Since ancient times, people have needed to keep in touch with each other. The first hunters began to use animal horns and sea shells to transmit signals. They were replaced by sound devices such as drums, and later humanity began to use torches and bonfires. One of the first technical means can be called a water clock, the so-called clepsydra. These are communicating vessels that had markings with team names. Communication in this case took place on the principle of synchronous visibility of commands. For a long time, people used mail messages traditional in those days. Evolution burst into the world of communications in the 17th century. It was then that society began to think about ways to speed up the submission of messages and the invention of means of communication. You will learn the history, principle of operation and other interesting facts about the telegraph in the process of reading the article.
Robert Hooke's first developments
Optical telegraph - a method of transmitting information using a system of mechanisms that havehinged elements visible at long distances. The English naval signaling with flags, which existed in the fleet of King James II, is the prototype of this invention. The "first sign" of technical progress in the field of data transmission was born by the English inventor Robert Hooke. In 1684 he arranged a demonstration of his design at the Royal Society. After this event, a publication appeared in the Proceedings of the English Royal Society describing the principle of operation of Hooke's optical telegraph. This invention was successfully used by sailors and was used in the Navy until the end of the 18th century. Soon, in 1702, Amonton at the French court arranged a presentation of his optical telegraph with movable levers.
Ivan Kulibin's miracle machine
Russian researchers during the reign of Catherine II also carried out work on improving the methods of transmitting information. In 1794, the naturalist Kulibin Ivan Petrovich designed his "long-range warning machine". The invention structurally consisted of three planks of wood freely fixed on the axis, which, by means of the blocks and ropes, could be installed in various positions to each other. Mirrors and a lantern invented by Kulibin Ivan Petrovich with reflective mirrors were installed on the apparatus. The principle of operation of this telegraph was not much different from the Chappe apparatus. But, unlike the French counterpart, the Russian nugget scientist came up with his own original encryption systemindividual syllables, not words. This machine could operate at different times of the day and in light fog. This invention undoubtedly had an effect, but the Russian Academy of Sciences did not consider it necessary to allocate funds for the construction of a telegraph line. The telegraph model by Ivan Petrovich Kulibin was simply sent as an exhibit to the Kunstkamera.
Birth of the telegraph
An old idea of mankind about a new type of communication, the mention of which dates back to ancient times, was able to bring to life the Schapp brothers. For a long time, the Frenchman Claude Chappe worked on improving the clepsydra. Although some of his experiments were successful, in the end the inventor abandoned these studies. In 1789, in France, Chappe showed in action a sign-bearing apparatus, which he called a semaphore. Signal transmission was carried out at a distance of 15 km. This did not have the due success, but the scientist did not stop his development. Thanks to the constant support of his brother Ignatius, Claude Chappe carried out a number of modifications of his invention. Already in 1794 he created a real long-range device. It is to his works that we owe the appearance in everyday life of the terms that define the means of communication, the new concept of "telegraph". His invention became the basis of the first efficient information transmission system of the era of industrial progress.
Design and principle of operation
Like Hooke's optical telegraph, the Chappe brothers' upgraded design was equipped with a system of hinged crossbars mounted on a mast. Movable regulator and end-endsthe wings could change their positions due to the work of belt drives and pulleys, thereby creating code-figures. The length of the wing was 3 - 30 feet, their movement was carried out by two handles. The entire semaphore mechanism was placed on a tower-like structure, which was located in the field of visual line of sight. The work of the optical telegraph was as follows. The employee serving the semaphore watched the nearby station and duplicated the signs-signals transmitted by the neighbor. So, from building to building, messages were transmitted along the line. Claude Chapp created a unique system of encrypted code schemes, numbering 196 figures, in practice only 98 of them were used. The inventors wanted to equip the console elements with lamps for using the system at night, but soon recognized the idea as unsuccessful.
First telegraph line
Being patriots of their country, the French immediately appreciated all the advantages of the new invention and adopted it. The French National Assembly, after providing scientists with a description of the principle of operation of its optical telegraph, issued a decree on the construction of the first semaphore line. In 1794, a 225 km telegraph line Paris - Lille was built. Thanks to the Chappe telegraph, on September 1, 1794, the world's first dispatch was received. It reported that the French army had defeated the Austrians. This took only 10 minutes. Napoleon's army widely used networks of semaphore lines to coordinate the movement of military units and transmitlong distance command orders.
Travel the world
The Chapp brothers' semaphore had one drawback: it was dependent on the weather. At night and with poor visibility, it was necessary to suspend his work. But, despite this, the French invention quickly fell in love with people and took root in many countries of Europe, Asia and America. The first telegraph line opened in 1778. It connected the cities of Paris, Strasbourg and Brest. Already in 1795, the construction of optical telegraph networks in Spain and Italy will begin. England, Sweden, India, Egypt, Prussia also got semaphore lines.
Solar Telegraph
Here it is necessary to remember one more invention. Claude Schaff created the heliograph in 1778. This mirror telegraph was designed by him to transmit messages between the Greenwich and Paris observatories. Information was transmitted by the tilts of mirrors fixed in the frame by creating short flashes of reflections of sunlight. By the way, light-signal heliographs are still used today.
Telegraph lines of Russia
The optical telegraph came to Russia a little later. The first telegraph line of the system of Major General F. A. Kozen was erected between St. Petersburg and Shlisselburg in 1824, its length was 60 km. This telegraph transmitted messages about the movement of shipping on Lake Ladoga, it was used until 1836. Under Emperor Nicholas I, a Committee was created whose task was to consider optical telegraph projects forapplication to construction in Russia. Many variants of developments of foreign and domestic inventors were presented. We note several projects of Russian telegraphs: the systems of General L. L. Carbonier, P. E. Chistyakov. The telegraph project of the French engineer Chateau was chosen as the most expedient. So, his telegraph system was used in the branches that connected Kronstadt, Tsarskoye Selo, Gatchina with St. Petersburg. The longest line in the world (1200 km) is considered to be the optical telegraph line between St. Petersburg and Warsaw, built in 1839 and consisting of 149 stations up to 17 m high. A signal of 45 conventional signs along this path took 22 minutes. Maintenance was performed by 1904 operators.
Chateau Innovations
Structurally, Chateau's invention was somewhat simpler than Claude Chappe's optical telegraph. The semaphores used one T-shaped arrow of three articulated rods. Short end elements had counterweights. All moving parts were equipped with lights. The figures were composed by changing the position of the rods relative to each other. In this way, numbers, letters and phrases were encoded. The inventor compiled a special deciphering dictionary for making dispatches. The semaphore system of the Chateau engineer made it possible to take 196 positions, messages were transmitted in several encodings - official, civil and military. Control was carried out around the clock inside the structure by four operators who adjusted the rods using winches and cables. The system used reflective mirrors andlamps. All signals had to be regularly recorded in a special log, for a negligent attitude to work, a station worker could even go to jail. Citizens could also use telegraph lines to transmit optical telegrams, but this service was not cheap and did not gain popularity. Chateau's optical telegraph will be improved by A. Edelcrantz, for which the scientist will receive recognition not only in his homeland in Sweden, but also in other countries.
Rebirth of the optical telegraph
Science did not stagnate, research continued in the field of communications. Already by the middle of the 19th century, systems of electric telegraph networks were being developed. In this regard, the optical telegraph has lost its relevance. But, although the leading place in the world communication system was occupied by others, he found an unexpected use for himself. Optical semaphore in the fleet and now is one of the most common types of communication. The railway semaphore with its own system of signs of light signals is still used. And, of course, let's remember the traffic lights on the roads, the work of which we observe every day.
