Mauretania Comes Alive In Bristol by Gavin Murphy

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Thanks for the article, Gavin. I didn't know any of those things about the "Maury," except that she had been scrapped. I didn't even know that Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Britain was in Bristol. Have you heard of his other ship, the Great Western? (not to be confused with Great Eastern). I thought I heard that Great Western was beached, and eventually destroyed, out here on the California coast. True or false?

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Apparently false. Several websites indicate that Great Western was scrapped in London, around 1857. (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/b.gardner/brunel/west.html).

It seems to me that I saw a picture published in a newspaper showing that Great Western was beached out here.

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

A couple of pictures of the SS Great Britain taken 1986 in Bristol. For those that don't know she was the first commercial iron screw steamship and now lies in the same dry dock in which she was built.

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

Thanks for posting those, Phil.

I'm glad to learn that one of Brunel's ships survived. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to visit it one of these days.

 

[Gavin Murphy]

Hi Jan!

Just back again from Mother England.

Thanx for your kind comments and thanx Phil for posting the pics. What do they say?...a picture is worth a 1,000 words, etc.

G

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

I had the pleasure of attending a cocktail party aboard the ship while in Bristol on a singing tour which included the cathedral there. Also was amazed to learn Brunel designed the great iron bridge not far from Bristol, (on the way to Cardiff) we all got out to marvel at it-I forget just what it spans exactly-but it was a wonder of its time.

 

[Gavin Murphy]

......and don't forget his railway work......the Great Western, etc.