ents were devoted to many
important engineering projects. His favorite was the construction of the
Washington Aqueduct, which carried a large part of Washington's water
supply from the Great Falls of the Potomac to the city. This work, under
his direction between 1852 and 1860, involved devising ingenious methods
of controlling the flow and distribution of the water and also the
design of a monumental bridge across the Cabin John Branch--a bridge
that for 50 years was the longest masonry arch in the world. At the same
time Meigs was supervising the building of wings and a new dome on the
Capitol and an extension on the General Post Office Building.

During the Civil War, Meigs served as quartermaster general, and in 1864
he was brevetted major general. As quartermaster general he supervised
plans for the War Department Building, 1866-1867; the National Museum
Building, 1876; and an extension of the Washington Aqueduct, 1876.

After his retirement, in 1882, General Meigs became architect of the
Pension Office Building. He served as a regent of the Smithsonian
Institution, was a member of the American Philosophical Society, and one
of the earliest members of the National Academy of Sciences.

General Meigs himself gave the Museum this interesting piece of
presentation silver. He also gave the previously described tureen (fig.
5) that had belonged to Commodore John Rodgers, who was General Meigs'
father-in-law.

Cyrus W. Field became interested in the idea of a cable across the
Atlantic between Newfoundland and Ireland in 1854. It was not a new
idea, and other shorter submarine cables had been successful, but this
was the first time a transatlantic cable had been promoted by a man of
Field's business ability and financial standing. Through his efforts, a
governmental charter was secured and a company of prominent New Yorkers
was formed to underwrite the venture. An unsuccessful attempt to lay the
cable was made by the company in 1857. Field tried again in 1858; on the
fourth attempt he was successful and immediately acclaimed as the
"genius of the age."

[Illustration: Figure 12.--GOLD BOX presented to Cyrus W. Field by the
City of New York. Loan of Metropolitan Museum of Art. In Division of
Political History. (Acc. 64761, cat. 26209; Smithsonian photo 57010.)]

New York greeted Field with wild rejoicing, and the city authorities set
September 1, 1858, as a day of celebration to give him an official
public ovation. T