How the Optical Telegraph works

Claude Chappe's Optical Telegraph consisted of one main beam, with a small arm on each end. The operator inside of the telegraph tower would position a smaller model of the telegraph that would control the larger telegraph on the tower. Each position represented a letter or common syllable. Another operator in the tower would use binoculars to receive the message from the next tower down the line. In this way the Optical Telegraph towers would slowly, but surely, send telegraphs back and forth. This picture was taken from: http://www.telemuseum.se/historia/optel/OTSymp/Frankrike.html

As was mentioned before, the Optical Telegraph craze swept Europe. This chart shows what the different telegraph positions meant in Germany. It is interesting to notice that this chart omits both "x" and "y". This chart was taken from History of Telegraphy, page 15. More information on this book can be found on my Links and References page.