Spitzer Stein viewpoint
History / wing telegraph
Optical telegraphy for the transmission of messages according to the Chappe system. The French technician Claude Chappe developed at the time of the French. Revolution a technically feasible optical telegraph device based on the transmission of characters with the aid of pivoting signal arms. A swiveling crossbeam was attached to a high mast with two further swiveling bars at each end, so that different letters could be signaled with a code depending on the position. The telegraph stations were located between nine and twelve kilometers apart, depending on the nature of the terrain, so that the signs could be clearly seen with a telescope. Napoleon Bonaparte used this flexible and fast system to communicate with the various troops and probably also to organize the entire Rhine province. In 1794 a telegraph line was set up between Paris and Lille, which spanned 270 km with 22 stations. The transmission time of a letter or a coded message took about 2 minutes! Source: Text information board - Hubertus Jäckel dipl.-ing. architect bda bwd
Spitzer Stein viewpoint
Wing telegraph
Optical telegraph for the transmission of messages. System / Sign System Chappe - Each of the two signal arms could assume seven different positions, the crossbars two more each. The system thus enabled 196 different characters. Source: Text information board - Hubertus Jäckel dipl.-ing. architect bda bwd