Alberta Online Encyclopedia
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Optical Telegraphs Page 1 | 2 A line of towers, each with an optical telegraph on top, would be set up at intervals between two designated points. Telescopes were used by each station to monitor the station situated before it in line. When a message was sent, it was recorded by the operator of the tower, who then relayed the message to the next tower down the line. Despite some drawbacks—such as no visibility at night or in fog, and the great skill required by operators to translate the messages using a codebook—this invention eventually caught on, and the French government was quick to adopt it nationwide. Soon after the first successful demonstration in 1792, a network of 15 semaphore towers was set up between Paris and Lille, over a distance of 192 kilometres. The first symbol of a message could be passed over that distance in nine minutes. A typical message of about 36 symbols could be transmitted in about half an hour. This system was expanded a great deal by Napoleon Bonaparte, who seized power in 1799. As he marched through Europe with an army at his back, the Emperor took this technology with him, extending the optical relay network throughout the conquered territories. The confident Napoleon even had a successful relay test set up across the English Channel, as part of his plan to subjugate the island nation. Although Napoleon’s dream of total conquest never came to pass, the optical telegraph he helped popularize invaded England in a big way. After the war with France ended in 1815, however, officials in England saw no need to expand on the optical telegraph system, as few outside the military were touched by its usefulness. Unfortunately for Chappe, who was still ducking the glare of his celebrity, success creates as many problems as it solves. He was on the receiving end of vitriol from individuals who claimed he stole their ideas, or that they had done him one better in their own groundbreaking designs. As a result of his ensuing depression, Chappe committed suicide by falling down a well in 1805. Only with the creation of an electric telegraph, that long-coveted but unattainable dream, would the technology have a wider application. Copyright © 2004 Heritage Community Foundation and Telephone Historical Centre All Rights Reserved |
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