TORONTO — One of two British explorer ships that vanished in the Arctic nearly 170 years ago during a search for the fabled Northwest Passage has been found, Canada’s prime minister announced Tuesday in a discovery that could unlock one of history’s biggest mysteries.
Last seen in the 1840s while under the command of Sir John Franklin, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror have long been among the most sought-after prizes in marine archaeology and the subject of songs, poems and novels.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office said the well-preserved wreck was found Sunday 11 yards below the surface with the help of a remotely operated underwater vehicle. It is unclear which ship it is.
Ryan Harris, an underwater archaeologist helping to lead the Parks Canada search, said a sonar image shows some of the ship’s deck structures, including the main mast, which was sheared off by the ice when the vessel sank.
