“Deserved A Better Fate”: The Misadventures of the “Great Eastern"

Brunel Standing Before the Launching Chains of the Great Eastern, by Robert HowlettIt would not be overly hyperbolic to describe Isambard Kingdom Brunel as the man who built the Victorian Era. Brunel was not merely a brilliant engineer, he was a visionary. His building projects such as massive dockyards, steamships, bridges, tunnels, and the Great Western Railway, were all tangible symbols of his age's optimism, drive, and fervent belief of humanity's limitless potential.His magnum opus was the “Great Eastern,” one of the most remarkable engineering feats of the 19th century. Sadly, his greatest achievement proved to be his biggest disaster. "Great Eastern" is now often alluded to as a “cursed” ship. While her history was certainly one of the most ill-starred in maritime history, this can largely be attributed to a combination of simple mismanagement, not the occult. Brunel's creation was (if you will pardon the cliche) ahead of its time."Great Eastern" was designed to be not just a…