THE TELEGRAPH IN DORSET. 137 



roof of the building to the operating room underneath. It is, I 

 have no doubt, a correct representation of the official Telegraph 

 which is known to have stood on the knap of Wyke Kegis, on 

 High Stoy, and on Blandford Race-down, probably also on a dozen 

 other sites in the county. At the back of the drawing will be 

 found a diagram showing the number of changes that might be 

 made by displaying all the shutters simultaneously, some being 

 vertical, and therefore visible, the others horizontal, and presenting 

 only a thin edge to the sight, practically invisible. The number of 

 changes obtainable is 63, which would suffice for the letters of the 

 alphabet, the numerals, and certain commonly recurring words and 

 phrases. Considering how much the work was influenced by 

 atmospheric conditions we should not be far wrong, I imagine, in 

 including " Repeat last signal " among the said phrases. 



The Telegraph Station was occupied by an officer and two men, 

 one of whom was always on duty marching backwards and 

 forwards in the instrument room, applying his eye alternately to 

 the fixed telescopes directed to the stations right and left of him. 

 At night there was nothing to do beyond watching for the beacon 

 fire, provision for which was made by having ready adjacent a 

 large stack of firewood for immediate kindling. The rapidity 

 of the shutter Telegraph attained very respectable proportions. 

 As many as six signals could be transmitted per minute, and 

 with the Semaphore it is said that the dropping of the time ball 

 at Greenwich could be signalled to Portsmouth and back again in 

 45sec. This was, of course, simply indicated by the dropping of 

 an arm. The shutter Telegraph was equally well adapted for cypher 

 correspondence, and it is presumable that for ordinary use spelling 

 was distinguished rather by brevity than correctness. Its range 

 was limited to 10 or 12 miles either way. There was a difficulty 

 often experienced in inducing the shutters to remain in the 

 position required. The wind, when high, would very much 

 impede operations and induce mistakes. This was observed by 

 Henry Ward, of Blandford, when watching the working of the 

 Telegraph on the Race-down. Being a man of singular inventive 



