Edward D . Robie Edward Dunham Robie ( September 11 , 1831 – June 7 , 1911 ) , was a naval engineer , inventor , and Union naval officer during the American Civil War . Early life and career . Robie was born in Burlington , Vermont , the son of Jacob and Louisa ( Dunham ) Robie . He was educated at the local academy in Binghamton , New York , where he was awarded a scholarship prize and a warrant as an assistant engineer in the United States Navy in 1852 . He was Third Assistant Engineer on the frigate USS " Mississippi " , flagship of Commodore Matthew Perry ' s historic expedition to Japan from 1852 to 1855 , which opened up that nation to the world for the first time . In 1857 , now Second Assistant Engineer , he was ordered to the frigate USS " Susquehanna " , which was involved in the first , albeit unsuccessful , attempt to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean , from Newfoundland to Ireland . He was promoted to First Assistant Engineer in 1858 , and was ordered to the USS " Niagara " , which made a round - trip voyage late that year to Monrovia , Liberia , transporting slaves liberated in August when a slave ship was captured off Cuba by another U . S . warship . Just prior to Robie ' s arrival on the ship , the " Niagara " had participated in the second attempt , this time successful , to lay the Transatlantic telegraph cable . His next assignment was as First Assistant Engineer aboard the steam sloop USS " Lancaster " . " Lancaster " , flagship of the Pacific Squadron , was cruising in the Marquesas Islands ( French Polynesia ) when the Civil War started , and did not find out about the outbreak of hostilities until it arrived in Hawaii , two months later . Civil War . President Abraham Lincoln signed Edward Robie ' s commission as Chief Engineer in September 1861 , and Robie went to sea again , this time on the steam sloop USS " Mohican " . The " Mohican " was involved in the capture of forts at Port Royal , South Carolina and Fernandina , Florida , and on blockading duty off Charleston , South Carolina . He subsequently served as Senior Engineer of the North Atlantic Squadron , superintended the construction of the iron - clad ram USS " Dictator " in 1862 - 3 , served on the steam ship " Ericsson " in 1864 , and USS " Dictator " in 1864 and 1865 . That year , he also served on the Engineer Board of Examiners . Postwar career . In 1866 , Robie sailed to the Pacific aboard USS " Ossipee " , via the Strait of Magellan . On arriving in Panama , he was promoted to Fleet Engineer on board the flagship USS " Pensacola " . In 1869 , he served on a commission headed by Rear Admiral Louis M . Goldsborough that condemned the design of USS " Wampanoag " , contained numerous design features unprecedented in American naval construction . Robie was stationed at the Boston Navy Yard in 1870 and 1871 , then ordered to USS " Wabash " , which sailed the Mediterranean Sea . He improved a steam steering engine for that frigate , which was the first successful steam steerer used in the Navy . Robie later served for a time as Fleet Engineer on the North Atlantic and Gulf Squadrons , and from 1874 to 1877 , was Chief Engineer of the Norfolk Navy Yard . Later duties included special inspection duty at Pitsburg , Ohio and the Cold Spring Foundry in New York , Fleet Engineer in the Pacific on the flagship USS " Pensacola " , Chief Engineer at Boston , then New York and finally Norfolk Navy yards . His last tour of duty was with the Navy Department in Washington , D . C . , where he remained until forced to retire due to his age , on September 11 , 1893 . He had served nearly 17 years at sea and more than 21½ years ashore . Robie retired with the rank of commodore , but an act of Congress in 1906 promoted him to rear admiral in appreciation for his services during the Civil War . Rear Admiral Robie was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 9 , 1911 .