HMS Erebus bell recovered from Franklin expedition ship revealed
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, November 12, 2014, 4:38 PM - A brass bell from the HMS Erebus -- one of the doomed ships from the infamous Franklin expedition -- was unveiled in Ottawa Wednesday.
Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq made the big announcement around the bell, which is now encased in a fresh-water filled glass container and was discovered in mid-September when the HMS Erebus was discovered at the bottom of the Arctic ocean.
Sir John Franklin is thought to have died on the Erebus, a ship that has been missing for 168 years.
A number of other artifacts have been found near the ships, but divers won't be able to retrieve them until an expedition scheduled for next year.
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Parks Canada is in the process of removing damaging sea salt from the surface on the bell, which will allow them to study it in greater depth.
The Franklin expedition has captured the imagination of Canadians for decades.
The British-led Arctic exploration voyage began in 1845 and was led by Sir John Franklin.
The ships had set out to explore an undiscovered portion of the Northwest Passage, but both of the expedition's ships -- the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror -- along with 128 crew members, were lost.
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada/Facebook
RELATED VIDEO: PRIME MINISTER HARPER ON THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION (AUGUST, 2013)
