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Birthplace of Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873):
This jumble of bricks and stones tucked deep within Spotsylvania's Wilderness marked the birthplace of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the "Pathfinder of the Seas." All but forgotten now, Maury was a legend during his lifetime. While superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory, he compiled information on winds, weather, and ocean currents gleaned from the logbooks of thousands of ships. The result was "The Physical Geography of the Sea" (1855), the first modern study of oceanography.
Maury's findings revolutionized 19th-century shipping. By using his charts, ship captains reduced the average time it took to sale from New York to San Francisco from 180 days to just 133 days, saving shipping companies millions of dollars. Maury's studies also made possible the laying of the Transatlantic Cable -- the first telegraphic communication between Europe and North America. |