The Early History of Telegraphy
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VOLUME 26 268 PHILIPS TECHNICAL REVIEW The early history of telegraphy G. R. M. Garratt 621.394(091) It has been said that the history of the art of commu- cian in The Hague tried to explain the causes of the .nication is the history of the human race. While such astonishing military successes of the French which had a statement is perhaps too sweeping, it is undoubtedly occurred in the meantime, he mentioned several factors: a fact that the development of communication is an in- " ... courage, aided by inventiveness which yielded the tegral part ofthe growth of civilization, Every improve- useful telegraph, the application of the balloon, an ample ment in the speed and facility with which thoughts production of saltpetre and ingenious strategic plans" [11. and ideas can be exchanged has had its social or econo- It is certainly not without significanee that it was the mic effect, and we can appreciate fully the significanee telegraph, the device which had permitted coordina- and trend of historical, social and political develop- tion of efforts on different fronts, which was given ments only if we view them against the background of priority of mention in this quotation. The telegraph the contemporary state of the art of communication. referred to was the visual telegraph or Semaphore Momentous changes in the art of communication devised by Claude Chappe. were initiated in the first half of the 19th century, and Claude Chappe - nephew of a well-known astron- in the context of this special issue of Philips Technical omer- had shown a keen interest in science when still Review it seems worth while to give some attention to a young man and had published several articles in the this most interesting period. The changes in question "Journal de physique" before the age of twenty. Early were marked by the advent ofthe electric telegraph, an in 1790 he became interested in the problem of mili- invention based on the great discoveries in the field tary communications and, together with his brothers, of electricity which were made during that period, he started experimenting and devised a system based on and we shall see how the evolutionary stages of the the use of electricity. Unfortunately knowledge in this electric telegraph correspond with discoveries in field was still insufficient (e.g. difficulties of insulation static electricity, galvanism, electrolysis and electro- were insuperable at the time), and even with Chappe's magnetism. energetic personality as a promoter, the experiments were unsuccessful. Chappe soon abandoned the idea The visual telegraph and turned to the development of an optical system. The rapid transmission of intelligence has been an In the revolutionary atmosphere which prevailed aim of mankind from the earliest times and many in France at this period, it is not surprising that systems of visual communication have been employed Chappe's conspicuous experiments earned him the sus- throughout the ages. It was not until the last decade of picion of the fanatical crowds and on two occasions the the 18th century, however, that the visual telegraph apparatus which he had set up at the Etoile was torn reached the zenith of its development in a vast commu- down and destroyed. Chappe, however, persevered and nication system covering more than half a continent. by the early summerof 1793 he had completed a practical . In retrospect it is interesting to note that this climax system which, when it was finally examined by a com- occurred just at the time when the early forms of the mission of the Convention, gave such excellent per- electric telegraph were about to make their appear- formance that Chappe was accorded the title of In- ance and it will be of value if we first briefly review génieur-Télégrapheand wasimmediately commissioned this amazing development of the visual system. to erect a chain oftelegraph stations between Paris and Communications are vital to the conduct of all mili- Lille, a distance of 145 miles. tary operations and they can never have been more Before continuing on the history of these and other necessary than they were to the French forces in 1793 chains, let us have a look at Chappe's apparatus in when, torn by the internal excesses of the Revolution order to appreciate why his system was so much more and attacked by enemies on every side, defeat might successful than the numerous earlier attempts at visual well have seemed inevitable. When, in 1799, a politi- telegraphy. Chappe's apparatus is illustrated in fig. 1. At the Mr. G. R. M. Garratt, M.A.(Calltab.), M.I.E.E., is head top of a vertical pole a long wooden beam was pivoted of the Communications Department of the Science Museum, London. - The present artiele is ill part based 011 previous pub- at its centre so that it could be rotated in a vertical lications by the author 011 the same subject, especially chapter plane. Slender arms, rotatable in the same plane, were 22 ill vol. 4 of the History of Technology, edited by Ch. Singer et al.• Oxford University Press 1958. fitted at each end of the beam and signalling was a- ,".. Fcb.1753. 4!1exptdillQt(1mnhodof mWtyfng intdligence. 13 POEcfICAL E SS ArS. Vol. xv, snd arn now bereto join my intreatics extremities of the wires, and nbout an krent 1ize, will inform his correfpon- 'For truth is hateful to ber eár, ",i,h his, that you may be happy' for e- inch below them. Allo let th" wires bc dent by the found, what wires have been A. rudeneû wh ic~ Ihe: canuot bear; . rudenefs, (peak. tbouQbts, • ~eJ in a loJ\d [ieee of ~;lalS, at G} inches totlfhed. And thus, by fome praétice, A Yês,rt my For truth upbraids her with her f:u!t:s. U that was [aid upon this from the end; and let that ran of them they Dlay come to underûand the lan- t~ ~e to extend my fiory which reaches irorn the glals la the ma- guage of the. chimes in whole words, How wretched, Cbl~r> tb~n am J, Who I?ve y~~ and yét cannot lye! Coan ...•.....•.p~per.} '\Vilfon was all {ub- chine, have !i.:fhcient llrir.g and Jl:ifinds without being put to the trouble of no- And run to m~e you leis my friend, nUffion and acknowledgment; the wife to recover its iin;:J.Ïoll auer ha\ir,g been ting down every letter. I fuive your errors to amend. • ............and doubted, and the widow vow- brought in contact with the vand. Ciofe The fame thing may be otherwife ef- eternal Ieparation, To be as Ihort by tll~ Jupportir.g glal;, let a ball be iuf.. Med. Let the balls be fufpended over PROLpGUE la !ht GUU:ST!llj a = the harpony of the married Fended tram hery wi.c : and about a the charaéters as before, but infl:ead of trag'dJ· was fixed from that day. The iixth or au eighrh of an inch below the bringing the ends of the horizontal wires Writ/m andJio~tn DJ Mr Garrick. was handfomely provided for, balls, place the letters of the all,habet_; in eontaét with the barrel, let a fecond Ike fam'd La lv1ancha's !might, who, !allncc child, at the requefl: ofMrs WHo. marked on bits of paFer, or any other kt reach from cake, as the eleétriiied fo L in hand,< to be in ~.?lttaét with ~r.~8*ontal ones; Mounted his Ileed to free tli' inchanted land, \l'h~eta:re~he h:~: o~o'ah;;gr°ilie ho ~~.!t::Cth;h~~d b~;ir~ta:i°~~h t~~ and let it be iO con~.ri!;~9at the fame time, Our Q!!ixote bud {ets forth a monfler-taming, luppy, after all her diflrelles, as Cime liniê let it be fa contrived, thas that any of wn. be removed from ATm',tI at all points, to tighttbatbydl'il-Ga~ing. fent him with a fifter, with whom . them may realliirne 10 preFer its correfpon qAf' talby the flight- Alof, 00 Pegafus he waves bis pen, And hurls defiance at the caitiil"s den, 10 divide his father's fortune. His n dropt. All things conûruc'rd eft touch, .11 ay i~felf again in- The tirn on faocy'd giants fpent his rag~ th.er rêtired into the country i and, , ..and the minute previouily fi~cd, to contact' W «. I~ < liberty. This But this has more than windmills to engage. ;;yêars after, was married to a gent lel the converfation with my ditlant may be done by the he p of a finall !prin g He combats paffiao; rooted in the foul, 'of great wortli , to whom, ?" his fitfl frier.d 111this manner, Having.lèt. ibe and llider ..o~ twenty other methods, which Wbofe pow~rs at once delight ye and controulj rp:,opolàls to her, (he related every cir- electrical machine a·going as in ordinal)' the leaH: ingenuity will dilcover. In this 'Whofe magIC bondage each loft Ilave enjoys Nor willies freedom, though tbc (pell deftroYs. ciimflance of her fl:ory •. The b?y pays expcrirncrns, furrofe I am to fTOLO,llflC.O way, the characters will always adhere To (ave our Jam! from this Magician's charms, a vmt every year, and is now with the word ,"ir; with ~ piece of gla£S, or to the balls, excepting when anyone of And refcue maids and matrons from his arms, upon of thefe vifits, 1\1r any other dellri, Ier ft, I ftrike the wire the- fecondaries is removed from contaél: Our knight poetic comes-And Oh ! ye fair! is S, fo as to bring it in coruaét with the with its horizontal; and then the letter This black incbanter's: wicked arts beware ! Hi~ Iiibtle poiLOndims the brighteft eyes, ba rrel, then i,' th en r» all the fame at the other end of the horizontal will in Aöd at its touch each grace and beamy dies.