Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-07-14

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The shaded portions Of the diagram
represent the land the white spots show
the relative distribution OF the water.
Tho upper part of each diagram repre-
sents the north, and the breaks in the
bounding circles show the positions OF
the poles. Each pole 10 surrounded by
patch Of ice, marking the middle OF the
polar regions. Tho following are the ref
oronces:
A. Dawes ContiHsak
b. Dawes Ocean
g. Cassini Land.
d. Dslanbrs Sea.
j. De La Rue Sea-
y. FOntana Land.
H. Herschel (Sir W. Continent.
J. Maraldi sea:
K Kspler Land.
n. Nader Continsat.
n. Tych0 Sea.
r. Phillips LAM
4. escchi Continent.
A comparison of the above diagrams
with hemisphere map OF our world, will
show several important differences. On
the earth the land lies in compact, though
irregular, masses, and the tides OF the
ocean have free course except where they
pass between islands, or through channels
which separate islands from the main
land. The surface of Mars ID marked by
numerous seas of the bottle'neck form,
and these rum between continents and
lengthy peninsulas; only one we'll defined
isand being visible, and that - probably
Q volcano. On Mars the land and water
are nearly equal, while on the earth the
waters cover nearly three. fourths of the
entire surface. The land of Mars is of q
rudy color, and it is the reflection OF the
solar rays from this which gives the red
appearances of the planet The water Is
OF q rrcenish hue (as seen through the
tclescope), and the latter fact indicates a
condition similar to the waters OF the
earth, whiclfa gre blue or green according
to the distance from the shore. Inc ap
parent hue of the waters is undoubtedly
modified somewhat by the passage OF the
rays of light throu, gh the Martial atmos-
phere before they "a IS through "the ethe-
real void" to impinEe on the aerial envei-
ope which surrounds our earth. mars
presents Q very large c1 tent OF coast line
AZ compared with the eaSt1, ana II sp-
parent from the diagram thA III lspossiDie
TO travel by land to almost q 'ery part o.
his land surface without resort 10 naViga'
ton.
The phenomena of tides a. WITH sssec
on the earth are but family REPRODUCED Oh
Mars, and for the reason that he has nc
attendant satellite. With ~ the sstEA ction
Of the mooa Ii to that Of the sun % To
20. Hence the magnitude of our 4 lei
being represented by 2, that dneto the - .
would be represented by g. The greaaA
distance Of Mars will cause the height 81
the tidal wave in the larger oceans to be
small, nos exceeding 8 or 4inches. The rush
of water through the narrow inlets will
b somewhat greater, though slight-just
enough to keep up moderate circulation
In the waters. With such land contour
on our earth the greater tides would
cause rapid changes In the plan of the
continents In Mars we have no apparent
element Of mutability In this direction.
The permancnce Of such An outline q il
presented by Mars would be practically
Impossible were he attended by moon Of
considerable weight Here We have one
among numerous examples Of" the eternal
fitness Of things" to their surrounding
conditions.
In this lesser tidal dow, We have also an
absence Of the forces which have pro.
duced such great changes In the earth's
surface, In cutting channels through what
was once an isthmus, and the separating
an Island from the main land. But, mas.
much Is Mars exhibits greater propen-
sity for channel forming than 10 indicated
In the case Of our earth, We can but con-
clade that the original volcanic action
which elevated the land masses above his
mean surface. operated largely in lines of
force, whereas the upheavals Of the earth
were often effected In points, ~ IL attested 1
by our own numerous lslandic formations.
And, strangely enough, these elevating
forces appear to have operated In the DO
lar regions nearly parallel to the plane of |
the equator, while In the equatorial re.
gions these lines Of upheaval are more |
nearly perpendicular to the direction of |
rotation on the axis. This irregularity of |
formation 10 undoubtedly due to the great
of the orbit of Mars the
more important ruptures in the once
thin crust occurring near the time Of the
perihelion.
The Ice patches at the poles Of Mars,
which have BEEN observed to increase
and decrease regularly q each pole Il
turned away from the gun or
towards him, are almost conclusive evi.
dence Of the existence Of an atmosphere
similar to that of the earth, In which the
processes Of evaporation and rainfall,
melting and thawing, arc perpetually
going on, - In the case Of tho earth. But
The amount OF solar heat and solar evsp-
oration must b much more variable than /,