Smoke signals as well as beacons convey been used to relay messages over brusque distances since ancient times , but the alone reliable way to mail messages over long distances was to dispatch a horse-riding messenger or a homing dove —until the arrival of the electrical telegraph. But l years earlier dots as well as dashes killed the messenger , for a brief catamenia , at that spot was some other form of telegraph inward Europe —the optical diversity , based on the same regulation of flag waving that the Navy however role today. It was called the semaphore , as well as relics of this amazingly efficient 19th century network tin however hold upward establish some Europe.
The semaphore was the outset successful as well as large-scale communication network that allowed transmission of messages faster than horse-riding messengers could carry. Indeed , the real discussion “telegraph” , which agency distance writing , inward Greek , was coined to clit this nationwide network of semaphore.
Illustration of a semaphore tower inward Napoleonic France. Photo credit: Internet Archive
The semaphore came into existence during the summertime of 1790 , when French Republic was at the brink of a revolution. This was a catamenia of considerable unrest. People were rioting inward the streets , as well as the monarch was at state of war amongst several of its neighbors. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 organisation was needed that would allow the French authorities to mail as well as have intelligence inward the shortest fourth dimension possible. To the rescue came Claude Chappe , as well as his 4 unemployed brothers.
The Claude brothers’ organisation consisted of a serial of towers placed no to a greater extent than than xx miles apart. Each tower was topped past times an apparatus consisting of ii movable wooden arms connected past times a crossbar. By moving the arms as well as crossbar to dissimilar positions as well as angles , the tower operator could brand a full of 196 dissimilar symbols , which were observed past times the operator of the side past times side tower amongst a telescope. He as well as hence made the same signals for the side past times side tower to alternative upward , as well as inward this way , the message was transmitted from tower to tower.
The operators were required to cheque their neighboring stations every few minutes for novel signals as well as reproduce them equally chop-chop equally possible past times turning levers as well as gears. He also had to brand certain that the side past times side tower inline had picked upward the betoken correctly , as well as ready an fault flag if it failed to hit so. It was a tiring as well as laborious labor , as well as operators had their pay docked for delays.
Diagram showing the Chappe organisation , equally used exactly for signaling letters as well as numbers. icon credit: Rees's Cyclopædia
Unlike the nautical chart higher upward , most messages were encrypted as well as the operators didn’t know what each symbol meant. Their labor was alone to transmit what they saw to the side past times side station downwardly the line. To interpret the symbols into words , 1 needed a code mass , as well as that was a closely guarded military machine secret.
Providing that the visibility was skillful , a skilled operator could mail iii symbols inward a minute. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 unmarried symbol sent from Paris would enter at Lille , a distance of nigh 200 km , inward exactly nine minutes. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 consummate message consisting of to a greater extent than than 30 symbols took exactly over one-half an hour. In August 1794 , the semaphore organisation delivered to Paris the message of the capture of Condé-sur-l’Escaut from the Austrians inward less than an hr afterwards it occurred.
The success of the semaphore led to to a greater extent than semaphore telegraph lines to hold upward built across French Republic , as well as similar networks sprang upward throughout Europe , specially inward Sweden as well as the United Kingdom. At its most extensive , the network comprised of 556 stations roofing to a greater extent than than 4 ,800 km.
The semaphores were hence successful that the French authorities initially rejected Samuel Morse’s electrical telegraph. The semaphore telegraph remained operational inward French Republic until 1852. The concluding semaphore station to become out of service was inward Sweden inward 1880.
The semaphore network inward France. Image credit: Jeunamateur/Wikimedia
A Chappe semaphore tower close Saverne , France. Photo credit: Hans-Peter Scholz/Wikimedia
A replica of 1 of Chappe's semaphore towers inward Nalbach , Germany. Photo credit: Lokilech/Wikimedia
A replica of an optical telegraph inward Stockholm , Sweden. Photo credit: CBX/Wikimedia
Sources: Wikipedia / BBC / Communications Museum of Macao / From Gutenberg to the Internet / The History Blog