1-158-702 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

'Great Eastern' on the stocks at Millwall on the Thames, 1857. Broadside view from the river showing the vessel in John Scott Russell's (1808-1882) yard. Double-hulled, of all iron construction, and powered by four steam engines driving both paddle wheels and screw propeller, the 'Great Eastern' was intended for the passenger trade between Britain and Australia and India. After a few troubled passenger voyages she was sold for £25,000, a fraction of the building cost of probably £500,000, and converted to a cable laying ship. In this role she was used in laying the Atlantic Telegraph Cable in 1865-1866, and other similar projects. The 'Great Eastern' was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's (1806-1859) last great project. He collapsed on her deck on her launch in 1858 and died a few days later. From The Illustrated London News. (London, 7 November 1857).