How the Open Wire System Powered 19th Century Telegraph Networks

Introduction

The telegraph revolutionized long distance communication in the 19th century. For the first time, messages could be transmitted across continents almost instantaneously. This incredible technology relied on a simple but ingenious system - the open wire telegraph network. In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at how these primitive networks allowed telegraph operators to send Morse code messages across vast distances.

The Basics of the Telegraph

The electric telegraph was invented in the 1830s and spread rapidly across Europe and North America. The technology was fairly straightforward:

• It used electric current to transmit signals down a wire.
• Operators would tap out messages in Morse code using a key.
• This would break the circuit on and off.
• On the receiving end, the pulses would deflect a needle on a paper tape, creating the dots and dashes of Morse code.

The real genius was in developing a system that could span hundreds or thousands of miles. This was accomplished through the open wire telegraph network.

How the Open Wire Network Worked

The open wire system used two basic components:

• Bare wires suspended on telegraph poles.
• Relay stations at regular intervals to boost the signal.

Here is how it worked:

• A battery at one end would send current down the telegraph wire.
• This was usually iron or steel wire, suspended on wooden poles.
• The poles were spaced about 100 feet apart.
• The signal would become weaker over long distances.
• So relay stations with batteries were positioned every 10-15 miles.
• They would detect the incoming signal and boost it to full strength again.
• Allowing the pulses to travel the next 10-15 miles to the next relay.
• With enough relays, signals could span continents.

This simple system allowed Morse code messages to be sent vast distances as long as there was an unbroken line of wire between stations.

Early Telegraph Networks in America

The first US telegraph lines were built in the 1840s along railroad right-of-ways. The railroads had the pole infrastructure in place to string wires. Some key events:

• In 1844, Samuel Morse sent the first long distance message from Washington DC to Baltimore saying "What hath God wrought?".
• By 1850, a line connected New York to Chicago.
• In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph line was completed connecting the east and west coasts.
• By 1866, a dedicated open wire telegraph network spanned over 52,000 miles across North America.

The telegraph wires followed railway lines, allowing messages to be sent wherever the rails went. Railroad depots became hub locations for routing telegraph messages across the country.

Telegraph Pole and Wire Construction

The telegraph needed a reliable infrastructure to hang wires on:

• Telegraph poles were usually 25-30 feet tall and spaced about 100 feet apart.
• They had to be dense, strong woods like cedar. And pressure-treated with creosote.
• Early wires were iron, but higher conductivity copper wire became standard.
• Wires were suspended on glass or ceramic insulators to prevent short circuits.
• Usually there were two wires at the top for the telegraph, and other wires were added later for services like telephone.

Maintaining thousands of miles of wire through all weather conditions was a huge logistical challenge. But the telegraph wires and poles were rugged enough to withstand the elements.

Operators and Telegraph Offices

• Sending messages required trained operators to tap out Morse code.
• Most railroad depots and towns had a telegraph office where the public could send messages.
• Larger cities had central offices to manage all the wires coming through.
• Routing messages through multiple connections to far off places was complex.
• But operators got very adept at keeping messages flowing smoothly.
• The telegraph offices were hubs of activity, with Morse code clattering away 24 hours a day.

It took coordination of many dedicated operators to keep the pioneering telegraph network humming.

The Decline of the Telegraph

The glory days of the telegraph were short-lived. By the 1900s it was rendered obsolete by the telephone, which allowed real-time voice communication. But for a brief time, the telegraph wire network profoundly changed human communication. It paved the way for the global communication networks we rely on today. The telegraph allowed information, ideas, and messages to truly start flowing across distances - the first step towards a connected world.