Record

Ref No	DM1306/11/22/18
Title	Letter from J. Charles Clarkson to Isambard Kingdom Brunel offering an invention for use on the Great Eastern
Description	Written from 56 Stamford Street, Blackfriars, London. The letter expresses Clarkson's understanding that Brunel is about to start building the masts of the Great Eastern and intends to use tubular iron covered with wood and mentions that Clarkson holds a patent for a similar construction. The letter offers to submit a model showing his plan of construction, which possesses several advantages over other designs. Clarkson also explains that he has fitted out a ship with some samples of his patent pumps to show the amount of water they discharge. Clarkson believes that his pumps cannot choke, are remarkably simple and can be made to throw over 26,000 gallons of water an hour. Clarkson also mentions that he holds patents on material for decks, bulwarks and deck cabins which is much lighter and stronger than other materials and is not prone to damage or splintering. The letter invites Brunel to visit and see the pumps and deck material in person. One of the pages appears to have an annotation indicating the shape of Brunel's reply, which is that Brunel has no intention of building the masts in the way Clarkson describes.
Date	1 March 1858
Format	Manuscript
Extent	1 item
Multimedia	$65\ac2672-06c9-4939-a790-9addcd56fdb6.pdf$
Access Conditions	This material is held at the Brunel Institute - please contact the Brunel Institute to arrange access.

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