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Cyrus West Field
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cyrus West Field (November 30, 1819 – July 12, 1892) was an American businessman and financier who led the Atlantic Telegraph Company, the company that successfully laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean in 1858. The cable broke three weeks afterward. In 1866, Field laid a new, more durable cable which provided almost instant communication across the Atlantic. On his return to Newfoundland, he grappled the previously snapped cable, reattached it to new wire, thus allowing for a second, backup wire for communication. In December 1884, the Canadian Pacific Railway named the community of Field, British Columbia, Canada in his honor. Bad investments left Field bankrupt at the end of his life.
He was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts to David Dudley Field, a clergyman. He was the brother of David Dudley Field, Henry Martyn Field, and Stephen Johnson Field. When he was 15 years old, he moved to New York City, and after three years he returned to Stockbridge. He moved back to New York City around 1840. Profits from his business ventures permitted him to retire at the age 33 with a fortune of $250,000.
- Cyrus Field Photographs, Portraits and Medals
- atlantic-cable.com, a comprehensive history of Atlantic telegraph cables
- PBS, American Experience: The Great Transatlantic Cable
- History Channel, Modern Marvels: Transatlantic Cable: 2500 Miles of Copper
- "Cable Ready" - Failure Magazine, December, 2002
- Harper's Weekly feature cartoon about the first attempt to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable, May 16, 1857.