Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-03-19

proofs OF the belief of many, IN the
plurality of inhabitable worlds, have
occupied myself by the study of Mars,
when under favorable periods for ex-
animation as when nearest the earth
in iSi5-7I-79. fndThe movement of
clouds similar TO that of earth, and on
comparing the observations made by
different astronomers find satisfactory !
proof of my subject, that on Mars at
least we have great similarity to earth.
Mars at its closest approach to us is |
about thirty-five millions of miles dis
tant. Venus it is true comes nearer,
but us she is between us and the sun
we cannot see much of her but Mars
being upon the other side of our globe
presents her face full of sunlight. SO
when her atmosphere is clear, and ours
also, we may look upon her continents
and oceans. She has little greater
inclination to her axis than the earth :;
while her days are but little longer
than ours, her years are equal to about
twenty-siX of our months. When we
first look upon her surface, the ice and
snow at her poles, especially on the
hemisphere that is winter, attracts our
attention, and at first sight we think
Mars much like our globe in the diYi-
sion of its climates. 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 mediterran
can. Moreover several narrow seas.
true channels, afford communication
between different ATTITUDES. 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 observers as of a greenish
shade, but the change from blush to
greenish is such, that to many eyes it
is undistinguishab!e. But the CONT
nents on Mars are decidedly red. 1t
was first supposed that this tint was
due to the atmosphere, as it by no
means follows that as our atmosphere
is blue, the atmosphere of other planets
must be. 1t lpight with God be pos
j sible to have it red, and everything ap-
pear beautiful to the inhabitants of
that globe, as to US. But if that was
so the ocean would be red as we'll as
! the land. So there is nothing to this
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 do--consequently it 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, as Mars is not as mountain
Gus as earth, thati its extensive meadows
mast have their red carpet of grass
instead Of green. That may be, but
in the temperate zone there must be
ever red trees, SO high as not to be
covered with snow. If they were SO
covered, the surface would wher
covered with Snow be white. The red
color is constant in all ATTITUDES.
speak of the vegetation of Mars, of it
polar SHOWS, of its seas, Of its atmos
phere and of its clouds, as though hat
seen them. What | have seen in re
ality are blotches on the magnifieC
disk OF this planet. Is the red really
: terra trina? Is the blush green really
water? And is the white surely snow
In u word, is this truly a world like
ours | answer yes the telescope
a asserts it, the spectroscope asserts it
our reason asserts it. White spot
: move about over its disk. These spot!
, can be nothing but clouds. The whit
spots at the poles increase and dimin
, ish. and the polar seas freeze over, an(
c snow falls the same as on earth ant
9 there can be no mistake. 1t is exactl,
: what would happen to an observer q
, Venus. that looks with q telescope t,
? our earth. The different color of tn
> vegetation is only little change. w
> have many red leaved plants on earth
a very slight change in the cell struct
9 ure makes them red, and as greer
e predominates here, red doubtless doe
. there.
e a few years ago we were not certain
IS that their water was exactly identica
$ with ours but the spectroscope show
IS conclusively that it is SO. We know
II oxygen and hydrogen are there also
hence our atmosphere is duplicates
h there. As we are enabled to felloN
1t the clouds in their course, sometime
70 rapidly moving and sometime
e stationary, or moving slowly, we kno,
IL they have wind also. AS they hav
is storms like ours they must also hav
Fe brooks and rivers, 1t is probable tia
Y their mountains are not SO high, yet
to they have hills and valleys. If not
N the water would cnvnr the entira Mar