Transatlantic Cable
1858
Who is responsible?
In 1854, Cyrus West Field made the idea of a cable across the Atlantic ocean for telecommunications. "Cyrus Field was born of Puritan stock in Stockbridge, Mass., on Nov. 30, 1819. He quit school at 15. After short periods of work.... Field became a junior partner with a New York firm of paper dealers. When the company failed in 1841, he personally assumed its debts....By 1852 Field was free of debt and had built a... fortune of $250,000. He retired from business to devote himself to....connect Europe and America by submarine telegraph cable." With the help of ships from all over the world, Cyrus was able to finally place the cable in 1866.
Why? What is it?
The transatlantic cable is a 1,852 ft cable in the Atlantic ocean, used to allow communication via telegraph between Europe and America. Now, it is used for cell phones and computers, having added hundreds more cables since 1866. "The transatlantic telegraph cable is an undersea cable running under the Atlantic Ocean used for telegraph communications." this allowed for companies to communicate across the ocean and set up trades or business.
Where? When was it made?
"The first [cable] was laid across the floor of the Atlantic from Telegraph Field, Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland" The first cable was laid in 1856, but it only ran for three weeks. The first long time cable was laid in 1866 and is still there today.
And Nowadays?
The original cable has been joined by many more, along with internet cables and satellite cables to extend communications to all over the world, and even parts of space. Many people have started placing fiber optic cables as well, as they can hold much more data in a smaller cable, and can hold audio and visual data, whereas the first cable could only transport audio data.
Cited Text
"Cyrus West Field Facts." Cyrus West Field Facts. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
"The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable: Eighth Wonder of the World." The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable: Eighth Wonder of the World. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.