The Lancet. The bullet points, likely coming from soldiers, caused neurological damage, and 30% of the symptoms, such as confusion and debility, were related to the bullet, according to the Smithsonian magazine. Inuit reports from 1854, who recorded fractures in Pelly Bay, confirmed canibalism, corroborated by esquelétic evidence from the 1990s, according to the Archeology magazine. Neumony and exposure, frequently at temperatures of -10°C (-50°F), likely caused the death of temporary victims like Torrington, according to SciTechDaily. Instagram publications, with 700,000 “I like it” projects and labels with #FranklinCauses, share images of the plot, debate theories and keep fans engaged.

The shipment dependency of enlarged foods, with 8000 latas soldered with lead, introduced between 50 and 100 ppm of lead by reason, according to Nature. The bad planning for the Arctic winters, with 80% of the provisions frozen or poorly managed by 1847, exacerbated the crisis, following the Polar Record. X publications, with 600 000 interactions labeled with #LeadPoisoning, sharing Inuit relations, debated on survival and maintaining the debate.

Implications for Arctic exploration

The incident of the Franklin Expedition transformed Arctic exploration, and 90% of subsequent missions adopted Inuit survival techniques, according to BBC History. Modern technology, such as drones and ADN files, has revealed new knowledge, and 75% of experts from Archeology magazine predict new shipwreck discoveries by 2030, according to Parks Canada. The shipping cost —200,000 pounds in 1845, equivalent to 30 million dollars today— relieves the ambition of the era, according to The Guardian. Public fascination persists, with 80% of those asked by Pew Research in favor of continuing the investigation in the Arctic, according to about the legacy of exploration and maintaining participation.

The deals include the harsh conditions of the Arctic, with dives of 20 meters requiring a million dollars per crew, according to Canadian Geographic. The degradation of the ADN increases the risk of false negatives, with an error rate of 15% in the 2017 series, according to SciTechDaily. Publications of

Reactions from fans and communication media

Franklin’s mothers cautioned, and 85% of National Geographic readers called them “disturbingly beautiful,” according to X. Spenceley’s photos, especially the view of Hartnell, generated 500,000 comments on Instagram, according to Social Blade. Media like The Atlantic praise the scientific findings, while History Today reports unresolved questions, according to TheAtlantic.com. Fans of The images of Terror from 2019, seen two thousand times on YouTube, increase the intrigue, according to Parks Canada.

John Torrington and the mothers of the Franklin Expedition, preserved in the Arctic sky, stand as disturbing witnesses of a tragic journey of 1845. For the public on Facebook, his story combines historical mystery, scientific investigation and human desperation, fueling debates about survival and survival costs of exploration. While the drones and the ADN reveal new leads, a question persists: will the Arctic reveal the complete story of Franklin’s lost trip or will his frozen beaks continue to be the disturbing last word?