The brunels family

Two engineers whose inventions had a major influence on transportation methods were Marc Isambard Brunel and his only son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Marc solved the historic problem of underwater tunneling. Isambard, a civil* and mechanical engineer, was the designer of the first transatlantic steamer.

Marc Isambard Brunel was born on April 25, 1769, in Hacqueville, France. Because of his Royalist sympathies, he fled to the United States in 1793 during the French Revolution. He held the post of chief engineer of New York.

After Brunel improved a method for loading ships by mechanical means, rather than by hand, he sailed to England in 1799 to market his plans to the British government. A prolific inventor, he also designed machines for sawing timber, boot making, knitting, and printing. In 1818, in his practice as a civil engineer, he patented the tunneling shield**, a device that made safe underwater tunneling possible. In 1825 operations began for building the Brunel-designed tunnel under the Thames River. This project, which had no precedent, was completed in 1842, after great physical and financial difficulties. Brunel, who was knighted for his engineering feat, died in London on Dec. 12, 1849.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born in Portsmouth, England, on April 9, 1806. At the age of 19 he was appointed resident-engineer*** when work on the Thames Tunnel began. Later he served as engineer at the Bristol Docks and also designed several other docks in England. In 1833 he was appointed chief engineer to the Great Western Railway. His introduction of the broad-gauge railway, with tracks 7 feet (2 meters) apart, made possible high speeds that helped stimulate rail progress. Brunel was responsible for building railways in Great Britain and Italy and served as an adviser on projects in Australia and India.

The younger Brunel's outstanding contributions to marine engineering were his three ships, each the largest in the world at its launching date. The Great Western (1837), a wooden paddle vessel****, was the first steamship to provide regular transatlantic service. The Great Britain (1843) was the first large vessel driven by a screw propeller. The Great Eastern (1858) achieved fame by laying the first successful transatlantic cable. During the Crimean War, he designed a complete prefabricated hospital building that was shipped in parts to the Crimea and a floating armored barge that was used in warfare. Isambard Brunel died on Sept. 15, 1859, in London.

Notes: *civil engineer – инженер строитель

**tunneling shield – туннельный щит

***resident-engineer – прораб

****paddle vessel – колёсное судно