The Great Iron ShipThe Great Eastern, launched in 1858, was the largest iron ship ever built. Designed to carry more passengers than the Queen Mary, and too large for the Suez Canal of her day, it was this ship that laid the Atlantic cable. Yet, this ship was also believed to be haunted by a jinx that killed, maimed, or financially ruined hundreds of men. The story of this ship encompasses geniuses, charlatans, crackpots, and celebrities, from the ill-fated I. K. Brunel, considered the greatest engineer of his day, to Louis Napoleon of France, who was thrown for heavy financial losses by the erratic vessel. |
Contents
THE WONDER OF THE SEAS | 1 |
THE LITTLE GIANT | 19 |
FASTEST VESSEL BEYOND COMPARE | 34 |
Copyright | |
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1817 LIBRARIES aboard American anchor arrived Atlantic cable big ship boat Bombay bridge British Brunel buoy cable tank cablemen Captain Halpin Captain Walker carried chains charter CHIGAN Chiltern climbed coal Cóbh cofferdam crew crowd Cunard Cyrus Field deck directors dollars Eastern feet Ferry five Flushing Bay Forwood French funnel George Beckwith grand saloon grapnel Hamilton E Henry Machin Holley hull hundred iron Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isle of Dogs John Scott Russell launching Little Giant Liverpool London lost MICHIGAN miles Millwall Moncado monster night ocean officers paddle box paddle engine paddle wheel passed passengers plates port pump rams Renwick Reuter river riveter Royal Royal Navy rudder sail sailors Sandy Hook screw engine sent shareholders ship's sight-seers skipper starboard steam steamer steamship stern storm Street Thames thousand tons took Towle Towle's tugs UNIVE Verne vessel voyage wind wire York