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Electrical telegraph facts for kids

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The electrical telegraph is a telegraph that uses electric signals. In general the term electrical telegraph refers to a signalling system where an operator makes and breaks an electrical contact with a telegraph key which results in an audible signal at the other end produced by a telegraph sounder which is interpreted and transcribed by a human operator.

Types of electrical telegraphs

Gauss-Weber telegraph and Carl Steinheil

Carl Friedrich Gauss and Wilhelm Weber installed a 1000m long wire above the town's roofs. They were allowed to do this on 6 May 1833. Carl August Steinheil was able to build a telegraph network in 1835–1836. He installed a telegraph line along the first German railroad in 1835.

Schilling telegraph

The telegraph had a transmitting device which had a keyboard with 16 black-and-white keys. These served for switching the electric current.

Alter and the Elderton Telegraph

Dr. David Alter created it one year before the much more popular Morse telegraph was invented. Alter demonstrated it publically.

Morse telegraphs

In the United States, the telegraph was developed by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail. Morse created an electrical telegraph in 1837. His version was a design that could transmit over long distances using poor quality wire. Vail, his assistant, developed the Morse code signalling alphabet with Morse.

The First Telegraph
The Americas' first telegram, transmitted via a repeater: "What hath God wrought" sent by Samuel F.B. Morse in 1844

Related pages

Images for kids

  • Cooke and Wheatstone electric telegraph

    Cooke and Wheatstone's five-needle telegraph from 1837

  • Morse Telegraph 1837

    Morse Telegraph

  • Printing Telegraph

    Hughes telegraph, an early (1855) teleprinter built by Siemens and Halske

  • Soemmerring 1810 telegraph overview

    Sömmering's electric telegraph in 1809

  • Dial of Ronalds' electric telegraph

    Revolving alphanumeric dial created by Francis Ronalds as part of his electric telegraph (1816)

  • Pavel Shilling

    Pavel Schilling, an early pioneer of electrical telegraphy

  • Wallace Study-Telegraph

    Morse key and sounder

  • GWR Cooke and Wheatstone double needle telegraph instrument

    GWR Cooke and Wheatstone double needle telegraph instrument

  • ABC machine

    A magneto-powered Wheatstone A. B. C. telegraph with the horizontal "communicator" dial, the inclined "indicator" dial and crank handle for the magneto that generated the electrical signal.

  • The first telegram. Professor Samuel Morse sending the despatch as dictated by Miss Annie Ellsworth

    Professor Morse sending the message – WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT on 24 May 1844

  • Foy-Breguet telegraph display

    Foy–Breguet telegraph displaying the letter "Q"

  • Components of the electromechanical telegraph network. Proce Wellcome V0025510

    Wheatstone automated telegraph network equipment

  • Clavier Baudot

    A Baudot keyboard, 1884

  • Phelps' Electro-motor Printing Telegraph

    Phelps' Electro-motor Printing Telegraph from circa 1880, the last and most advanced telegraphy mechanism designed by George May Phelps

  • Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2008-0516-500, Fernschreibmaschine mit Telefonanschluss

    A Creed Model 7 teleprinter in 1930

  • Teletype-IMG 7289

    Teletype Model 33 ASR (Automatic Send and Receive)

  • 1891 Telegraph Lines

    Major telegraph lines in 1891

  • 1901 Eastern Telegraph cables

    The Eastern Telegraph Company network in 1901

  • Lorenz SZ42

    German Lorenz SZ42 teleprinter attachment (left) and Lorenz military teleprinter (right) at The National Museum of Computing on Bletchley Park, England

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