Editing Samuel Morse (section)

===Transatlantic cable===
Morse lent his support to [[Cyrus West Field]]'s ambitious plan to construct the first transoceanic telegraph line. Morse had experimented with underwater telegraph circuits since 1842. He invested $10,000 in Field's [[Atlantic Telegraph Company]], took a seat on its board of directors, and was appointed honorary "Electrician".{{sfn|Carter|1968|p=104}} In 1856, Morse traveled to London to help [[Charles Tilston Bright]] and [[Edward Whitehouse]] test a 2,000-mile-length of spooled cable.{{sfn|Carter|1968|p=123}}

After the first two cable-laying attempts failed, Field reorganized the project, removing Morse from direct involvement.{{sfn|Carter|1968|p=149}} Though the cable broke three times during the third attempt, it was successfully repaired, and the first transatlantic telegraph messages were sent in 1858. The cable failed after just three months of use. Though Field had to wait out the Civil War, the cable laid in 1866 proved more durable, and the era of reliable transatlantic telegraph service had begun.

In addition to the telegraph, Morse invented a marble-cutting machine that could carve [[three-dimensional]] sculptures in marble or stone. He could not patent it, however, because of an existing 1820 [[Thomas Blanchard (inventor)|Thomas Blanchard]] design.