When and Where Did Smoke Signals First Start Off?

Question

When and Where Did Smoke Signals First Start Off?

Answer 1

Little Rock.

Answer 2

I reckon with the Romans...

Answer 3

I presume their starting point is as the smoke leave the flames of the fire.

Answer 4

Smoke signals were certainly used by the Romans who had a number of 'signal towers' built around Britain.  If there was a problem, they could light a fire which would send up smoke to be seen by day and the light could be seen at night.

JSTOR: A Roman Timber Tower at Beattock Summit, Lanarkshire 2 Site plan, excavation plan and sections of Roman watch-tower at Beattock Summit. .... It must, however, be recognised that timber signal-towers or ...

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0068-11...

JSTOR: A 'New' Signal Station in Cumbria

The signal tower of Robin Hood's Butt, precisely positioned on the false crest of ... the line of the Maiden Way Roman road back to Birdoswald and the Wall. ...

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0068-11...

gigapan: search

Snapshot: North Church: ... signal tower for Paul. .... But near this spot was once a Roman Signal station, and when you see the huge view that encompasses ...

http://www.gigapan.org/searchGigapansLis... - Cached

7. A ROMAN SIGNAL-STATION ON EILDON HILL NORTH, ROXBURGHSHIRE.

that this structure was a Roman signal-tower, built of wood in the Gask tradition;. and additional proof was furnished by the discovery of three more pieces ...

http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/... - Cached

Filey Roman Signal Station

They include the Roman signal station at Filey which lies on the Carr Naze, ... It measured about 50m across and at the centre stood a tower 14m square of ...

http://www.eng-h.gov.uk/ArchRev/rev94_5/...

To give you some idea of just of fast this method of sending an alarm actually was, some years ago an experiment was carried out in reference to the arrival of the Spanish Armada in the English Channel.  Fire beacons spaced out between Plymouth and London were lit and the 'warning' had reached London within 20 minutes.  Not bad.  This then meant that English ships could put to sea from the River Thames and Chatham etc.  Wham!

Answer 5

It is doubtful anyone could answer this as it is likely that they could of been used in prehistoric times and there would be no evidence to left to prove or disprove this.