Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-17

4 llhe OuT SlOOe III lle DIVISION OF ltS climate
An examination of its topography shows
us, on the contrary. quite dissimilarity
On earth we have more water than land
on Mars the land and water are nearly
| equal-and her seas are mediterranean.
! Moreover, several narrow seas, true chan
nels, afford communication between differ
ent latitudes. The water presents itself
to us in grayish blue patches, while the
prevailing color of the land is red. This
red gives the peculiar red light to this
planet, which so fully distinguishes it to
the naked eye among the stars Thus the
color of the water of Mars is the same As
of earth. 1t is described by some observ-
ers "a of greenish shade, but the change
from blush to greenish is such that to
many eyes it is undistirguishable But
the continents on Mars are decidedly red.
1t was first supposed that this tint was due
to the tmosphere, as it by no means fol
lows thilt as our atmosphere is blue the
atmosphere of other planets must be. 1t
might with God be possible to have it red
and every thing appear as beautiful to the
inhabitants of that globe as to us. But if
that was so the ocean would be red rs well
rs the land. So there is nothing to th,
theory; the atmosphere is like ours or
similar. The ocean is like ours or similar,
but yet there is the red. which with our
earth and our vegetation would be green
in great part. Early astronomers thought
the soil was red If SO the snow and ice
which covers the polar sea would extend
on the land and change it in winter to
white. This it does not tdo,-consequently
il is not the soil. Our vegetation is green,
but that of Mars must be red and its trees
are consequently not evergreen like ours,
but ever red like Mars itself Some say
Us Mars is not us mountainous as EARTH
that its extensive meadows must have
their red carpet of grass instead of green.
That may be, bnt in the temperate zone
tt ere must be ever red trees so high as not
TO be covered with snow. If they were so
covered the surface would when covered
with snow be white. The red color is
constant in all latiludes.
speak of the vegetation Of Mars, of its
polar SHOWS, of its seas, Of its atmosphere
and of its clouds rs though | had seen
them. What | have seen in reality are
blotches on the magniied disk of this
planet. Is the red really terra frma? Is
he blush green indeed water? and is tn
white surely snow? In II word is this
truly world like ours? answer, yes; the
telescope asserts it, the spectroScope as
serts it, our reason asserts it. White spots
move about over its disk. These spots
can be nothing but clouds. The white
spots at the poles increase and diminish
and the polar seas ieeze over and snow
falls the same as on earth and there can
be no mistake. II is exactly what would
happen TO IN observer at Venus that looks
with telescope to our earth. The differ
ent color of the vegetation is only little
change We have many red leaved plants
on earth. A very slight change in the cell
structure makes them red, and as green
predominates here red doubtless does
there.
A few years ago we were not certain
that there water was exactly identical
| with ours, but the spectroscope shows con-
clusively that it is so. We know oxygen
and hydrogen are there also, hence our
atmosphere is duplicated there. As we
are enabled to follow the clouds in their
course, sometimes rapidly moving and
sometimes stationary, or moving slowly,
we know they have wind also. As they
have storms like ours. they mast also have
brooks and rivers. 1t is probable that
their mountains are not 50 high, yet they
have hills and valleys. If not the water
would cover the entire planet. 1t is not Sc
large rs the earth In gravitation, and
consequently in the weight of things upon
that planet, there is u difference. Things
are heavier here, but that amounts to
little. In their revolution about the sun
the earth travels eighteen miles per sec
ond. while Mars travels but fifteen and
one half, but the motion of either much
exceeds that Of II cannon ball. Mars has
the same sun, but does not get so much
heat as it is more distant from that planet
but its tropical regions would only, il
things are the same MS on earth, be better
adapted for the use of intelligent beings
In fact. God CAP say of it as of the earth
" He hath established it. lie created it moi
in vain, lie formed it to be inhabited"