Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail invented the telegraph in 1844, allowing electrical pulses representing dots and dashes to transmit messages along cables using Morse code. This was a radical change, providing a quick and easy way to communicate over long distances. Telegrams were initially used for official purposes but became popular for public use in India in the 1850s. However, new technologies like mobile phones, the internet, and social media have now replaced telegrams.

1. ????? July 15, 2013 ?????
1844
Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail invented the unique way of sending
messages.
Fastest mode of communication after smoke and flag signaling.
Short electrical pulses which represented letters ,when translated
into a string of dots and dashes, sent on a cable and translated back
at the other end formed the message.
GROWING TECHNOLOGY--REDUNDANCY
END OF TELEGRAMS ---- INDIA
The TELEGRAM is going to die. Long live the TELEGRAM

2. Telegraph machine
DOTS and DASHES = MORSE CODE

3. THE TELEGRAM WAS BORN
The first telegram by Samuel Morse to Alfred Vail on May 24, 1844 was
“What hath God wrought”

4. A RADICAL CHANGE
QUICK AND EASY COMMUNICATION
Some great telegrams---
Mark Twain, an American Author heard that his obituary had been
published.
He sent a cable from London in 1897 saying:
"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Shortest telegram
Oscar Wilde from Paris to London
He was living in Paris and he cabled his publisher in Britain to see
how his new book was doing.
The message read: “?” The publisher cabled back: “!”

5. The Wright brothers announced their first successful flight in 1903
‘Successful four flights Thursday morning”
On April 15 1912, the Titanic is believed to have sent its last
wireless message.
"SOS SOS CQD CQD Titanic. We are sinking fast. Passengers are
being put into boats. Titanic”
A famous historical telegram
It was sent by the head of the Navy on September 3 1939. It read
simply:
“Winston is back.”

6. Types of telegrams.
Physicist Edward Teller sent a telegram in 1952 to colleagues at Los
Alamos about the first hydrogen bomb detonation, saying: "It's a boy".

7. IN INDIA
Services began in 1850---first experimental telegraphic line
between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour was started by the British.
By November 1853, thousands of miles of lines were connected all over
the country.
In 1854 a surgeon by profession Dr. William O’Shaughnessy
commissioned a separate department and opened it to the public.
By 1855 it was a popular, safe, quick mode of communication for public
use.
It was Gandhi’s E mail.

8. The telegraphic mode of communication was used mostly for official and
Government purposes.
William O’Shaughnessy sent the first telegram 163 years ago from Calcutta
to Diamond Harbor.
GOOD or BAD?
India’s First War of Independence, the rebellion of 1857, failed because of
this technology, Britain got prior information, but it soon became a savior.
Lord Dalhousie once remarked that the Telegraph saved India. It helped
in the mobilization of troops in a faster and easier manner.
In 1947 Nehru, India’s first PM sent a 230 word message to Clement Atlee,
the British Prime minister.
1980’s was the Golden Period of India’s telegraphy

9. .
"Brevity is the soul of telegraphy," wrote Ross. Telegrams were
charged by the word. Articles, prepositions and conjunctions were not
used. Sometimes in the process you got howler messages.
A sample message
GIRL STOP SAFE
This means a girl is born and mother and child are safe.
You pay for each letter and so you try to be brief
You had codes for greetings .Choose the code or number and a
greetings message is sent.

10. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK ----- Telegram.
The khaki clad figure
The harbinger of news good or bad
Messages delivered any day any time
A sense of fear, anticipation, hope, mixed emotions---
You opened the telegram with trembling fingers and everyone waited with
abated breath.
A sigh of relief, a cry of joy, a sense of sadness and gloom----all a part of the
game.
The delivery man became a part of the family.

11. Over the years, Morse code has given way to telex machines and
teleprinters, and finally electronic printers and computers.
At its peak less than three decades ago, a network of 45,000 telegraph offices
served the sprawling country. Now there are only 75.
New technology has taken over.
IT IS THE AGE OF MOBILES , INTERNET, BLOGS, SMS, FACEBOOK,
TWITTER…………… Social Networking