How the Mighty Fall

Image: Used as a giant advertisement, the Great Eastern spent the remainder of her days laid up at New Ferry on the Mersey.

After her Halcyon days as a cable ship the Great Eastern struggled to find another use. One suggestion would have had her used to remove sewage from London and another saw her as a small pox hospital. She was eventually anchored at New Ferry which was a graveyard for old ships where she still drew large crowds who paid one shilling a piece to go aboard. On-board entertainment in 1886 was provided by a line-up including Miss Nelly Fletcher the ‘Champion Skipping Rope Dancer’, and Smith and Orton the ‘Breakneck Knockabout Negro Comedians and Big Boot Dancers’. If your sensibilities were shocked by the freak show ‘Bob the Missing Link’ or the ‘African Mystery’ then in the second class refreshments one could freshen the senses with drinks such as ‘a Flash of Lightening’, an ‘Eye Opener’ or if all else fails, a ‘Corpse Reviver’. She was finally sold on the 20th October 1887 for £16,000 to Henry Bath and Sons who were ship breakers based at New Ferry. Her various parts were auctioned off with her copper parts fetching £3,000, her gun metal for £4,400, her brass fittings for £4,000, and the Trotman anchors for £300. In total she was worth £58,000 as scrap. Breaking began on January 1st 1889. Whilst her double hull was being demolished the breakers discovered the skeletons of a man and a boy, who had seemingly become trapped between the double hulls during the construction of the Great Eastern. The find was believed to be that of the Riveter and his Work Boy whose ghosts had haunted the ship for over 35 years.