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THE OPTICAL TELEGRAPH It's non-numismatic, but since we discuss new technologies, here's a curious old one - the Optical Telegraph. I thought I'd seen and heard it all, but this was a new one on me. -Editor  Before the telegraph, there was the optical telegraph, a chain of towers topped by large pivoting cross members, and spaced as far apart as the eye could see. Developed by the Frenchman Claude Chappe at the end of the 18th century, optical telegraph lines once stretched from Paris out to Dunkirk and Strasbourg, and were in service for more than half a century: Chappe created a language of 9,999 words, each represented by a different position of the swinging arms. When operated by well-trained optical telegraphers, the system was extraordinarily quick. Messages could be transmitted up to 150 miles in two minutes. Several optical telegraph relay stations are still around, including one in Saverne, France that was renovated in 1998. To read the complete article, see: The Chappe Optical Telegraph (www.boingboing.net/2009/06/20/the-chappe-optical-t.html) Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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