Thursday 25 December 2014

The Last Victorian Leviathan Steam Ship

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The SS Great Eastern was an iron sailing steam ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built by J. Scott Russell & Co. at Millwall on the River Thames, London. She was by far the largest ship ever built at the time of her 1858 launch, and had the capacity to carry 4,000 passengers from England to Australia without refuelling.

An Iron Monster, framed in a cloud of billowing white sails, or looming through the hellish black smoke - this was the ultimate Victorian luxury Trans-Atlantic liner, affectionately called the 'great babe' by its eccentric designer.

1 comment(s):

Anonymous said...

Love your site! The Great Eastern was also the ship that laid the transatlantic cable. -Alex