, 1859-09-30
Oenth Of Mr.. 1&Rmbcrt X. Brunei. En-.
Glncer OF ahe Great EASTERN.

~ Tue C'rca*sian, arrived at st. Johns res
'r1aay' We gre intormcd Of the death, from par-
~ SIS, on the l5lh inst, Of Mr. Isambert King.
aoIn nfanc'. tie 'ilustrious engineer lie A.
,oin ea'ase;y OF French descent, his father, Sark
isa1nbert Brunei, who wax ajso rcnowned in
,ne same SCIENCE, bting nutire Of Ruuen,
| t:sal'oert, the son, WAS born ut Portsmouth.
t.nEtano' ~ 1s9i, where the elder lruncl was
employed IN constructing the docks of that "a
tiaoals ten port and arsenat. While very youuy
| ae way sent to France and educated at the Col
/ ,esc oi Coen, IN Normandy. On lis return 10
f''suad ~ ls:6. lie WAS engaged to Assist hi.
'at''tr ~ the construction fthe Thnmrs Tunnel
Vi which he was Resilient engineer During the
p1oGTcas OF this stupendnus work lie WIS, on
several occasions, exposed TO Imminent danger
rom the Irrnption Of the water, especially it,
ls@s, when, being surprised by The current
aooat sir hundred feet from the II. u.outl Of thr
tutiileI, hc wss seized by the water and thrown
'pon the beach, sustaining; however, but little
| injury.
Some years before the completion Of the tim
nFl. nu1ntlv. in tS3s, lie was appointed 10 col,
,trnct the GrrAt Western Railroad. upon which
| " employed all tue resources Of Ac.ence, anil
.'l*pa. ed ! skill ~ an engineer which was never
before aud has never since betn eqnuttcd. Ti.,
tntoas BOX Tunnel, on this road. was entirely
us WORK. The longest suspension bridge in
England. that Of Ilungcrford, over the Thames.
ssaK ttsIEned and built br lin. lie assisted Mr
>tePltens II in hoa'tng and raising the Conway
ina Hf'tanp'a tubular bridges, one Of the most
ai''lc1N enterprises on record. lie Was also en-
saE+d III The construction Of the Tuscan entl Of
ts,e Sar'4inian Railway, and during tile late WIT
sitll Russia was employed 10 construct aud DR.
Eaasxe t!Ie Hospital Of i.cnkipi, situated on tie
1l4rdaneller, aud intended TO ad;ru acconuola-
ton 10 II" !rs< ttau three Thousand SICK aud
wounded nj me time. TIAse IRE only portion
VI the land w0rks IN which hc has dsyoled him
srlE Must IF tl's large docks as nll the ptiuci.
I'ai seaport. nf Great ltisIn were either wholly
cJnst: nctcd completed br him. Nor was III.
tcnius con!incd TO raroa'as, bridges nnd tunnels.
lie vas also the constructor oF tue Grcut
Western, the first colossal steamship which
trav"rsed the Atlantic, and whose arrival in the
waters Of our lay will be well remembered bv
most If our rralers. That famous ship WIS
then considered monster Of the deep. being
I'D ieet in trM.th f.y s.: feet inches in BREADTH
since lnr time tue Great Brian. the lersia,
au.! alf nf the Collins l'ne. have exceeded her
II length, especially the Pernia, which il ;.0
'eei 1au.. The Great Eastern is nearly threr
'hHcs her length. aud u tllis last crowning work
If ocean navigation Mr.. lsruners fame j,
also intimately attached. 1t was originals
supposed on this Hil. of tile At}ant,c tha:
he WAS her builder, but such is not tic clse
Nr. Scott Russell designed her lines and coll
strnctc the lion hull Of the stir, unl considers
himself rrsponn'!e fnr llcr merits or defects, us
p,rcc Of nav architecture. Ieis alan fcspnn
~'h!t: fer the p4'l1itwiesi engines of .oo9 lr,.
power. hy which she is propelled. l'ut Mr. Kus-
ee:! acknowledges that il is 10 Mr. 3ruuc as TIT
+:"rnpam,' : engineer. that te orixiual con,
rrpts0n il due Of bu,ldin. the MAMMOTH ship
The idea Of n>in. twp SETS of engines and twu
'r"I,"Isrs. Was ul>o his. 1t was bis IDEA, also,
to Introduce a cellular feature, like that at the
~, aid t"'t.rr, Of t',c britannia Bridge, in'n
her c 'nstruct..,n. These are the main cilarac-
tcri>tir4 Which distinguish the Grcat Eastern
franz ether slips. anh tl,rse are Mr. Eruncrx.
The launching Of the ship. her rigging aud
EnastinE, l'rr tahius aud her outfit. we're undes
Sr. isfunrfs sule.intcudeuce. Eesidcs the re.
.rri w!,ic vii. be felt at hts .lcath-invoivirr,
4. il docs, such Il loss to engineering scicnce-t
lhu>t naturally 1c u source a. grief not on1y
III his friends. nud trlEow artists il the con.
-tructinn vi the munster vessel, but to the put.
ic Ut ldr.c, in England and in this cou,,try,
Vim share 70 much interest ia her SUCCESS, tElas
lie wa> not spared 10 witness 1t, and be living
part Ikcr in her rrnoHn. lie was not al,1e to b.
''n oar'i Ut hcr ri the exciting time Of her lib
eration fEsDm tue Thames, ani l,er ttiumpla;
progress till stsr emerged into the Channel. Pos
~ibty lie heard Of The disastrous explosion Oh
*4rd, short pcriad IL fore his lecease, but the
h>i'asch which in!urr,s us Of his death contains
no particulars.
Mir. K'unel MAS elected in 1850 member OF
the Royal Society. lie was alsu MI assucilt Of
lie 1usfitutun af Civil Engineers, Of the Society
II Arts; aud n member ot the Astronomical
theological and Geographical Societies Of Eng
aud. lie receired ftom Louis Philippe, souie
years asnce, the cross OF the Legion Of Honor.