The discovery, after 107 years, of Ernest Shackleton's sunken ice breaker Endurance in the deep, icy waters of Antarctica is only the latest chapter in a gripping tale of heroism and survival that still inspires today.
Sometimes shipwrecks contain sunken treasure, cargoes of gold or jewelry that tempt bounty hunters to risk treacherous seas in pursuit of lucrative rewards. Other shipwrecks are themselves the treasure -- the stories of their ill-fated voyages creating a legend that makes them sparkle far more than any bullion or precious stones.
"I tell you, you would have to be made of stone not to feel a bit squishy at the sight of that star and the name above," Mensun Bound, the mission's marine archaeologist, Prior to the Endurance voyage, Shackleton had established himself as a polar explorer after a career in the merchant navy. He had to leave a 1906 Antarctic expedition due to ill health, but led another successful one south in 1908. His exploits earned him a knighthood, becoming Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1909.
On February 24, 1915, with winter advancing, the expedition decided to hunker down in the hope of breaking free when summer rolled around again.Icy incarceration Despite various attempts to free Endurance, she remained trapped throughout the dark, storm-lashed months of winter. Then, in October, with the ice shifting and grinding around it, the boat succumbed to the immense pressures of the frozen landscape and was forced on its side, its hull damaged and taking on water. The order was given to abandon ship.
There were disagreements. Not everyone agreed with the Boss's decision to shoot some of the dogs and"Chippy," the ship's cat to eliminate the burden of looking after them. But as they waited for their moment to strike out for shore, Shackleton was lifted from bleak moments by the resilience of his men.
Just days later, with the physical and mental health of his men in decline, Shackleton and four other men including Endurance skipper Worsley, and carpenter Harry McNish embarked on the riskiest portion of their journey -- an 800-mile crossing of violent seas to the island of South Georgia, where a whaling station offered hope of rescue.
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