... The space-ships from the alien planets are hanging low over earth like a black cloud.  An enormous saucer is hanging above every large city throughout the world and the human race is threatened by the danger of extinction. The newcomers from “elsewhere” have cut off all the satellite communications, computers, cellular phones, walkie-talkies.  In short, they have deprived people of all means of modern communications. The information vacuum has been broken by the good old Morse code and in a few minutes the world has come to know how to cope with the hostile intruders... Those who have seen the American movie “Independence Day”, will easily recognize this as one of the episodes from the film.  We have started off with such an “alarming” introduction because we wanted to remind you of the long-forgotten but permanently useful telegraph and the history of its creation.

The 19th century has been truly remarkable for the history of mankind.  Many scientists have experienced the thrill of first discoveries.  So many things have been invented that it is hard to enumerate them all.  The first telegraph, radio, lamp, photograph, automobile, movie, telephone... and still many more first things can be added to this list.

In 450 BC the idea of creating a torch telegraph was considered by the Greek  philosophers Phleksenius and Democritus but it did not materialise.  However the name, ‘telegraph’ (tele - long distance, grapho - I write) has survived from that time.

From the 18th century onwards, much thought has been given to creating mechanisms for information transmission that would not be dependent on water, wind or the spell of the weather.

In 1780 in France the Chapee brothers created a new system of optic telegraphs. The so-called “semaphores” (signals) were installed on the roof of a house with multi-coloured mobile intersecting pieces of wood and torches.  Information was transmitted by means of conditional signs.  Despite the fact that these signs were not apparent in fog, Napoleon Bonaparte, nevertheless, did manage to make use of the Chapee system in battle.

The electric magnet, invented by Ampere,relegated the Chapee optic telegraph to history.  In the thirties of the 19th century the idea of creating an electric-magnetic telegraph gave no peace to Baron Shilling in Russia, a famous inventor of bombs, Gauss and Weber in Germany and Watson and Cook in England.

Shilling’s telegraph was a complicated structure but two innovations attracted attention: isolation of the wires by a silk thread and signal equipment (a bell).    A Danish physicist, Erstedt paid attention to a small metal arrow which, like a compass, was directed to the North.  When brought close to an electric current wire, it changed direction.  Shilling used the magnetic arrow for the telegraph, creating a new model “arrowed telegraph”.  The Englishman, Cook changed the horizontal arrow to a vertical one.  However, their telegraph could only transmit brief information which did not meet the requirements of those times.

Nobody, probably, could have imagined that the real creator of this new invention would be an American painter, Samuel Morse and since the invention of the telegraph is directly associated with Morse’s name, it would be interesting to know how he arrived at such a remarkable discovery.

Since early childhood Morse had been enthusiastic about painting and at the age of 19, when attending a lecture on electricity, one phrase became engraved on his memory: “... at any place in the direction of the electric current, electricity may become visible...”  After this he became obsessed with the idea of creating a telegraph.

Morse mastered the art of portrait painting together with famous American artists. Then his father sent him to England to continue his studies.  In the course of this period he independently familiarised himself with the achievements in the field of chemistry and physics although he knew nothing about the European scientists who were interested in the telegraph. One could easily guess that the first model of the telegraph was made by a painter - the device was made on an easel.

In 1829 Samuel Morse was in Europe again acquainting himself with the art of the Old Masters.  In 1832 he returned to the US by ship. The name of this ship, Sully, became famous because of Morse’s discovery.  One of the passengers, Doctor Jackson, told the assembled society about the electric magnet.  Among the listeners was a well-known but poor painter, the founder and the first president of the National Art Academy of New-York, Samuel Morse.

And again a phrase that he was obsessed with came to mind: “...Electricity can become visible...”

All night long he spent thinking and elaborating his idea.  In the morning he showed his drawings to the passengers of the ship who, later on, during court proceedings witnessed that the invention of the electric telegraph took place in the fall of 1832.  “Sully’s’’ captain should have been very proud that his ship had become a part of such an important event.

However, prior to recognition, Samuel Morse had to endure plenty of hardships, humiliation and hopelessness.   Everyone thought that a gifted painter was uselessly wasting his time.  Destitute, Morse made his living by teaching painting to his pupils.

Having failed to interest the American authorities with the idea of the telegraph, he again turned himself to “old” Europe but Europe had plenty “crazy men” of its own.  In addition, at that time, Paris was being obsessed by newly invented photography.

At this time Morse became closely associated with a painter and an owner of a live picture theatre - Dager. He took back his “Dager-type camera” to the US and began to earn his living by printing photographs.

In the winter of 1843 Morse went to Washington.  He was going to request Congress $30,000 in order to construct a telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore and to test the device. Congressmen could not restrain their laughter - how could such a considerable sum of money be spent on fulfilling such a foolish fancy, they claimed. Only one Congressman, Sibley, supported Morse’s idea and managed to persuade the rest of Congress.  What would have happened to mankind if the inventors baptized as “crazy people” had not had such reasonable supporters as Sibley! And there was still an examination to be taken at the Senate. After the Senate, authorisation from the President himself was required. Morse had come so far he could not go back now, he was so close to reaching the goal of his life. But... While standing in the Senate waiting room, Morse was approached by a Senator, with whom he was acquainted, who advised him to go home. Morse returned to the small room of his poor hotel and decided never to think about the telegraph again, to forget everything and reconcile himself to his lot.
Well, while a man contemplates, God makes decisions - as happened in this case.

In the morning a young lady, Ann Ellsworth, dispatched from the Senate, came to see him to be the first to congratulate him on his victory.  Overwhelmed with happiness, Morse asked the young woman to receive his first message as soon as the telegraph became operational.

“What hath God wrought” - this message, transmitted by Morse’s telegraph, is now an exhibit in a museum.

Morse’s alphabet is a simple combination of dots and hyphens.  For instance, “it is”: a  _ .  , b _ . . ,  i  _ _ . . , t _  Morse code was first used in the Georgian alphabet in 1860 during the telegraph link between Tbilisi and Poti.

Morse’s invention rapidly spread around the world. At first the wires were tied in the air and were covered en route by wax for isolation. This terribly hard work was carried out until an English doctor, Montgomery discovered the vegetable substance  - gutta-percha in Singapore. Isolating the lines by means of gutta-percha was an incitement for the development of the underwater telegraph.  The wires crossed rivers, seas, oceans and linked continents with one another.
An ageing Samuel Morse, once living in hunger and enduring hardships, now could hardly cope with all the wealthy receptions given in his honour.  In 1858 ten European countries awarded him with a monetary reward.

The Morse telegraph device has been termed the most miraculous invention of the 19th century.

It is really a miracle when a small idea in the mind of a human being grows into the greatest invention in the world and fantasy becomes reality!

The most significant inventions of the “crazy” scientists of the 19th century are the parents of the greatest inventions of the 20th century.  And who knows, how many more miraculous discoveries are still to come!  Moreover, that we have stepped into a new millennium and the new century will probably have its own “crazy men” who will have mankind stunned many a time with their discovery of hidden marvels in anticipation of their turn.
May God inspire us for future new inventions.

Nana Zurabishvili