MovieChat Forums > The Terror (2018) Discussion > Question for people who've read the book...

Question for people who've read the book (and are history nuts)

posted 7 years ago by OldCodger (8)
7 replies | jump to latest

I'm just starting it and want to know how accurate it is.

Not, necessarily about what happened to the Franklin expedition itself, rather to life on a ship like that, being trapped in ice, disease, food, and the like.

Bonus for being accurate to what was known about the Franklin expedition at the time Simmons wrote it.

Oh, I love the show so far. I have found an error early on (the scouting parties hauling the boats; they did that when they abandoned ship, not before) but that's not a biggie. I've found a lot more accurate, like the lemon juice.

[–] whynotwriteme (7743) 7 years ago

I've read that a major problem the Franklin Expedition faced was lead poisoning, caused by the solder used to seal their canned food. I read The Terror a few years ago, but I forget if that was addressed in the story. Apparently several of the Franklin men's bodies found in Arctic graves indicate toxic levels of lead.

[–] Rorikon (18041) 7 years ago

It was either the tinned food cans or the water distillery in the ships. Pretty cool how there was such a high reward for it and people were searching for these ships for about 50 years when they finally found Erebus in 2014 and Terror in 2016 at Terror Bay. Much of the bodies and the ship themselves were well preserved.

Ships were also pretty advanced in their time with steam engine and one being a bomb vessel.

[–] ThreeTenToYuma (922) 7 years ago

The only preserved bodies are the three buried on Beechey Island.

[–] Rorikon (18041) 7 years ago

•John Torrington may have been the first to die. January 18, 1846. Because of the extreme cold in the Canadian arctic, his body was incredibly well preserved.

•The mummified remains of John Hartnell contained lots of hair which helped Dr. Owen Beattie find evidence of lead poisoning.

•William Braine, whose mummified remains were nearby Torrington's, died on April 3, 1846. He had served aboard HMS Erebus.

Wonder what happened the to rest in the extreme cold. I guess bit of eaten by polar bears, cannibalism, and sank with the ship to be eaten by sea life. Franklin was likely burred in the ice but not found as of yet but it's just speculation.

[–] ThreeTenToYuma (922) 7 years ago

Almost everything that happens on the ship is speculative. The only written records from the expedition are a couple of notes (nearly identical in content) recovered by the McClintock expedition in the 1850's. No diaries of any kind have been found.

We know from the notes that Franklin died on June 11, 1847 and that 24 men were dead by April 25, 1848, a few days after the ships were abandoned. These were tough young men in the prime of their lives, so conditions on the ships must have been absolutely terrible. The bodies buried on Beechey Island in early 1846 already showed signs of tuberculosis, pneumonia, and lead poisoning. This would've been compounded by extreme cold, malnutrition, and the psychological effects of polar isolation. It is safe to say that everyone on this expedition suffered greatly.

[–] FifthFreedom (196) 7 years ago

Seems like they're turning this into some sort of Supernatural thriller. That thing clearly isn't a regular bear.

Unless they're all starting to hallucinate and we're seeing things from their perspective.

[–] Rorikon (18041) 7 years ago

https://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/b995fec228.jpg

First message:
28 of May 1847 H.M.Ships Erebus and Terror Wintered in the Ice in Lat. 70°5'N Long. 98°.23'W Having wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island in Lat 74°43'28"N Long 91°39'15"W After having ascended Wellington Channel to Lat 77° and returned by the West side of Cornwallis Island. Sir John Franklin commanding the Expedition. All well

Party consisting of 2 Officers and 6 Men left the ships on Monday 24th May 1847.—Gm. Gore, Lieut., Chas. F. DesVoeux, Mate

Second Message:
25th April 1848 HMShips Terror and Erebus were deserted on the 22nd April 5 leagues NNW of this having been beset since 12th Sept 1846. The officers and crews consisting of 105 souls under the command of Captain F. R. M. Crozier landed here—in Lat. 69°37'42" Long. 98°41' This paper was found by Lt. Irving under the cairn supposed to have been built by Sir James Ross in 1831—4 miles to the Northward—where it had been deposited by the late Commander Gore in May 1847. Sir James Ross' pillar has not however been found and the paper has been transferred to this position which is that in which Sir J. Ross' pillar was erected—Sir John Franklin died on the 11th of June 1847 and the total loss by deaths in the Expedition has been to this date 9 officers and 15 men.—James Fitzjames Captain HMS Erebus F. R. M. Crozier Captain & Senior Offr And start on tomorrow 26th for Backs Fish River

Finder Instructions:
WHOEVER finds this paper is requested to forward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty, London, with a note of the time and place at which it was found: or, if more convenient, to deliver it for that purpose to the British Consul at the nearest Port.

Similar instructions are given in French, Spanish, Dutch, Nordic and German.