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A carving on the City walls above the Kateyard Gate to commemorate the launch of the ship 'Great Eastern'.This carving was made by Mr William Haswell and Mr Musgrave to commemorate the launch of the largest ship in the world in 1858. Called the 'Great Eastern'. The ship was a Paddle Steamer. And it was 692 Feet long, 120 Feet wide,could hold 4,000 passengers, and weighed 19,000 tons. It had a displacement of 22,500 tons, and a hull depth of 58 Feet. It was built in four years at the Scott Russell's yard on the Isle of Dogs. Under the direction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The reason for the ships size was to eliminate the cost of maintaining recoaling stations along the ship route. The ship could carry enough coal for the entire trip there and back. Otherwise such long distance routes would not be financially possible. The ship was cursed from the beginning. Originally designed for the India and Far East routes. They could not get enough passengers, so the ship was used for the Bristol to New York route, which it could do in 15 days. During the construction of the ship a riveter and his apprentice went missing. A funnel exploded killing five firemen. And during a US coast excursion the ship drifted 100 miles into the Atlantic. When the Suez Canal was opened the Great Eastern could not use it, because it was too wide. In 1864 its luck changed, and it was charted to lay the first transatlantic telegraph cable. It was the only ship big enough to hold the cable; it took five months to load the cable. The link was completed in 1866. After this the ship was used as a fairground and an advertising hoarding for Lewis of Liverpool. The ship was broken up in 1889 on the banks of the Mersey at Tranmere. During the deconstruction of the ship, two skeletons were found inside the double hull. It is said that this was responsible for all the ships bad luck. <<< Back to the Walls Walk >>>
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