Sepoy Mutiny From Telegraph Messages ( 1857-58), we wish to honour the subjects “Electric Telegraph” and “Sepoy Mutiny”, mixup with two -in- one form in a compact volume entitled.
The book described with the collection of hugh number of telegraph messages was in servicing of the British General and Commander in the war cabinet during the mutiny of the 1857-58. The fragment of Great “Secret of Weapon” of the British line of action elaborated with a new form of story of Sepoy War1857-58.
However, it’s start from the history of Indian Telegraph. Author trace out the origin and growth of historical impact from ‘non-electrical’ semaphore system to altered technology of the ‘electric telegraph’. It is significant object that both of system was used for rapid transmit of message during the outburst in the land.
In July 22, 1853 Karl Marx written :
‘The political unity of India, more consolidated, and extending farther than it ever did under the Great Moguls, was the first condition of its regeneration. That unity, imposed by the British sword, will now be strengthened and perpetuated by the electric telegraph’.
While, the electric telegraph was in the British hand as ‘secret weapon’ and suppressing the Great Mutiny of 1857-58, which is rightly called the ‘First War of Independence’, since India attained independence in 1947.
However, the intensity of the freedom movement in 1857-58 was not uniform in every part of this vast sub- continent. The metropolitan cities were not caught in the turmoil as the British Govt. took elaborate precautionary measures and vernacular literature is not readily available for understanding the role of our intellectuals in this great saga.
Infact, science and technology of earlier period helped the British Govt. with newly introducing telegraph, railway and high-speed steamer using to surpressing the Revolt, aided by kind of superior fire-power and tighten organisation. The leaders of mutiny were disorganised and their lack of sufficient arms and ammunition defeated our and their cause. The story of the role played by the electric telegraph is then our monograph. This is an aspect of the mutiny which has so far received great attention.
I thought is superfluous to give such details as the literature of the mutiny is very great and is still growing. The role of science and technology in the mutiny is little explained and I have tried to call the attention of the reader is the aspect of the national upheaval. [ Next episode: Electric Telegraph in Calcutta].
PIONEER : Dr. O’SHAUGHNESSY
Dr.O’Shaughnessy was pioneer of Indian Telegraph. He was born in 1809 in Limerick, Ireland and held in degree in medicine from Edinburgh University. In India, he was the sole authority on Indian telegraph system.
After the Revolt of 1857, section of the telegraph lines became non functional, partly because naked wires were used. Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s Needle instruments evan Morse instruments imported from Berlin all proved ineffective.
About the Needle and Coil instruments, the Calcutta Review, in its March 1857 issue wrote : ” Is not the Needle or Coil apparatus but the original Galvanometer of Oersted, who invented it is long back in 1819, with a slip of paper appended in indicate it’s vibration?”
On December 28, 1860, the government renamed the top post Superintendent of Telegraph in India, as the Director General. The Annual Report on the Administration of the Electric Telegraph in India ( see 1861-62 pg 3) reported that on this day Lt.Col. C. Douglas was appointed as the director general to the post, which had become vacant following the resignation of Dr. O’Shaughnessy who had been absent on sick leave since June 13, 1860.
The 1888-89 Volume of Indian Telegraph Department give this account of Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s death : “On January 8, 1889, the death at South Sea was reported of Sir, W.B. O’Shaughnessy Brooke was inaugurated Electric Telegraph in India”.
The sole memorial of him in India is a portrait, present ed by his oldest daughter, which hangs in the signal room at Calcutta Telegraph office (CTO).
Dr. O’Shaughnessy was an assistant surgeon of the medical service of the East India Company. He arrived in India at a time when the first medical college was set up in 1835. He was appointed as one of the first professors and assistant surgeon ( Vide Govt. Order No 10, Fort William, General Dpt., August 5, 1835 ). When he arrived in India, electric telegraph had been introduced in Europe and America and he became interested in introducing the same in India.
Since 1839, Dr. O’Shaughnessy began conducting experiments with a view to testing the practicality of establishing communication by Electric Telegraph in India. His carried cable under water internationally acknowledged. “Early Electric Communication” written by Subine Robert commented : ” Summering and Shiling were two of the earliest scientist to attempt message through a ‘subagueous conductor’ in River Isar near Munich. That was in 1811. There is a long gap till 1839, with no record of successful experiment of this nature. In that year, W. B. O’Shaughnessy carried a cable under water. The copper conductor being protected with tarred yarn”( The Early Electric Congratulations : Subine Robert, Chapter 9, Submarine Telegraph ).
After his experiments, Dr. O’Shaughnessy referred his work papers to Col. Pasley of the Royal Enginner, in Chatham who passed an electric current through such a cable under the Medway. He also acquainted with the work of Prof. Joseph Henry ( 1799-1878) too. Dr. O’Shaughnessy conducted his experiments in June-July 1839 at the Botanical Garden, Shivpur, just opposite the Calcutta Highly Riverside.
Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s Telegraph experiment report was published by Bishop College Press, Calcutta in 1839 under the title; “Memorandum relative to experiments on the communication of Telegraph signal by induced electricity. Also reprinted in the Asiatic Society Journal, the article included a useful outline of early telegraph history.
A slightly misleading account of Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s experiment is provided by the book : Story of Indian Telegraph— A Century of progress, written by Krishnalal Shridhanni and published by the Post and Telegraph Department follows :
“Half way across the world, thousands of miles apart, the first experimental telegraph line were constructed in India and America, the oldest country and the most modern, in the same year 1839. The pioneer in India was Sir, William O’Shaughnessy Brooke, fondly remembered as Dr. O’Shaughnessy. His American contemporary was none other than the father of modern electric telegraph, Samuel F.B.Morse. Samuel Morse connected Washington D.C. with Baltimore in 1839, over a stretch of 40 miles. Dr. O’Shaughnessy completed some 21 miles of Telegraph lines in 1839 proceeding from Calcutta in the general direction of Dimond Harbour and negotiating a river crossing of 7000 yards. Thus started the story of an Indian adventure which was to keep pace with technological developments in most advanced countries of the world.
Sources of the glorious history of Indian Telegraph prove that no such telegraph line were found between Calcutta and Dimond Harbour in 1839. No river 7000 yard broad existed between the two places.
However, Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s tested 21 miles of telegraph at a 450 feet long and 240 feet wide ground cover at Botanical Garden, Shivpur.
Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s own report described in his Memoranda sets all doubt to rest : ” My first object was to construct a line of wire of sufficient length to afford practically valuable results. With Dr. Wallich’s liberal aid a parallelogram of ground 450 feet long and 240 in breadth were planted with 42 lines of bamboos. Each line, was formed with three bamboos firmly in the ground, 15 feet in height, each row was disposed so as to receive 1/2 mile of wire in one continuous line thus.
[ Eleven line of wire between the three bamboos at a total distance of 240 feet, makes a distance of 240×11=2460 feet or half a mile. 42 such rows construction across the length of 450 feet make a total distance of 42×1/2= 21 miles of wire used for testing telegraph signal ].
Dr. O’Shaughnessy explained : “The strands of wire were one feet apart from each other. As each row was laid down, it was carefully coated with Varnish. A tent was pitched in from the entire lines, and connections of wires, so established that in course of half a mile, it could be tested from entire to the extreme flank so as to ascertain the effects of lengths of wire forming a total circuit of 21 miles”.
It thus proves that he never went to Dimond Harbour in 1839 and even if he did, he did not cross a river 7000 yard wide for the purpose of his experiment. After this experiment, Dr. O’Shaughnessy tried several rounds of testing signal wires surrounded between Botanical Garden and Bishop’s College Ghat, used the electromagnetic machine for rapid transmission of telegraph signal. He also tried out the method of telegraph operation by Volta- magnetic deflection according to which telegraph was actually laid down between London and Drayton. Dr. O’Shaughnessy, thus describes his experiments on ” Water a conductor of pulsation signal”, in his Memoranda.
In one experiment, the electromagnetic machine was stationed at the Gha of Bishop’s College, and one of its wires, 25 feet long, dipped in the Hooghly River’s Ghat. The second wire ran along the dry path round through the Botanical Gardens, and terminated in Dr. Wallich’s library. A wire led from the river at the Ghat before Dr. Wallich’s house also into the library room. The Assistants stationed at the machine was directed to mark the signals in the library without any notable diminution of effects.
The distance by water in above experiment was 7000 feet. In a second stage of trials, the machine was placed at Sir John Royd’s Garden, the water distance intervening being 9,700 feet and with the results as before.
TOWARD CONSTRUCTION
When in 1839 Dr. O’Shaughnessy began to conduct such experiment it was not possible to construct telegraph based on the experiments due to lack of Government support. An editorial in the Journey 23, 1840 issue of Friend of Indian, says :
“In Europe the Government may not be at much loss for scientific assistance, where the state of the whole community maintain a sufficient demand for scientific acquirements and consequently creates an abundant supply available either for individual or for the state. But here if the Government will not foster scientific men for its own use, it must go without them altogether ; for the people of India have not yet started in the race for improvement which renders science indispensable to their success ; and there is therefore little or none of it abroad in the community”.
On January 12, 1848 Lord Dalhousie landed in Calcutta as the Governor General of British -India. His farewell address in 1856 sums up his contribution to Indian Telegraph, as he says : “I first proposed the construction, of a general system of Telegraph as the Governor General in council. It was observed everything the world over moves faster now-a-days than it used to except the transaction of lndian Business ( Record of the Govt. of India ( Home Dept.) Dated February 28,1856 pp 32).
The court of directors at London when become aware of Dr O’Shaughnessy’s experiments through Lord Dalhousie’s proposals. In their despatch of September 1849, the court wrote : “We are desirous therefore of receiving your opinion as to the expediency of establishing a system of Electric Telegraph independently of those which may be made simultaneously with the construction of each Rail Route. In event of your taking a favourable view of the subject, we should be wish to be informed of the means which in your opinion could be best employed for carrying it out”.
On receipt of the Court’s despatch, Dalhousie immediately sent to the Military Board with a request for their serious consideration into the matter. The Military Board reply come on February 19, 1850 —- the views of Dr. O’Shaughnessy and Colonel Forbes. The former advocated the construction of underground line and in Forbes’ opinion, an aerial line would be more suited for India.
The Military Board suggested establishing an experimental line between either Calcutta and Burdwan or Calcutta and Dimond Harbour. Lord Dalhousie found that Dr.O’Shaughnessy had suggested that a test could be conducted between Calcutta and across the Hooghly at Chinsurah.
On Thursday, August 15, the Morning Chronicles in its editorial reported that the controversy was over and— “We understand that an electric telegraph line soon to be placed on the Dimond Harbour Road, connecting Calcutta and Dimond Harbour”.
Meanwhile, a committee comprising Colonel Forbes, Dr. O’Shaughnessy, Captain Broome, and Captain Thuiller was appointed to supervise the construction of experimental telegraph lines. At this stage Forbes again pointed that “prosecution of experimental aerial telegraph would be an infringement of patent rights in England”. Dr. O’Shaughnessy expressed his strong arguments against the objections, in his report: “I am bound to ( speak out against) the objections, I recorded in report to Military Board, Dated December 20, 1849, regarding the European and American over ground system, as advocated by Col. Forbes”.
However, Lord Dalhousie did not share Forbes’ apprehension. He dissolved the committee and points out that experiment would be more satisfactorily conducted by placing Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s directly under the Government.
Iron Bridge Yard
On March 10,1851 Dr. O’Shaughnessy reported the completion of the experimental line of Electric Telegraph between Alipur and Dimond Harbour.
The insulation and mechanical protection of the conductor was carried on steadily from November 5, 1850, at the rate of 1300 feet per working day. Each day’s work was tested by suitable instruments every hour. The first section of the line from Alipur to Rajarhat, a distance of 15 miles was thus completed on February 7, 1851 ( Selection from Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s report No VI Dated. March 10, 1851).
Before that, the Military Board had sanctioned an amount of Rs. 51, 507 eight annas and four paise for he construction of electric telegraph from Calcutta to Kedgree, the Mayapur line and a branch line from Baliaghat to Tarapooka and the crossing of the river Hooghly and Haldee, erection of bungalow at Rajarhat and Bistupur, signalling school for Operation and experiments. The amount was received from the general treasury on November 30, 1850.
India’s first telegraph line-sight of land is the present premises of Telecom Factory, Alipur and is the torch bearer of the glorious tradition of our nation. This was the land through which the first telegraph lines were laid on November 5, 1850.
The premises of the Telecom Factory were originally known as the IRON BRIDGE YARD on ‘Loha Pole Ka Pass’ in the early days when the telegraph system was introduced. However, still now our Telecom authorities never recognised or mark a memorable sign of this sight !
In India, there is no piece of land which has a similar relation with the telecommunication system in India. The Telecom Factory is old as the telegraph system. She is hence the mother of telecommunication in India.
Once called ‘Iron Bridge Yard’ than Telegraph Workshop and Storeyard at Alipur. New known as Telecom Factory / Main entering Gate.
This is the place where country’s first central Telegraph Headquarter, Telegraph press, Telegraph Workshop and Storeyard, Warehouse, Cable making plant, Teleprinter, Industrial Library. Traning Centre and Electric Testing House were setup. So, its natural belief, a workshop for introducing of experimental telegraph was setup from the days when telegraph was first laid. Dr. O’Shaughnessy informed us : “The cable being laid across both Hooghly and Haldee, an experimental line of kind has been tested at the ‘Alipur Iron Bridge Yard’, by every kind of mechanical trial more severely than by any inspect or train to which it possibly ( could be subjected to).”
However, record shows that the workshop was born on September 1, 1855 and many worries had completed Two and Half years service in the meantime. The Telegraph Workshop was renamed Telecom Factory on May 1, 1969.
The ‘Calcutta Morning Chronicle’ wrote on Thursday, November 28, 1850 : ….”Signal having already been transmitted 10 miles from the Headquarters of the executive at Alipur”. This was the first recorded information that the first experimental telegraph signal was thrown by Dr. O’Shaughnessy from Thakurpukur ( Missionary Station) to Alipur premises.
Trial Run
On March 31, 1852 Dr. O’Shaughnessy reported to J.P Grant, Secretary to the Government of Bengal the completion of the entire line from Calcutta to Kedgree –an extension which was later ordered —80 mile in total length of which 11 mile were underground and the other 69 miles aerial, and cable connected over two rivers Hooghly and Haldee crossing.
A most significant documents is a daily Report ( trial), of the electric telegraph experiment was published in Harkara on May 10, 1851 and reprinted in the Friend Of India on May 15, with the title : Electric Telegraph.
The Semaphore, it appears is in the sick list and Dr. O’Shaughnessy’s Electric Telegraph is doing duty, until Semaphore is reported well, the following is reported to the electric telegraph performances upto the time when it closed its experimental and commences it’s business operation :
- Daily Report of Electric Telegraph on May 9, 1851.
- The Telegraph worked today from 10 a.m till quarter past Three.
- The signals ( Shipping intelligence) were very distinct, a strong -station one mile below Dimond Harbour.
- The line current was to points ( Communication) :
Alipur : Why did you not signal yesterday?
Dimond Harbour: Having no tank to place answer well yesterday. The place we now working from is without a tank or canal nearby five thousand feet.
Alipur : ( Sound, means understood) Then what to do?
Dimond Harbour : Experiment of yesterday, thus was carried on by having the terminals of the battery and telegraph extended to one mile of each side of them, and placing a mile of copper wires in the river under water. Copper plates from the inland terminal were placed in two different tanks. This will have to be reported again today and the results reported by post —- forward this message to the Superintendent.
Alipur : Where are you signalling from ?
Dimond Harbour : One mile from Dimond Harbour ‘Barque’ Ascendant, pass down in two of Frances ‘Garden SV’ at half past 10 a.m.
….. Ship sold on passed in two of union S.V. and a French ship passed at half past six …. Name unknown.
….. Cavery, pilot vessel anchored at Dimond Harbour at half past eleven a.m.
….. Powerful S.V. anchored at Dimond Harbour at half past eleven p.m.
Alipur : Have any news?
Dimond Harbour : Yes, this jackal have stolen to goats and three ducks of mine.
Alipur : O.K , now stop for experiments.
After this success of the trial between Alipur and Dimond Harbour, it was decided that Chand Pal Ghat would be the first point junction of the telegraph Office. For that a minor underground line was laid across the Maidan and between Alipur Iron Bridge Yard and Chand Pal Ghat.
On July 19,1852, the ‘Citizen’ reported : ” The first transmission of correspondence along the lines took place on October 4, last when the junction was completed between the experimental station at Alipur and the new office at Chand Pal Ghat.
MAP : First Electric Telegraph
Since following day four office has regular correspondence Viz Calcutta through Bistupur, Mayapur and Dimond Harbour. Lines also crossed over Hooghly and Haldee river upto Kedgree. Dr O’Shaughnessy described in his report on March 31, 1852 position of line now in actually run for public business are :
1st. Calcutta to Dimond Harbour :
( Direction North to South) 30 miles
2nd. Bistupur to Mayapur : ( Meeting first
half way direction East and West ). 11 miles
3rd. Koqurahatee to Kedgree: ( including
4200 feet broad Haldee River ). 25 miles
______________
66 miles
The lines ready for use ( now on March
29,1852) when the crossing of River Haldee
has been permanently effected are :
4 th. Dimond Harbour to Kholakhali : 3 3/4 miles
5th. Buffalo point to Kholakhali : 1 mile
6 th. Tarapooka extension line on
Kedgree side : 10 miles
7th. Hooghly River ( 5800 feet broad ) : 1 1/4 miles
________________
Total lines : 82 miles.
In his final report published from the Record of the Bengal Government under the title : VII Report the Electric Telegraph ( between Calcutta and Kedgree) on March 31, 1852 Dr. O’Shaughnessy wrote: ” The operations completed on the 29 th instant, and intelligence was conveyed through the line yesterday, the 30 th when a message to Kedgree regarding a Steamer was dispatched from Calcutta and the answer received in Seven minutes.
There is no mention in the report on which day is the first day of the opening of Indian Telegraph. For 170 years we have been misinformed that in November 1851, India’s first telegraph was opened for traffic between Calcutta and Dimond Harbour.
The Englishman on Friday November 21, 1851 informed us : “The regular communication as far as Dimond Harbour will commence on the first of December, from which date private message may be sent of moderate charges. It is proposed at present to charge 2 annas per syllable”. According to the record, the first day of ” Opening of Electric Telegraph” in India was on December 1, 1851, as published in the Englishman.
On December 2, 1851, the Englishman wrote: ” We beg the attention of our commercial readers to the official notice of the opening of the Electric Telegraph for private message. The chuarge we think is very moderate for the commencement of its working in India”.
The Harkara wrote on same day : ” That the Semaphore line have been placed under the control of Dr. O’Shaughnessy and hints this step has been taken in order to avoid certain obstacles thrown in the way of Electric Telegraph communication. We perceive that establishment has been thrown open to the public and messages can be sent…. from Calcutta, Mayapur and Dimond Harbour”.
However, experimental Electric Telegraph in Calcutta under the Government of Bengal had been soon been taken over by the Government of India for extension to All India line construction on November 8, 1853. From that day Dr.O’Shaughnessy was posted as the Superintendent of the Electric Telegraph in India”( Calcutta Gazette Volume 1 page 1590 No 969 of 1853. The following notification from the Home Department is published in General Orders No 776 Dated November 8, 1853 ).
Soon Telegraph wires flying over top of Toddy Palm Trees Bamboo even high masonry pillars towards Agra.
In 1853 there were some change in the original line of Calcutta Electric Telegraph. The original line was through Calcutta Alipur, Bistupur, Dimond Harbour and crossing over two rivers Hooghly and Haldee through Tarapooka to Kedgree.
The Master attendant of Calcutta Port urged to construction of line along the left bank of the Hooghly, from Dimond Harbour to the Sagar Island.
On November 7, 1853 Dr. O’Shaughnessy issued a latter to Cecil Beadon Esq. Secretary, Govt. of India and urged to him to “lay a second subterranean line of Gutta parcha covered wire from the Calcutta Office to Alipur by means of which we can correspond separately with Acheepur Station (Mayapur), and the entire line with the Bistupur Office be abolished, and also transfer its instruments and signallers to the Sagar Island”.
Dr.O’Shaughnessy wrote: ” The only current expense incurred for the second line to Alipur will be the digging to the trench, as all the requisite stores are available and can be spared from those sent out for the general line ” ( The Citizen, Tuesday December 13, 1853).
Dr. O’Shaughnessy also desired for an official demand for a separate 3 mile line of construction of Telegraph from Calcutta ( Chand Pal Ghat) to Alipur to be setup for the Lieutenant Governor’s House, present premises National Library Kolkata.
Establishment
Soon after success of line operation and opening up of traffic, Gazette Notification was made on December 31, 1851 by the Deputy Governor of Bengal. The Rules and Establishment of Management of the Electric Telegraph were formed. The Rules empowered until further Orders, the service to be conducted by the Superintendent, in direct communication with the Govt. of Bengal.
Shipping intelligence
Shipping intelligence’s popular name was Calcutta Telegraph Gazette. ” A Harbour Master and customs establishment are maintained here in Mayapur to bound Vessels proceeding up the Hooghly, and the movement of Shipping up and down the River are telegraphed to Calcutta and published throughout the day, in the Telegraph Gazette “.( Bengal District Gazetteers ( 24 parganas) by L.S.S O’malley, Calcutta (1914) pp 229 ). The printed Report of Shipping Intelligence would be issued at 10 a.m, 1 p.m and 4p.m.
Telegraph Office
A number of telegraph offices were opened for public used from December 1, 1851. They were Chand Pal Ghat, Alipur ( Additional Iron Bridge Yard ), Bistupur, Mayapur and Dimond Harbour and with effect from March 31, 1852 , Kukrahati, Khajuri and Sagar. Private Station for Governor General House in Alipore.
Sibu Nandi Lane
A narrow bylane off 35, Shib Thakur Lane towards Sikdar Bagan in the Kalakar Street area is known as Sibu Nandi Lane. Nandi’s contribution to Indian Telegraphs has all but been forgotten.
Sibu or Seeb Chunder Nandy, as his name has been recorded, joined the gold parting Division of the Calcutta Mint in October 1847 and since October 10, 1850 he was joined the Electric Telegraph, where he was the first Indian to hold the topmost Supervisory job of Inspector. He was also incharge of Dimond Harbour Telegraph Junction and Instructor of the first Signal Training Center at Alipur Iron Bridge Yard.
He played a vital role in support of the British during the 1857 uprising, through the contracts in the Calcutta Office. He was made Ray Bahadur on February 28, 1883. He was engaged in the construction work. Open a pottery Shop to made special type of Insulator with Clay material for use on the top of Toddy Palm Trees. In the Shergotty Division in Dhaka he was for laying Toddy Palm posts, Timber Post and 68 masonry pillars 20 and 24 feet height.
Dr. O’Shaughnessy wrote: “Whole of this been put up by Baboo Seeb Chunder Nandy, a very intelligent and trustworthy name, now a Second Class Inspector in this Department.
On April 6, 1903 he died. He is alive only in the Lane named after him.
Construction Cost.
Total cost of construction amounted to Rs 36, 201, 7 Annas and 11 Pies. The average cost per mile, inclusive of Stores borrowed from the arsenal and the expenses for crossing the Huldee and the Hooghly, including all other charges stood at Rs. 495 One Anna and 2 Pics, of which Rs. 141, Eight Anna and 11 Pics is not chargeable for the construction of the lines, being the value of articles in stores and the expenses for the Signalling School observatory and experiments and rent for 18 months.
Calcutta Electric Telegraph had an effective and dynamic communication system under Dalhousie’s regime. He recommended the Court of Directors to Authorize the construction of the lines from Calcutta to Agra, to Bombay to Peshawar and to Madras “either simultaneously or soon as possible”. A letter was sent to the President, Hogg James Weir on April 24, 1852. He also recommended that Dr. O’Shaughnessy proceed to England immediately to place the report before the court.
Dr. W.B.O’Shaughnessy sailed for England on the steamship ‘Pathinger’ which was let at sea on May 5, 1852.
______________________________
Article : Electric Telegraph in Calcutta, first published in Calcutta University: Journal of Media and Communication. (CUJMC) Vol 1 No 1 Fall 2003. [ All rights reserved].
VAISIKHASUTRA 