The History of Morse Code
From the Railroad Telegraphers
to the Wireless “Ops”
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Samuel Morse, inventor
1836 Samuel Morse invents electric telegraph
able to send messages up to 500 yards!
1842 Morse erects circuit between Wash. DC and
Baltimore – 38 miles; few interested
1844 Sends “What God hath wrought” to Capitol
1845 Forms the “Magnetic Telegraph Company”
1847 Received patent for electric telegraph
1847 Patent contested; built telegraph in Europe
Paid $80,000; Netherlands to Turkey
1853 Invention upheld by U.S. Supreme Court
1872 Samuel Morse dies, 80 years old
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Early American Telegraph Companies
1851 New York Telegraph Co. formed; lines
from New York City to Boston & St. Louis.
Based on Morse's success in Europe
1852 Dozens of other local companies formed
but very limited due to no “long lines”
1854 Samuel Morse returns to United States
1856 New York Telegraph Co. buys up most
local companies; renamed Western Union
1861 Western Union completes lines from
Omaha to Sacramento – coast-to-coast
1869 Transcontinental Railroad completed
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Stringing the Line to Sacramento 1861
1851 – Western Union formed
1861 – telegraph lines spanned the continent
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Early Development
1861 Telegraph/Western Union becomes huge
asset to Union Army during Civil War
1865 Western Union enters agreement with the
railroads to share lines
1880s Railroads arrive in NM, TX, AZ; railroad
& Western Union lines connect army forts
for communications & the Indian Wars
1886 Geronimo, Nana, Naiche (son of Cochise),
Mangas, etc. surrender at Skeleton Canyon
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1880
Victorio
Killed
at
Tres
Castillos
Mexico
Telegraphed to
Washington DC
but
not believed
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1886 Geronimo Surrenders
Nana, Natchez (Son of Cochise), Mangas, etc.
Geronimo party at Socorro train depot enroute to Florida 1886
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Railroad and Western Union
Telegraph Relay Stations
Railroad telegraphers
fastest growing
career in America
1880 – 1930s
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The main job of the railroad telegrapher was
keeping track of trains and rolling stock
between “stations” or the “main lines”
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Dozens of “Train Orders” were sent daily to
track regular train movements and “Extras”
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A missed Train Order . . .
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. . . wasn't pretty !!!
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Railroad Telegrapher
Roy Carrejo
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Railroad Telegrapher
Roy Padilla
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Dave Finley, N1IRZ (Socorro)
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Famous Telegrams
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“Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will
discontinue all Telegram and Commercial
Messaging Services. We regret any
inconvenience this may cause you, and we
thank you for your loyal patronage.”
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The Age of “Wireless”
Marconi Wireless Company – founded 1902
Guglielmo Marconi
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Raising kite antenna for 1st Atlantic
transmission, St. Johns, Newfoundland 1901
“Telefunken” Corporation
formed 1903 – fierce
competitors to Marconi's
maritime service
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“Any wireless operator who communicates with a
Marconi ship will be immediately discharged
from the Wireless Service”
– Telefunken directive, 1911
“Any wireless operator who communicates with a
Telefunken ship will be immediately discharged from
the Wireless Service”
– Marconi directive, 1912
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The “Titanic”
Lost at Sea – April 15, 1912
1,517 people perished; 706 rescued
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The Radiomen of
Wireless station “MGY”
Jack Phillips
“Silent Key”
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Harold Bride
Survived
22
Silent Key
“We listened to Jack Phillips sending status
reports, CQD, SOS, and pleas for help until his
key went silent.”
– Marconi Radioman, NYC
The origin of the term “Silent Key”
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The only known photograph of the
Titanic Radio Room – “MGY”
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Radio Room on the “R.M.S. Olympic”
The Titanic's sister ship
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The Key Used on the Titanic
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Actual Titanic Telegram
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Actual Titanic Telegram
O
Wireless
Operator
David Sarnoff
in
New York City
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Actual telegram from owner of White Star
Line to the “Carpathia”
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A Sparkgap Station
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Top 3 Radio Pioneers
Lee De Forest
(1873-1961)
1906 invented triode tube
1907 1st ship-to-shore message
1907 named his system radio
1916 patents regenerative rcvr
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Top 3 Radio Pioneers
Lee De Forest
(1873-1961)
1906 invented triode tube
1907 1st ship-to-shore message
1907 named his system radio
1916 patents regenerative rcvr
1926 patent upheld
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Edwin Armstrong
(1890-1954)
1914 invented and patented
regenerative receiver
1926 Supreme court awards
patent to De Forest
1933 Patents “FM” radio
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Top 3 Radio Pioneers
Lee De Forest
(1873-1961)
Wolfman Jack
(1938-1995)
1906 invented triode tube
1907 1st ship-to-shore message
1907 named his system radio
1916 patents regenerative rcvr
1926 patent upheld
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Edwin Armstrong
(1890-1954)
1914 invented and patented
regenerative receiver
1926 Supreme court awards
patent to De Forest
1933 Patents “FM” radio
33
The Revolution of Radio
Still going strong … 100 years later
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An Early QRPer
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Mobile Installations
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Maritime CW: KPH/KFS San Francisco
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Maritime CW: KPH/KFS San Francisco
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Maritime CW: KPH transmitters
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Maritime CW: KPH transmitters
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Typical shipboard Radio Room
(CW days)
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CW GOES QRT – Red letter dates
1940s Morse code replaced by teletype for most
news services, messaging except maritime
1970s Morse code eliminated by the railroads
1992
Conversion to GMDSS on ships begins
(Global Marine Distress Safety System vs. manned CW)
1993
WCC closed; operated remotely from KPH
1995
Coast Guard ends monitoring CW distress freq.
Commercial maritime CW stations begin to close
1999
KPH last station to end maritime CW; using SITOR
June 1999 – The death of commercial CW
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KPH/K6KPH on Straight Key Night
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The End . . . or, is it?
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