The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-06-15
Mars Little Moons-Their Inhabitants
Must be Feeble aud Inactive.
Prof. Proctor, in Bcleravia.l


Probably the most convenient assump-
ton We can make is that there may be
creatures in a general respect like our.
selves, on those moons of Mars, but
that, owing to the extreme rarity Of the
atmosphere, their vital energy is so far
reduced that they are not more active
than we are, despite the feeble action
of gravity in their world. The air must
be exceedingly rare, most certainly,
even if the quantity is proportioned to
the volumes of these moons. On this
assumption the quantity of air is less
than tie quantity of terrestrial as l is
less than 400 times 400-that is, it
amounts only to l-64, 900, 900 part of the
terrestrial air.
Being spread over surface which is
but 100000 of the earth's it follows
that the quantity of air above each
square mile of surface is 1-400 part only
of the quantity over each square mile
of our earth's surface. This would be
little enough in all conscience but this
is not all. For the action of gravity
being according to our assumption, only
1-600 of terrestrial gravity, it follows
that the atmospheric pressure, and there.
fore density, is further reduced in this
degree, wing finally a density equal
only to 1-240, 900 of the density of our
own air.
Now, at height of seven miles,
where the atmospheric pressure is re-
duced to one-fourth that at the sea level,
men of ordinary constitution would
perish in few minutes if not instantly.
In CoxwelPs ascent TO nearly that
height, Glaisher tainted, and Coxwell
only just had strength left to draw the
valve string with his teeth--his hands
being already powerless. Yet at the
height of seven miles, the density of the
air is 10000 times greater than that
which, according to our very reasonable
assumption, prevails at the surface of
the Marian moons.
We can very well believe, then, that
in whatever way the inhabitants of these
moons may be adapted, corporeally and
consitutionally, for existence in their
small homes, the rarity of the air there
must tend to reduce their vital energy.
So that we may we'll imagine that, in
stead of being able to leap to a height
of half mile or over a distance of two
or three miles, they are not more active
than we are on the earth with 600 times
greater weight, but far more effective
respiration. We might, perhaps, go
even flu ther than this, and assume that,
in order to give the inhabitants of these
moons locomotive powers proportioned
in the same way to their own dimensions
as ours are, they must be supposed very
much smaller than we are.
We might imagine them in an atmos-
phere 80 exceedingly attenuated that
creatures which could have vitality
enough to move freely about must be no
larger than I'll or ants, and must have
also some such provision as insects have
for more effective inspiration. In tn
way we might find in the Marian moons
a miniature of our own earth, not only
in the proportions of these worlds them
selves, but also in those of the creatures
living upon them. But it would not be
very interesting to consider mere minia-
lures of our earth such as the moons of
Mars would thus COME to be regarded.
Indeed, in that case, little more could
be said than that all the relations pre-
sented by this earth were, or might be,
represented in the Marian moons, but
on a greatly reduced scale.