A Chappe semaphore tower near Saverne, France

Optical Telegraf of Claude Chappe on the Litermont near Nalbach.

The semaphore or optical telegraph is an apparatus for conveying information by means of visual signals, with towers with pivoting blades or paddles, shutters, in a matrix, or hand-held flags etc. Information is encoded by the position of the mechanical elements; it is read when the blade or flag is in a fixed position. In modern usage it refers to a system of signaling using two handheld flags. Other forms of optical telegraphy include ship flags, Aldis lamps, and Heliographs. Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 2390 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 2390 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Saverne (German Zabern), a town of France in the région of Alsace, situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass over the Vosges Mountains, and 45 km (27 m. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 580 KB) Other versions of this file File links The following pages link to this file: Telegraphy Claude Chappe Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 580 KB) Other versions of this file File links The following pages link to this file: Telegraphy Claude Chappe Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Nalbach is a village and a municipality in the district of Saarlouis, in Saarland, Germany. ... Semaphore can refer to: Another name for the optical telegraph invented for Napoleon Bonaparte, a system of communication used prior to the invention of the electrical telegraph by moving arms atop a tower Flag semaphore, a communication system by means of flags A mechanical device (a semaphore signal) used in... The system of international maritime signal flags is a way of representing individual letters of the alphabet on ships or in nautical situations. ... An Aldis lamp is a visual signalling device, essentially a focussed lamp which can produce a pulse of light. ... Signaling with heliograph, 1910 A heliograph uses a mirror to reflect sunlight to a distant observer. ...

Semaphore lines preceded the electrical telegraph. They were faster than post riders for bringing a message over long distances, but far more expensive and less private than the electrical telegraph lines which would replace them. The distance that an optical telegraph can bridge is limited by geography and weather, thus in practical use, most optical telegraphs used lines of relay stations to bridge longer distances. The electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electric signals. ... This article is under construction and will be completed by the editor within 24 hours. ... Microwave radio relay is a technology for transmitting digital and analog signals, such as long distance telephone calls and the relay of television programs to transmitters, between two locations on a line of sight radio path. ...

History

Although passing mention of this idea had been made at many points in history, it was apparently the English scientist Robert Hooke who first gave a vivid and comprehensive outline of visual telegraphy to the Royal Society in a submission dated 1684; in it he outlined many practical details, but his system was never put into practice. Robert Hooke, FRS (July 18, 1635 – March 3, 1703) was an English polymath who played an important role in the scientific revolution, through both experimental and theoretical work. ... The premises of The Royal Society in London (first four properties only). ...

Over a hundred years later a French engineer, Claude Chappe and his brothers took up the challenge again and succeeded to cover France with a network of 556 stations stretching a total distance of 4,800 kilometres. It was used for military and national communications until the 1850s. Claude Chappe Claude Chappe (December 25, 1763 – January 23, 1805) was a French inventor who in 1792 demonstrated a practical semaphore system that eventually spanned all of France. ...

Many national services adopted signaling systems different from the Chappe system. For example, Britain and Sweden adopted systems of shuttered panels (in contradiction to the Chappe brothers' contention that angled rods are more visible). In Spain, the engineer Agustín de Betancourt developed his own system which was adopted by that state. This system was considered by many experts in Europe better than Chappe's, even in France. Agustín de Betancourt and Molina (Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife, Spain), 1758 - 1825) was one of the most prestigious engineers of Europe. ...

France

There was a desperate need for swift and reliable communications in France during the period of 1790-1795. It was the height of the French revolution, and France was surrounded by the allied forces of England, The Netherlands, Prussia, Austria, and Spain. The cities of Marseilles and Lyon were in revolt, and the English Fleet held Toulon. In this situation the only advantage France held was the lack of cooperation between the allied forces due to their inadequate lines of communications. The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Motto Suum cuique Latin: To each his own Prussia at its peak, as leading state of the German Empire Capital Königsberg, later Berlin Government Duke1  - 1525–68 Albert I (first)  - 1688–1701 Frederick III (last) King1  - 1701–13 Frederick I (first)  - 1888–1918 William II (last) Prime Minister1,2... Marseilles redirects here. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Rhône-Alpes Department Rhône (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor Gérard Collomb  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land... The British Royal Navy does not have a well-defined moment of formation; it started out as a motley assortment of Kings ships during the Middle Ages, assembled only as needed and then dispersed, began to take shape as a standing navy during the 16th century, and became a... Panorama of Toulon area Satellite view Coat of Arms of Toulon view of Toulon harbour around 1750, by Joseph Vernet. ...

The Chappe brothers in the summer of 1790 set about to devise a system of communication that would allow the central government to receive intelligence and to transmit orders in the shortest possible time. On March 2, 1791 at 11 A.M., Chappe and his brother sent the message “si vous reussissez, vous serez bientôt couvert de gloire” (If you succeed, you will soon bask in glory) between Brulon and Parce, a distance of ten miles. The first means used a combination of black and white panels, clocks, telescopes, and codebooks to send their message. The Chappes carried out experiments during the next two years, and on two occasions their apparatus at Place de l'Étoile, Paris was destroyed by mobs who thought they were communicating with royalist forces. However in the summer of 1792 Claude was appointed Ingénieur-Télégraphiste and charged with establishing a line of stations between Paris and Lille, a distance of 230 kilometres (about 143 miles). It was used to carry dispatches for the war between France and Austria. In 1794, it brought news of a French capture of Condé-sur-l'Escaut from the Austrians less than an hour after it occurred. The first symbol of a message to Lille would pass through 15 stations in only nine minutes. The speed of the line varied with the weather, but the line to Lille typically transferred 36 symbols, a complete message, in about 32 minutes. The Place de lÉtoile is a large Place in Paris, France, the meeting point of twelve avenues (hence the name Star Square) including the Champs-Élysées which continues to the east. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Insignia of the Royalist insurgents during the Revolt in the Vendée (1793) Chouans were insurrectionary royalists in France, in particular Brittany, during the French Revolution, and even for a time under the Empire (from 1793 to 1815), when their headquarters were in London. ... New city flag Traditional coat of arms Motto: – Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Nord-Pas de Calais Department Nord (59) Intercommunality Urban Community of Lille Métropole Mayor Martine Aubry  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 39. ... Condé-sur-lEscaut is a commune of France, in the Nord départment of the region Nord-Pas de Calais, in northeast France, along the border with Belgium. ...

Claude Chappe

Paris to Strasbourg with 50 stations was the next line and others followed soon after. By 1824, the Chappe brothers were promoting the semaphore lines for commercial use, especially to transmit the costs of commodities. Napoleon Bonaparte saw the military advantage in being able to transmit information between locations, and carried a portable semaphore with his headquarters. This allowed him to coordinate forces and logistics over longer distances than any other army of his time. However because stations had to be within sight of each other, and because the efficient operation of the network required well trained and disciplined operators, the costs of administration and wages were a continuous source of financial difficulties. Only when the system was funded by the proceeds of its own lottery did costs come under control. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (748x1024, 208 KB) Subject: Claude Chappe Source: http://www-phase. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (748x1024, 208 KB) Subject: Claude Chappe Source: http://www-phase. ... Claude Chappe Claude Chappe (December 25, 1763 – January 23, 1805) was a French inventor who in 1792 demonstrated a practical semaphore system that eventually spanned all of France. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des...

In 1821 Norwich Duff, a young British Naval officer, visiting Clermont en Argonne, walked up to the telegraph station there and engaged the signalman in conversation. Here is his note of the man's information:

'The pay is twenty five sous per day and he (the signalman) is obliged to be there from day light till dark, at present from half past three till half past eight; there are only two of them and for every minute a signal is left without being answered they pay five sous: this is a part of the branch which communicates with Strasburg and a message arrives there from Paris in six minutes it is here in four.'

Relative costs

The semaphore system was cleverly designed, and provided a strategic advantage for France in a difficult time. However, it was almost 30 times more expensive per message than the electric telegraph. Here's a brief breakdown using (inflation-adjusted) $US:

Semaphore line, 120 miles (Paris to Lille)

• 15 towers ($1,500,000)
• At least 15 full-time operators ($450,000/year).
• Operates at most ten hours a day.
• Sends roughly 2 words per minute (1 symbol per minute, at 2 symbols per phrase, using the efficient directors' codebook).
• Cost to send one word one mile, at 10% markup: $0.0114

Electric Telegraph line, 120 miles

• At least six full-time operators ($180,000/year)
• Poles, right-of-way, wires, installation: $15,000/mile, ($1,800,000)
• Operates 24 hours a day.
• Sends 15 words per minute (includes breaks for the operators).
• Cost to send one word one mile, at 10% markup: $0.0003809

Description

The Chappe brothers determined by experiment that it was easier to see the angle of a rod than to see the presence or absence of a panel. Their semaphore was composed of black movable wooden arms, the position of which indicated alphabetic letters. With counterweights on the arms, the Chappe system was controlled by only two handles and was mechanically simple and reasonably rugged. Each of the two arms showed seven positions, and the cross bar connecting the two arms had four different angles, for a total of 196 symbols (7x7x4). Night operation with lamps on the arms was unsuccessful.

To speed transmission and to provide some semblance of security a code book was developed for use with semaphore lines. The Chappes' corporation used a code that took 92 of the basic symbols two at a time to yield 8,464 coded words and phrases. In communications, a code is a rule for converting a piece of information (for example, a letter, word, or phrase) into another form or representation, not necessarily of the same type. ...

Sweden

At the same time as Chappe, the Swede Abraham Niclas Edelcrantz experimented with the optical telegraph in Sweden. In 1794 he inaugurated his telegraph with a poem dedicated to the Swedish King on his birthday. The message went from the Palace in Stockholm to the King at Drottningholm. Nickname: Location of Stockholm in northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Sweden Municipality Stockholm Municipality County Stockholm Province Södermanland and Uppland Charter 13th century Government  - Mayor Kristina Axén Olin (m) Population (March 2007)  - City 786,509  - Density 4,160/km² (10,774. ... Drottningholm, or literally Queens Islet, is a village on the island Lovön in lake Mälaren on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. ...

Edelcrantz eventually developed his own system which was quite different from its French counterpart and nearly twice as fast. The system was based on ten collapsible iron shutters. The various positions of the shutters formed combinations of numbers which were translated into letters, words or phrases via codebooks. The telegraph network consisted of telegraph stations positioned at about 10 kilometres from one another.

Soon telegraph circuits linking castles and fortresses in the neighbourhood of Stockholm were set up and the system was extended to Grisslehamn and Åland. Subsequently telegraph circuits were introduced between Gothenburg and Marstrand, at Helsingborg and between Karlskrona and its fortresses. Sweden was the second country in the world, after France, to introduce an optical telegraph network. The Swedish optical telegraph network was restricted to the archipelagoes of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Karlskrona. Like its French counterpart, it was mainly used for military purposes. Nickname: Location of Stockholm in northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Sweden Municipality Stockholm Municipality County Stockholm Province Södermanland and Uppland Charter 13th century Government  - Mayor Kristina Axén Olin (m) Population (March 2007)  - City 786,509  - Density 4,160/km² (10,774. ... Location of Gothenburg in northern Europe Coordinates: Country Sweden County Västra Götaland County Province Västergötland Charter 1621 Government  - Mayor Göran Johansson Area  - City 450 km²  (174 sq mi)  - Water 14. ... Karlskrona is a city in south-eastern Sweden. ...

England

Lord George Murray, stimulated by reports of the Chappe semaphore, proposed a system of visual telegraphy to the British Admiralty. He employed large wooden boards on his towers with six large holes which could be closed by shutters. Starting in 1795, chains of shutter telegraph stations were built along these routes: The Right Reverend Lord George Murray (January 30, 1761–June 3, 1803) was an Anglican cleric best remembered for his work developing Britains first optical telegraph, which began relaying messages from London to Deal in 1796, a few years after Claude Chappes system began operation in France. ... For the international law of the sea, see Admiralty law. ...

London - Deal and Sheerness

Admiralty (London), West Square Southwark, New Cross, Shooter's Hill, Swanscombe, Gad's Hill, Callum Hill, Beacon Hill (Faversham, branch point), Shottenden, Barham Downs, Betteshanger, Deal. Flag of the Lord High Admiral The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... , An aerial view of the London Bridge area, with the City of London across the river. ... New Cross is a district on the north tip of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... Shooters Hill is a place in the London Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. ... Higham is a small village bordering the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent, between Gravesend and Rochester. ... Deal can refer to: an agreement reached after negotiation, for example a contract to sell as a dealer or dealership a bargain a situation, as in whats the deal with the Johnson account ?. a problem, as in whats your deal ?. Deal$, a U.S. dollar store a Deal...

(branch) Beacon Hill (Faversham), Tonge, Barrow Hill, Sheerness. Map sources for Sheerness at grid reference TQ919749 Sheerness is a town on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England. ...

London - Great Yarmouth

Admiralty (London), Hampstead Heath (Telegraph Hill), Woodcock Hill, St Albans, Dunstable Downs, Lilley Hoo, Baldock, Royston, Gogmagog Hills, Newmarket (Side Hill), Icklingham, Barnham, East Harling, Carleton Rode, Wreningham, Norwich, Strumpshaw, Great Yarmouth. Hampstead Heath (locally known as The Heath) is a public open space in the north of London. ... St Albans is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ... Dunstable Downs are part of the Chiltern Hills, in southern Bedfordshire. ... Baldock is a town in Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. ... This article is about Royston, Hertfordshire. ... Newmarket is a market town in the English county of Suffolk,approximately 65 miles (105 kilometres) north of London, which has grown and become famous because of its connection with race horses and Thoroughbred horse racing at Newmarket Racecourse. ... Barnham is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk, England. ... East Harling is a small village located near Thetford in Norfolk. ... Carleton Rode is a village (population 727) in Norfolk, England, situated approximately 5 miles south-east of Attleborough. ... Wreningham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. ... Norwich (IPA: //) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... Strumpshaw is a village on the River Yare in Norfolk, England, within The Broads National Park. ... Great Yarmouth, often known to locals simply as Yarmouth, is an English coastal town in the county of Norfolk. ...

London - Portsmouth and Plymouth

Admiralty (London), Chelsea Royal Hospital, Putney Heath, Cabbage Hill, Netley Heath, Hascombe, Blackdown, Beacon Hill (branch point), Portsdown Hill, Portsmouth (Southsea Common). Figure Court of Royal Hospital Chelsea The Royal Hospital Chelsea is a retirement home and nursing home for British soldiers who are unfit for further duty due to injury or old age, located in the Chelsea region of central London. ... Wimbledon and Putney Commons consist of a large open space south west of London comprising 1140 acres (4. ... Hascombe village, looking towards St Peters church and The White Horse public house. ... Blackdown is the highest hill in the county of West Sussex, at 280 meters (918 feet), and is second only to Leith Hill (295 meters, 968 feet) in southeast England. ... South Harting, from Harting Down Harting is a parish in West Sussex situated on northern flank of the South Downs. ... Portsdown Hill is a long chalk hill overlooking Portsmouth, in Hampshire, England, offering good views over Portsmouth, The Solent, Hayling Island and Gosport, with the Isle of Wight beyond. ... For other places with the same name, see Portsmouth (disambiguation). ...

(branch) Beacon Hill, Chalton, Wickham, Town Hill, Toot Hill, Bramshaw, Pistle Down, Chalbury, Blandford racecourse, Belchalwell, Nettlecombe Tout, High Stoy, Toller Down, Lamberts Castle, Dalwood Common, St Cyrus, Rockbeare, Gt Halden, South Knighton, Marley, Lee, Saltram, Plymouth. South Harting, from Harting Down Harting is a parish in West Sussex situated on northern flank of the South Downs. ... Chalton green and Red Lion pub St Michael All Angels Church in Chalton Hampshire Chalton is a small village located between Waterlooville and Petersfield in Hampshire, United Kingdom. ... Map sources for Wickham at grid reference SU572115 Wickham, formerly spelled Wykeham, is a civil parish and small market town in Hampshire, southern England, about three miles north of Fareham, and part of the City of Winchester local government district. ... Bramshaw is a small village in Hampshire, England. ... Chalbury is a village in east Dorset, England, four miles north of Wimborne Minster and four miles west of Verwood. ... Blandford Camp is a military base comprising some 390 hectares of downland lying 2 miles (3 km) north-east of Blandford Forum in the county of Dorset in southern England. ... Belchalwell is a village in Okeford Fitzpaine Parish in the Blackmore Vale, North Dorset, and lies two and a half miles south-west of Shillingstone, eight miles north-east of Blandford and four miles south of Sturminster Newton. ... Saltram House ca. ... Plymouth is a city of 243,795 inhabitants (2001 census) in the south-west of England, or alternatively the West Country, and is situated within the traditional and ceremonial county of Devon at the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar and at the head of one of the world...

The London to Portsmouth shutter telegraph chain was replaced by a chain of semaphore stations which was operational from 1822 to 1847. It did not use the same locations as the shutter chain, but followed almost the same route.

A semaphore based successor for the London to Plymouth shutter telegraph chain, branching much closer to London, at Chatley Heath in Surrey, was started but abandoned before completion. Should not be confused with Surry. ...

The semaphore tower at Chatley Heath, which replaced the Netley Heath station of the shutter telegraph, has been restored by Surrey County Council and is open to the public.

Many of the prominences on which the towers were built are known as 'Telegraph Hill' to this day. As in France the network required lavish amounts of money and manpower to operate and could only be justified as a defence need.

Other countries

Once it had proved its success, the optical telegraph was imitated in many other countries, especially after it was used by Napoleon to coordinate his empire and army. In most of these countries, the postal authorities operated the semaphore lines. Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other special-delivery items. ...

Germany began with a line 750 kilometres long between Berlin and Coblenz in 1833, and in Russia, Tsar Nicolas I inaugurated the line between Moscow and Warsaw in 1833; this needed 220 stations manned by 1320 operators. This article is about the capital of Germany. ... This article is about the German city Koblenz. ... Nicholas I (Russian: Николай I Павлович, Nikolai I Pavlovich), July 6 (June 25, Old Style), 1796–March 2 (18 February Old Style), 1855), was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Motto: Contemnit procellas (It defies the storms) Semper invicta (Always invincible) Coordinates: , Country  Poland Voivodeship Masovia Powiat city county Gmina Warszawa Districts 18 boroughs City Rights turn of the 13th century Government  - Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (PO) Area  - City 516. ...

In the United States the first optical telegraph was built by Jonathan Grout. It was a 104 kilometre line connecting Martha's Vineyard with Boston, and its purpose was transmit news about shipping. One of the principal hills in San Francisco, California is also named "Telegraph Hill", after the semaphore telegraph which was established there in the 1850s to signal the arrival of ships into San Francisco Bay. Jonathan Grout (July 23, 1737–September 8, 1807) was a United States Representative from Massachusetts for the First United States Congress. ... Map of Marthas Vineyard. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Founded 1776 Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Coit Tower (photo courtesy of Michael Doeff) Coit Tower is a notable landmark dedicated to the San Francisco, California firefighters. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ...

The semaphores were successful enough that Samuel Morse failed to sell the electrical telegraph to the French government. However, France finally committed to replace semaphores with electric telegraphs in 1846. Note that electric telegraphs are both more private and unaffected by weather. Many contemporaries predicted the failure of electric telegraphs because "they are so easy to cut." The last stationary semaphore link in regular service was in Sweden, connecting an island with a mainland telegraph line. It went out of service in 1880. Portrait of Samuel F. B. Morse by Mathew Brady, between 1855 and 1865 Samuel Finley Breese Morse (April 27, 1791 – April 2, 1872) was an American inventor, and painter of portraits and historic scenes; he is most famous for inventing the electric telegraph and Morse code. ...

In Ireland, Richard Lovell Edgeworth (1744-1817) proposed a telegraph there when a French invasion was anticipated in 1794, and again in 1796, however the proposal was not implemented. Richard Edgeworth, 1812 Richard Lovell Edgeworth (May 31, 1744-June 13, 1817) was a British writer and inventor. ...

Flag semaphore system

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article. (Discuss)

Semaphores were adopted and widely used (with hand-held flags replacing the mechanical arms) in the maritime world in the early 1800s. Semaphore signals were used, for example, at the Battle of Trafalgar. This was the period in which the modern naval semaphore system was invented. This system uses hand-held flags. It is still accepted for emergency communication in daylight or, using lighted wands instead of flags, at night. See also flag signals. Image File history File links Splitsection. ... Combatants United Kingdom First French Empire Kingdom of Spain Commanders Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson † Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve Strength 27 ships of the line France: 18 ships of the line and 8 others. ... It has been suggested that the section intro from the article Civil flag be merged into this article or section. ... Flag signals can mean any of various methods of using flags or pennants to send signals: Flaghoist signalling or the flaghoist signalling system uses sets of flags and pennants to convey messages. ...

Wig-wag flags

In the 1850s, U.S. Army Major Albert J. Myer, a surgeon by training, developed a system using left or right movements of a flag (or torch or lantern at night), similar to the Morse code of dots and dashes. This is sometimes called the wig-wag method of signaling. More mobile than previous means of optical telegraphy, this code was used extensively by Signal Corps troops on both sides in the American Civil War. (Its first use in battle was by Confederate Lieutenant Edward Porter Alexander at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861.) The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Albert James Myer Albert James Myer (September 20, 1828 – August 24, 1880) was a surgeon and U.S. Army officer. ... 1922 Chart of the Morse Code Letters and Numerals Morse code is a method for transmitting telegraphic information, using standardized sequences of short and long elements to represent the letters, numerals, punctuation and special characters of a message. ... U.S. Army Signal Corps station on Elk Mountain, Maryland, overlooking the Antietam battlefield. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Some Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was organized in February 1861 to defend the newly formed Confederate States of America from military action by the United States government. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... Edward Porter Alexander Edward Porter Alexander (May 26, 1835 – April 28, 1910) was an engineer, an officer in the U.S. Army and Confederate States Army, an author, and a railroad executive. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Irvin McDowell Joseph E. Johnston P.G.T. Beauregard Strength 35,000 effectives 32,500 effectives Casualties 2,896 (460 killed, 1,124 wounded, 1,312 captured/missing) 1,982 (387 killed, 1,582 wounded, 13 missing) For other uses...

In this code, alphabet letters were equated with three positions of the flag, disk, or light. The flags measured two, four, or six feet (60, 120 or 180 cm) square and were generally either red or black banners with white square centers or white banners with red square centers. The disks were 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) in diameter and were made of metal or wood frames with canvas surfaces. Somewhat easier to handle than the flags, they provided a different method for daylight communications. The lights were kerosene lanterns attached to a staff. A second "foot torch" was placed on the ground before the signalman as a fixed point of reference, making it easier for the recipient to follow the lantern's movements.

Each letter consisted of a combination of three basic motions. All began with the flagman holding his device vertically and motionless above his head. The first motion was initiated by bringing the device downward on the signalman's right side and then quickly returning it to its upright position. Motion number 2 involved bringing the device down on the left side and then returning it to the starting position. The third motion required lowering the device in front of the signalman, then restoring it to its vertical position. A flash demo can be found here

Modern semaphore

The newer flag semaphore system uses two short poles with square flags, which a flagman holds in different positions to signal letters of the alphabet and numbers. The flagman holds one pole in each hand, and extends each arm in one of seven possible directions. Except for in the rest position, the flags cannot overlap. The flags are coloured differently based on whether the signals are sent by sea or by land. At sea, the flags are coloured red and yellow (the Oscar flag), while on land, they are white and blue. The system of international maritime signal flags is a way of representing individual letters of the alphabet in signals to or from ships. ...

Characters

The following semaphore characters are presented as one would face the flagman:

Rest / Space Image File history File links Semaphore_Ready. ...	Numerals Image File history File links Semaphore_Numeric. ...	Error Image File history File links Semaphore_Error. ...	Cancel Image File history File links Semaphore_Cancel. ...	A / 1 Image File history File links Semaphore_Alpha. ...	B / 2 Image File history File links Semaphore_Bravo. ...
C / 3 Acknowledge Image File history File links Semaphore_Charlie. ...	D / 4 Image File history File links Semaphore_Delta. ...	E / 5 Image File history File links Semaphore_Echo. ...	F / 6 Image File history File links Semaphore_Foxtrot. ...	G / 7 Image File history File links Semaphore_Golf. ...	H / 8 Image File history File links Semaphore_Hotel. ...
I / 9 Image File history File links Semaphore_India. ...	J Letters Image File history File links Semaphore_Juliet. ...	K / 0 Image File history File links Semaphore_Kilo. ...	L Image File history File links Semaphore_Lima. ...	M Image File history File links Semaphore_Mike. ...	N Negative Image File history File links Semaphore_November. ...
O Image File history File links Semaphore_Oscar. ...	P Image File history File links Semaphore_Papa. ...	Q Image File history File links Semaphore_Quebec. ...	R Image File history File links Semaphore_Romeo. ...	S Image File history File links Semaphore_Sierra. ...	T Image File history File links Semaphore_Tango. ...
U Image File history File links Semaphore_Uniform. ...	V Image File history File links Semaphore_Victor. ...	W Image File history File links Semaphore_Whiskey. ...	X Image File history File links Semaphore_X-ray. ...	Y Image File history File links Semaphore_Yankee. ...	Z Image File history File links Semaphore_Zulu. ...

Japanese semaphore

The Japanese merchant marine and armed services have adapted the flag semaphore system to the Japanese language, as shown in Japanese here. Because their writing system involves a syllabary of about twice the number of characters in the Latin alphabet, most characters take two displays of the flags to complete; a few need three and a few only one. Japanese  ) is a language spoken by over 130 million people, in Japan and Japanese emigrant communities around the world. ... A syllabary is a set of written symbols that represent (or approximate) syllables, which make up words. ... The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most widely used alphabetic writing system in the world today. ...

The flags are specified as a solid white square for the left hand and a solid red one for the right. The display motions chosen are not like the "rotary dial" system used for the Latin alphabet letters and numbers; rather, the displays represent the angles of the brush strokes used in writing in the katakana syllabary and in the order drawn. Katakana ) is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet. ...

For example, the character for "O" [オ] is drawn first with a horizontal line from left to right, then a vertical one from top to bottom, and finally a slant between the two; that is the form and order of the arm extensions. It is the right arm, holding the red flag, which moves as a pen would, but in mirror image so that the observer sees the pattern normally. As in telegraphy, the katakana syllabary is the one used to write down the messages as they are received.

Also, the Japanese system presents the number 0 by moving flags in a circle, and those from 1 through 14 using a sort of the "rotary dial" system.

Railway semaphores

When the railway systems of Britain introduced signalling systems, the semaphore design was only one of many design including the cross-bar and disk. However, the semaphore system came to predominate. Railway semaphores operated in two or at most three positions, and were for communication between the signalmen and the train driver.

The first railway semaphore was erected by Charles Hutton Gregory on the London and Croydon Railway (later the Brighton) at New Cross, southeast London, in the winter of 1842-1843 on the newly enlarged layout also accommodating the South Eastern Railway. The semaphore was afterwards rapidly adopted as a fixed signal throughout Britain, superseding all other types in most uses by 1870. Such signals were widely adopted in the USA after 1908.

The first railway semaphores were mounted on the roof the controlling signal box, but gradually a system of wires and pulleys was developed to control the signals at a distance. The signals protecting the station itself came to be called home signals, while signals some distance away giving advance warning came to be called distant signals. In the USA, semaphores were employed as train order signals [1], with the purpose of indicating to engineers whether they should stop to receive a telegraphed order, and also as simply one form of block signalling, a function that is today almost entirely accomplished by signal lights. In railway signalling, a home signal (British English and sometimes in American English as well) or absolute signal (US English) is a signal that protects junctions, points (switches in American terminology), movable bridges platforms, or block sections. ... Overview In railway signalling, a distant signal (British English) or approach signal (US English) is a signal that repeats the aspects of a signal some distance ahead. ...

References in popular culture

An episode in Hornblower and the Hotspur (one of C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower books) involves the destruction of a Napoleonic semaphore station on the coast of France. Hornblower and the Hotspur (published 1962) is a Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester. ... The cover of the 1974 paperback edition of one of Foresters non-fiction titles: Hunting The Bismarck Cecil Scott Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966), an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of adventure with military themes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

One of Dudley Pope's Lord Ramage books, Ramage's Signal, has Ramage's crew seize a Napoleonic semaphore station to send a signal directing a French convoy into a trap. The semaphore, however, is depicted as using flapping panels or shutters rather than the arms of the Chappe system. Dudley Pope (29 December 1925 - 25 April 1997) was a British writer of both nautical fiction and history, most notable for his Lord Ramage series of historical novels. ... Lord Nicholas Ramage was the fictional character at the center of a series of sea novels written by Dudley Pope. ...

The Clacks system in Terry Pratchett's Discworld universe is very similar to the Chappe semaphore, and is probably based upon it. In the books, the Clacks system takes the place of the real world Internet and telephone network. The clacks in Terry Pratchetts Discworld novels is a network of semaphore towers stretching along the Sto Plains, into the Ramtops and across the Unnamed Continent to Genua. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Cover of an early edition of The Colour of Magic; art by Josh Kirby Discworld is a comedic fantasy book series by the British author Terry Pratchett set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which are in turn standing on the back of... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

In Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo the antihero uses France's optical telegraph system to trick one of his adversaries into going bankrupt. The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. ...

An episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus depicts a supposed dramatic production of Wuthering Heights in flag semaphore. This article discusses the series itself. ... Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontës only novel. ...

An episode of Due South features the use of semaphore communication between two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers during a hostage crisis. They did not use flags. Due South is an award-winning Canadian television police drama created by Paul Haggis and produced by Alliance Communications (now part of Alliance Atlantis), first airing in 1994. ... RCMP redirects here. ...

In Jack Vance's SF novel The Blue World, islands in the ocean communicate with "wink machines", which display binary arrays of panels, possibly derived from the system Chappe decided was less effective. John Holbrook Vance (born August 28, 1916 in San Francisco, California) is generally described as an American fantasy and science fiction author, though Vance himself has reportedly objected to such labels. ...

Keith Roberts's Pavane describes an extensive network of semaphores in Britain, operated by a powerful 'Guild of Signalers' who have a monopoly on communication; the second "measure" of the book is the story of the training and experience of a "signaller". For the former head of the Grenadian security forces, see Keith Roberts (Grenada). ... Pavane by Keith Roberts is an alternate history science fiction novel first published by Rupert Hart-Davis Ltd in 1968. ...

Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises references a statue in Paris where "the inventor of the semaphore is engaged in doing same" near the Boulevard Raspail. Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...

In the book Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome, Nancy sends secret messages to the other children by means of a picture in which the people's arm positions represent semaphore letters. Winter Holiday is the fourth book of Arthur Ransomes Swallows and Amazons series of childrens books. ... Cover of Arthur Ransomes autobiography Arthur Mitchell Ransome (January 18, 1884 – June 3, 1967), was a British author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of childrens books, which tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk...

In a strip, the webcomic Sam and Fuzzy portrays one of the two titular characters, Fuzzy, using flag-based semaphore to convey a message he has been expressly (and legally) forbidden to repeat. Webcomics, also known as online comics and internet comics, are comics that are available to read on the Internet. ... Sam and Fuzzy is a webcomic drawn by Sam Logan. ...

The Beatles' album cover Help! (1965), according to photographer Robert Freeman, was originally going to show the Beatles signaling the word HELP in semaphore. However, if read according to the code, George signals an "N" or maybe an "R" or "S", John a "U", Paul a "J", and Ringo a "D", "V", or "Cancel". The images on the US album are out of order, and all of the pictures are mirror-reversed. In the UK order, and reversed, the message appears to spell "LPUS." Freeman has stated that the letters "H-E-L-P" did not look good, graphically. Apparently "LPUS" ("help us") was used as a better-looking substitute (see Freeman, The Beatles: a Private View, p.62). The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Help! is the fifth album released by The Beatles, the soundtrack album from their film Help!. Produced by George Martin for EMI Records, the album (in its original British form) contains seven songs that appeared in the movie of the same name, and seven that did not, including the most... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ...

The song "The Road Leads Where It's Led" by The Secret Machines from their debut album, Now Here is Nowhere references semaphore. The Secret Machines are a two-piece American rock band originally from Dallas, Texas, before moving to New York City. ... Now Here is Nowhere is the first full-length album by Dallas rock band The Secret Machines. ...

In the movie "The Last Detail" starring Jack Nicholson and Randy Quaid, Nicholson plays a signalman in the US Navy who teaches semaphore to Quaid while escorting him to military prison. Quaid signals: "Bravo Yankee, Bravo Yankee, end of message" before attempting an escape. The Last Detail is a 1973 film which tells the story of two United States Navy shore patrol policemen who decide to take out a young sailor for one last night on the town before he goes to jail for eight years. ...

The peace symbol is a combination of the semaphoric letters N and D, standing for "nuclear disarmament." Peace sign redirects here. ...

See also

• Childs Hill for an example of a Telegraph Hill
• Railway signalling

Childs Hill, part of the London Borough of Barnet, is a suburban development situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross bisected by the A41. ... It has been suggested that safeworking be merged into this article or section. ...

Further Reading

• The Old Telegraphs, Geoffrey Wilson, Phillimore & Co Ltd 1976 ISBN 0900592796
• Faster Than The Wind, The Liverpool to Holyhead Telegraph, Frank Large, an avid publication ISBN 0952102099

External links

• Semaphore translator (applet) Interactive and animated semaphore translation applet.
• Chappe's semaphore (an illustrated history of optical telegraphy)
• The Early History of Data Networks - England and Ireland
• The Origin of the Railway Semaphore
• The Royal Signals Org.UK Datasheets
• Webpage including a map of England's telegraph chains
• RFC 4824 The Transmission of IP Datagrams over the Semaphore Flag Signaling System (SFSS)