Published: June 03, 2008 12:45 pm      

FARLEY: The Erie Canal gun telegraph

The following communication was first published by the Buffalo Historical Society on April 7, 1863.

“In commemoration of that event, the completion of the Erie canal, on the 26th day of October, 1825. The pageant, ceremonies, and rejoicing which took place on that and several subsequent days, from the Lakes to the Atlantic are matters of history, but there are some things connected with that event, of which so far as I know, no suitable record has been made, and deeming this a suitable occasion, I will jot them down here, that the memory of them may be preserved in the archives of the society. I refer to the telegraph which was improvised for that occasion, and which was so effectual in announcing to the waiting multitude from one extremity of the State to the other, the moment that the fleet of canal boats started from Buffalo on their voyage to the seaboard, there to mingle with the waters of the Lakes, with those of Old Ocean.

The material of which that telegraph was comprised and the manner of its application to the purpose was as follows: Some time during the winter of 1825, the Government of the United States resolved to break up the naval depot at Presque Isle (Erie, Pa.), and to that end sold at public auction, such of the public property, consisting of anchors, chains, cordage, etc., as would not bear the expense of removal, together with the hulls of the public vessels, then lying sunk somewhere in the bay. These were the vessels that composed Commodore Perry’s fleet on Lake Erie, and those captured by him from the enemy in his celebrated naval victory in September, 1813.

The ordnance stores and guns were reserved for removal to the naval station at New York, and a contract was made with Dows, Meech & Carey, proprietors of the Washington Line, on the Erie canal, a forwarding concern, of which the late Hiram Pratt and Asa M. Meech, under the firm of Pratt & Meech, were the agents at Buffalo, to transport these guns and ordnance stores from Erie to New York. Pratt & Meech were the proprietors of a line of vessels on the lake, running in connection with the boats of the Washington Line of the canal.

The arrangement was for Pratt & Meech to receive these articles on board their vessels at Erie, convey them to Buffalo then slip them on board canal-boats to be delivered at the navy yard, Brooklyn, some time during the summer of that year, when there was much less “forwarding business,” than during the spring and fall.

Before this contract with the Government was fulfilled on the part of the Washington Line, the idea was conceived of making use of the guns while en route, as a telegraph or signals, to be used during the approaching canal celebration, the note of preparation for which had been heard for some months and to that end the time for the delivery of the guns was extended to suit the exigencies of the case.

In accordance with this design they were brought to Buffalo. One of them, a 32-pounder on the Terrace announced the departure of the fleet to the next one below, which belching forth its thunder tones sent the joyful news on the wings of the wind towards the seaboard, where, flying on from gun to gun, it arrived in one hour and twenty minutes. When the last gun stationed on the Battery in New York, had given its note of warning, the signal was repeated back along the line to its starting-point, so that the anxious thousands might know of the success of this novel first attempt at telegraphing from the Lakes to the Atlantic. The sound of the last gun in the return signals died away over the waters of the lake, in less than three hours from the firing of the first.” (Buffalo Historical Society Publications, Vol. 13, 1909).

Doug Farley is director of the Erie Canal Discovery Center. Contact him at (716) 434-7433. The Discovery Center is open for the season.