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One bit, sent a hundred miles.
Also known as: Warning beacon, Signal fire, Beacon chain
The chain of hilltop fires lit in sequence to carry an alarm across a country.
Carries an alarm across a country by firing a chain of hilltop beacons in sequence.
Contexts: History, Navigation
Carries exactly one bit of information — lit or unlit — so the message must be agreed in advance and cannot be varied; the system's speed is bought entirely at the cost of its vocabulary.
Contexts: History, Navigation
Faster than a rider by a wide margin over long distances, which is why the arrangement persisted despite carrying almost nothing.
Contexts: History, Navigation
A prepared pile of brushwood and tar on a hilltop, fired at night and visible as a point of light from the next station in the chain.