BRF Episode 26: “Telegram”
In this episode, we talk about the last telegram ever sent, communicating telepathically and telegraphically with big-eared Martians, and why in the world the unstoppable telegram had stops in it.
On 14th July 2013, at 11.55pm, the 163 year long service of the telegram in India came to an end. Which is why we’re dedicating this episode to telegram!
We start off with the usual, really - Do we know the difference between telegraph and telegram? In fact, do you? If you don’t you’ll find out quite quickly into the episode. Ragini goes into the sweet, nostalgic, slightly heart-breaking story of the expiry of the telegram in India. For people who haven’t sent too many telegrams we got quite teary eyed at the stories of how telegrams were utilised by all and sundry! It’s a different matter that we were teary eyed from the hilariousness!
We also discussed the lovely employees of the Central Telegraph Office who had worked there for eons (up to and more than 25 years) who’s pride in their jobs was only slightly more storyworthy than the shenanigans they had to deal with from the general populace. And Ragini and I finally decided on what our favourite historical profession would be.
Honestly, painting tawdry pictures of what we could do with telegrams was our favourite part of the episode.
What would we be without some good ol’ his-story telling? We go into the history of the telegraph and how it helped during the 1857 uprising. We’ll leave out who it helped for mystery purposes! We tie the bow on that one with the sweet story of the last telegram ever sent and what it contained. Can you have a guess at what it was?
And then for lovers of sci-fi, Shar went into the totally true, extremely believable story of Dr Hugh Mansfield Robinson. Now this one is an enduring story of the telegram with highlights of a unique destination, a unique message and a unique big-eared recipient!
We’re known for our bitchin’ facts, not so much for our bitchin’ segues so you might have to endure the worst segue to the best segment – Why was “STOP” used in telegrams? It has classic phrases such as “during the First World War” and “Who dis?”, “U up?” and “What a socialist”
And that’s it for this episode!
Something that didn’t make it to the final episode:
There is apparently a much-told myth: Titanic survivors were charged $1 per word to send telegrams from their lifeboat. One man used his last dollar to send the word ‘Safe’ to his mother.
The real story: The radiotelegraph on the Titanic was a massive spark-gap generator. The equipment took up several rooms and relied on four 400-foot long aerials. Obviously, it wouldn't fit on a lifeboat! This myth can be traced back to an interview with Titanic survivor Miss Elizabeth Dowdell, whose account was published in the Hudson Observer (20th of April 1912). She tells of Titanic survivors rescued by the passenger ship Carpathia. Some survivors sent radiograms from on board the Carpathia, but these were very expensive ($3.12 minimum, in 1912 money). Other survivors sent telegrams as soon as the Carpathia arrived in New York on the 18th of April. Miss Dowdell recalled “One man, a barber, had but $1.25 with him, and he handed over one dollar of this to send the word ‘safe’ to his mother.” This was upon arrival in New York when “[the] tug came alongside to take off any messages” from the Carpathia. The messages were written down on Marconi Company paper forms, and shuttled to the Marconi office in New York to be cabled. So cool story, but alas, for as modern as things were in 1912, no one could still send a text from a lifeboat in the middle of the sea.
Links of Interest:
The last telegram sent in India
The last telegram days of the telegram
Episode Edited by: Mohit Shandilya
Music for the episode: Charita Arora
Listen to the episode for all the details!
