The Optical Telegraph in Norway
In a war-council at Bergenshus fortress on 26 August 1801 the decision was made to install signalling poles on the mountain tops Lyderhorn and Ilsfjellet. These were poles carrying flags, and meant to signal approaching danger. The same system was in use in several areas.
1804
The organisation of the Coast Guard was settled in a plan dated 4 May 1804, but was not put into operation until the end of 1807 when Norway had entered the war against Sweden and England.
1807
The preparation of a signal line along the eastern coast of the Oslo fjord began. This system consisted of 4 flags 2 dark ones and 2 light ones. By combining these flags in various ways 12 signals could be made. During night-time signals 1, 2, or 3 torches or flares were used. The use of the Chappe telegraph in Norway was discussed, but as there were not enough telegraph operators available, and as the equipment was vulnerable to the extreme weather conditions along the coast, a less complicated type was preferred.
1808
Captain Ole Olsen now constructed a new telegraph device and suggested introducing this in Norway. This invention, however, bore such likeness to the one used by the Swedish telegraphs that it is very likely that Mr. Olsen had got his idea from there. The work related to the development of the coastal telegraph, as it was now called, was initiated. It was to take 2 years before the entire line Halden– Oslo–Trondheim, with its 227 telegraph stations, became operational. Normally these stations were placed 4–5 kilometres apart, although the distance between them was sometimes as long as 8 kilometres. In several places 2 sets of telegraph equipment were set up, one for each direction. In difficult terrain small winter cabins were placed. These small cabins, which could offer a magnificent view, were often draughty and cold. The supervisors of these main points were selected among clever mates and shipmasters. If one of them refused to go, he could be ordered. In harsh winter temperatures parts of the signal line had to be put out of function. The supervisors who were dismissed were entitled to living expenses provided they returned to service on 1 March the following year.
1809
Mr. Ole Olsen’s new signal system was introduced this spring. There were many reasons for changing the system. What was needed was a simple system which would support the strong gales on our unsheltered coast. Moreover, the signal flags made in 1807 were quite worn out and no more material was to be found in the entire country. In principle this system was similar to the Swedish one although it had fewer drop indicators. The indicators could form 3 positions whereof 2 (up and down) meant a number. With 2 arms and 3 indicators in each of them the total number of different signals amounted to 12. These 12 signs could again be combined into 229 different numbering signals. By adding the value of each number you arrived at the final number.
Signals 1–135 were used according to the signal book or the secret signal tables, while nos. 136–229 were used by the row flotilla according to need.
Military value
We know that the optical telegraph was of great military value time and again. One occasion was on 6 July 1812 when it was used to summon the flotilla from Arendal to the battle of Lyngoer.
The Arendal flotilla was warned via the optical telegraph and arrived within short delay carrying 2 jolly boats with guns and 5 barges. Each jolly boat measured 46 feet or 15 metres and had a crew of 23. They had 1 gun each. It was a so-called 24-punder, weighing 2 tons and a quarter. This was one of the biggest guns on board ship in those days. The barges were exactly twice as big and equipped with 2 guns. No wonder that the English fled when these ships approached. Efforts were made to summon the Risoer flotilla via the telegraph, but due to fog it was summoned much too late and did not arrive in time. (5 jolly boats with guns). During the battle the frigate Najaden was blown up before the English were chased away. 133 men were killed and 102 were wounded. (The Najaden guns were later retrieved.) The Najaden was completely destroyed, but the English had to withdraw from the port quickly with no booty when they were attacked by the gunboats which had been summoned. The fact that the English in 1807 managed to capture (almost) the entire Norwegian fleet made the loss of Najaden extremely sad. We were left with only two war vessels of the same size.
1814
A clash between Swedish and Norwegian naval forces in the Oslo fjord was prevented when Prince Christian Fredrik via telegraph ordered the Norwegian fleet to withdraw. Ten English vessels, mostly brigs, were sunk by jolly boats with guns, often summoned by the coastal telegraph. An English frigate (350 men and 40 guns) was chased twice from the Norwegian coast (when caught in looting and destruction) after the coastal telegraph had summoned the jolly boats, which opened attack.
Optical telegraph discontinued
It turned out to be very expensive to keep the optical telegraph in operation, but the fact that it was, nevertheless, used until 1814 means that it was seen as practically useful. When the war 1807–14 was over the country was extremely ravaged. The Danish/Norwegian monarchy went bankrupt in 1813, followed by many other bankruptcies among the oldest and largest business houses. The result of all this was that the telegraph was considered too expensive to uphold.
On 18 November 1814 the Ministry decided to discontinue the use of the telegraph stations and dismiss all personnel by the end of that same year. The optical telegraph was left to its own decay. Few remains exist today. We know that one building still exists and that several bolts in the mountain side, used as guy hooks for the poles, can still be found. The optical telegraph should be regarded as a forerunner of the electrical telegraph which reached Norway in the middle of the 1850s. This is another reason for commemorating the optical telegraph as the first telegraph in our country. Our forefathers had to make do with primitive tools in many ways, but they managed quite well all the same.
