Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-11-19
LIFE ON MARS.

a WORLD LIKE OURS, WITH WATER, AIR,
HEAT, LIGHT, WINDS, CLOUDS, RAIN, RIv-
ULErs, VALLEYS, AND MOUNTAINS.
TRANSLATED for the New York world.l
When Twelve years ago I published the
first edition of my work LA Plnralte des
Mondes," did hope to see the speedy con-
frmaton which the progress of astronomy
would give 10 my theory in enabling us to
touch with the finger as II wore, the mani
festations Of planetary life. On the one
hand, The mrOitcs, those samples of other
worlds, have brought in their own sub
stance the elements which play the most
important part in life, like oxygen, hy-
drogen, carbon, chlorure Of sodium. The
@rolite which fell at Orgueil Department
of Tarn-et- Garonne) brought us coal-like
matter, carburcs, which, like peat, are due
to vegetable remains; that which fell in
1872 at Lance (Loire-et- Choir) brought salt.
Aeroliies had already brought water under
the form of hydrate Of oXyde of iron. The
worlds from which these debris come do
not differ from ours. On the other hand,
through the spectral analysis, vapor of wa
ter identical with that which produces our
fogs, our clouds, and our rains, has been
discovered in the planetary atmosphere.
But OF all the studies lately made that
which offers us the most general confirma-
ton of the existence of life beyond the
earth is the telescope examination Of the
planet Mars. This neighboring world, in
deed, presents relations most similar 10
ours. BY its situation we are called to OBJ
serve its surface under the best conditions
for its study, and the telescope reveals the
| configurations which indicate the closest
affinity between that globe and the one we
| inhabit.
1t is by the continuous and perseyering
study of the movement of Mars that KEEP
Ter discovered the immortal laws which
control the system of the world. II seems
to me certain that it is hy the study of the
same planet that will first be confirmed the
doctrine of the plurality of worlds, the
philosophical crownlng achievement of as
trouomy. BY this double service Mars
would deserve the esteem of thinking hui
mainly, and perhaps would cause us topaz
don the follies and the cruelties with which
the god Of war has Inspired for too long
time this poor humanity that peoples the
| earth.
Led by the persevering desire to find in
practical astronomy itself the direct evi
dence of this great proof of the plurality o
worlds, particularly devoted myself t.
the observation of the planet Mars. lspec
tally studied il at the periods when ii pass
ed in the neighborhood of the earth, ant
above all last year. Comparing between
them the observations made at difleren
epochs by astronomers, succeeded in col
locting in reference to il numerous and de
cisive documents. The results of these oh
servatons and these discussions are salts
factory for the solution Of tue curious prob
lem of the condition Of life on the surfac
of the planets.
Our readers know thai the planet Mars
that which comes next TO the earth in III
order of distances from the sun. Our orb
is traced at 81 900 900 leagues from the or
of day, and that Of Mars at 56,OOO,OOl
When the Two planets are on the same sid
of the sun the distance which separate