Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

BBC Seven Wonders Of The Industrial World

Here we are gentlemen, we are at last able to commence work on The Great Eastern.

This is the true story of the greatest ship the world had ever seen.

The Great Eastern.

l have conceived her as a giant bridge.

A ship that bankrupted and ruined the men who built her.

l mean l`ve never built ships under such punitive financial arrangements.

Sending many to an early grave.

The Great Eastern was the final engineering triumph of

that most brilliant of engineers lsambard Kingdom Brunel.

A monstrous creation that would consume him.

1852, Brunel and his personal assistant

William Jacomb are in London trying to raise finance for The Great Eastern.

l had the idea to build a ship that could circumnavigate the globe,

and be big enough to carry coal for the entire journey.

A project of these ambitions is bound to raise eyebrows.

Oh l`d hope so, that`s the general idea.

l would be very disappointed if they didn`t.

My ship will be the largest moving man made object ever built.

A floating city, five times the size of any vessel that has sailed the ocean.

She will carry fifteen thousand tonnes of coal,

it will require two hundred stokers

working around the clock to feed her immense steam engine.

These engines will be higher than a four storey house

and will harness the power equivalent of over eight thousand horses.

l have designed her to provide the ultimate in luxury.

Other ships can carry four hundred passengers, she will carry four thousand.

l want her to be the engineering marvel of the world, a Crystal Palace of the sea.

A fitting symbol for our mighty empire. Though it will be expensive, yes...

...there`s no doubt about that, but um l`ve always found the,

the wisest and safest plans go straight in the direction

that you believe to be right, and to plan without fear or compromise.

But many say Brunel`s vision goes beyond what either man or machine can achieve.

We`ve put this project to The Eastern Steam Navigation Company,

and er we`re waiting for their response.

Look at this.

Brunel hopes Eastern Steam will finance his great ship.

Gentlemen, gentlemen how much deliberation do we need?

But heated arguments

about whether she will even float are threatening the project.

Sir l`m not prepared to stay here and...

The entire project is a fantasy, it could never be built,

and if it were under that enormous weight it would sink, and with it my money.

How does the man know

that the ship won`t snap like a twig at the first sign of a storm?

And the size of the ship

is matched only by the size of Mr Brunel`s opinion of himself.

Six directors walk out.

They don`t want to risk financial ruin,

the fate of many who invested in Brunel`s grand designs.

Brunel is famous with the public but he is not popular with financiers.

He is described as the Napoleon of Engineers.

Thinking more of glory than profit.

Yet if one man can be said to have created the modern industrial world,

that man is Brunel.

His visions and designs ignite a revolution

that gives the world its first global transport system.

His railways compress time transporting people at unimaginable speeds.

His bridges are radical in their innovation

spanning distances never before achieved.

Brunel`s ships crisscross the Atlantic.

With The Great Britain,

the first all iron steam ship, his designs look modern, futuristic.

The most radical engineer the world has ever seen smoked forty cigars a day

and thrives on just four hours sleep.

But Brunel is suffering from an incurable kidney disease

that he fears will cheat him of his greatest challenge.

This is the greatest technical challenge of my career.

l have never embarked upon any one thing to which l`m devoting so much time,

thought and labour.

And on the success of which l am staking so much reputation.

At, at my age you do consider your legacy to the world.

l want this to be a fitting epitaph.

Brunel`s proposal carries the day, just.

The remaining directors gambled that maybe this time his ship will make them rich.

We`ve had a very heated debate, and yes there are detractors,

but they`re outnumbered l`m pleased to say by those

who will be proud to be associated with any project

with the name Brunel stamped on it.

Here we are gentlemen,

two priceless porcelain figurines packed for safe storage.

And stores for the coal.

Another great idea from Mr Brunel.

The ship enters the design phase.

Brunel supervises every detail of the work,

he has chosen Britain`s most brilliant marine engineer,

John Scott Russell, as his naval architect.

Russell has revolutionized the design of ships hulls,

turning the old stuffy traditions of ship building in to a modern science.

That`s six hundred and ninety two feet,

the hull will be double the length of the largest ship

with that of course being Mr Brunel`s Great Britain.

The entire vessel will be constructed in iron,

er that`s more than eight thousand tonnes of it if l`m correct.

Eight thousand six hundred.

Well still four times more than has been fashioned recently on any project,

be it ship building or bridge.

Now as to the methods of construction,

by these at will averages with a new screw method of propulsion.

Well it`s l who will be indebted to Mr Brunel`s considerable expertise

and structural engineering.

There are no two more qualified men in the world for this project,

even so the task ahead will test their talent to the limit.

They will have to devise new tools, new technologies and methods of construction.

They are moving in to un-chartered waters.

The vast outline of the Great Eastern is marked in to the mud.

The hull is to be built here at Russell`s ship yard

on the lsle of Dogs in London`s Eastend.

Most vexing uncertainty is how do we get this monstrous beast in to the water.

Both men agree over most of the technical detail,

but a disagreement has begun about how to launch the ship.

Mr Russell favours building her in dry dock and then er floating her out,

whereas er Mr Brunel has a rather novel plan of er constructing her alongside

the Thames here and then er sliding her down sideways in to the water,

which er l think Mr Russell will see the benefit of this er in due course.

lt`s our custom that the ship builder devises the means of the launch,

and er l`ve no doubt Mr Brunel will be so occupied with questions of engineering

as to leave the matter to Mr Russell.

But er as it is it will be a mighty endeavour,

for the newspapermen have calculated

and given the dimensions in the bible our ship will be bigger than Noah`s Ark.

Optimism abounds, however would they even be able to launch the great ship

or will her eight thousand, six hundred tonnes sink in to the estuary mud?

There`s a huge tonnage,

l`ve calculated the required tonnage er would outweigh

the hundred and ninety seven English ships

that fought the Spanish Armada, that`s gigantic.

We do not take Brunel for a rogue or a fool but an engineering knight errant.

Never so happy as when engaged, regardless of costs, in conquering.

The newspapers,

especially The Times can be quite cutting in their remarks about my husband.

He gives everything to a project,

his undivided attention, his energy, his reputation.

And were it possibly even more to this project

there`s little time left for the family.

Construction was just about to start.

When fire sweeps through Russell`s shipyard.

The timber yard containing a thousand tonnes of deck

planking provided irresistible fuel for the flames,

which in two hours engulfed the premises.

With it went a tragic inventory of some of the most choice and valuable plans,

models and templates, including those of the projected great ship.

Russell is in a desperate situation,

he has no insurance and will have to borrow heavily

from the bank to repair his yard.

He decides not to tell Brunel

even though his debts could threaten the entire project.

lt is, it is terrible news, but Mr Russell has given me his assurance,

as a gentlemen, that he can repair the yard in the matter of a few months.

So, en avant.

Mr Brunel.

Gentlemen we are at last able to commence work on the Great Eastern.

These chains behind me will form part of the restraining apparatus

that will control the launch of my ship.

l can see the look of disapproval on Mr Russell`s face,

we`re not yet in agreement over the launch.

But l`m sure in this matter the engineer`s creed of acceleration,

inertia, momentum, load and friction will prevail.

Go, come on.

The great work starts.

The Great Eastern is to be the first ship almost entirely constructed of metal.

Heave.

Heave.

Each plate weighs a third of a tonne and takes six men to lift it

and the ship will need thirty thousand plates.

Then two hundred gangs of riveters known

as bashers fix the plates to the ship`s superstructure.

lnside the ship`s hull children squeeze between the walls of the metal.

Handling white hot rivets of temperatures of over a thousand degrees.

lt will take three million rivets to complete the job.

Twelve thousand men are employed at Russell`s shipyard.

My name`s John Donovan, l`m a basher, age seventy five,

l grew up when Carpenters were the top men.

Now it`s all gone from wood to iron, mind you there`s some who`ll say

there`s not the skill in it these days just a lot of bashing,

but, don`t make no difference to me.

Come on lad, this is my grandson Jack, yeah l give him a few pennies each week.

Here show `em your scar.

He got that from a rivet.

Here we are gentlemen.

For the first time a ship without ribs.

The hull comprises of two layers of seven eighths

of an inch metal plate set approximately three feet apart.

Why you may ask gentlemen.

l have conceived her as a giant bridge.

Now, if she were made of single plates

she would bend and buckle in heavy seas, like this.

But l`ve brought my considerable knowledge of bridge building to her design,

which l can demonstrate on this model.

As you can see this is not solid.

lt gains its strength and rigidity from its cellular construction.

Also very light.

But solid and rigid enough to hold my weight.

And this gentleman`s too.

Feel safe?

Yes sir.

Are you sure?

Yes sir.

Onward.

Now the double hull also serves a double purpose.