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The great iron ship

by James Dugan

The Great Eastern, launched in 1858, was the largest iron ship ever built. Designed to carry more passengers than the Queen Mary, and too large for the Suez Canal of her day, it was this ship that laid the Atlantic cable. Yet, this ship was also believed to be haunted by a jinx that killed, maimed, or financially ruined hundreds of men. The story of this ship encompasses geniuses, charlatans, crackpots, and celebrities, from the ill-fated I. K. Brunel, considered the greatest engineer of his day, to Louis Napoleon of France, who was thrown for heavy financial losses by the erratic vessel.