Telegraph Shorts
Description: J.W. Ray & Co Ships Brass Telegraph Liverpool ltd Liverpool London. J.W.Ray & Co. manufactured telegraphs for major shipping industries in the early 1900s including Harland & Wolff. In fact, J.W. Ray & Co manufactured the bridge and engine room telegraphs for the Titanic.They were usually very heavy brass wired with a light bulb that illuminates the dial. The bells would ring as the handle is moved. They were typically 45" tall. The Marconi telegraph is historically significant because chief telegraphist Jack Phillips used the equipment to send the Titanic’s final distress calls. These frantic messages reached the RMS Carpathia, which was able to save around 700 of the ship’s 2,208 passengers and crew during the April 1912 disaster.
Description: The Marconi International Marine Communication Company, Limited, was the primary service provider for transatlantic wireless telegraphs and radio communication aboard seafaring vessels in the early twentieth century. Two employees of the company, Senior Wireless Operator Jack Phillips and Junior Wireless Operator Harold Bride, were onboard the Titanic during her brief voyage. These operators were both regarded as well qualified, which begs the question as to why warnings of ice in Titanic’s path were not heeded with the necessary precaution.
