The Arizona sentinel., 1888-11-10


The one called Bessel inlet extends
over nearly ninety degrees of Marian
latitude-that is, about a quarter OF
the way round the globe of the planet.
The bottle shape of these long CULTS
is very curious feature. Most OF
them enter by a very narrow neck,
and then expand suddenly or gradually
into large oval bay. If the border
of these consists of cliffs and noun
tains, the Martians will be highly
favored in the matter of scenery.
To pass through narrow
cliff-bound channel into the eX-
panse of one of these vast bays, if
surrounded by wooded hills, would be
a beautiful voyage indeed.
This bottle shape extends even to the
oceans, in which there is not in any
case a great expanse of surface. Dawes
ocean largely consists of two great
bag-shaped bays, and De la Rue ocean
is the same in structure. These, of
course, are named after eminent as
tronomers, as are almost all the chief
features of the planet. By these ar
rangements our readers will see that
the facilities on Mars for water-car-
riage are very great, while, of course,
railway carriage and construction must
be, if attempted, proportionately diff
cult. The Martian voyagers will have
no long, weary days on the expanse of
ocean; on the contrary, varied and
beautiful minglings of land and sea
will continually refresh their vision.
A recent discovery has apparently
somewhat extended this grand net
work of waterways. In 1877 the planet
was in peculiarly favorable position
for observation, and perfect reticula-
tion of faint markings was seen by
Schiaperelli, of Milan Observatory.
These covered the larger continents,
and were by him named Canals"
though to be visible at this distance
they must be enormous in size. Their
reality has since been doubted, but
may be regarded as now confirmed.
Moreover, they are sometimes doubled,
twin canal appearing parallel to the
first at distance of several hundred
miles. This doubling is considered by
Schiaperelli to depend in some way on
the change of the Martian seasons.
Though still called canals, they are
hardly now regarded as such; indeed
they form one of the most curious
and inexplicable features of the planet.
Perhaps all its features may be
regarded as difficult of explanation.
We have given our readers only what
is the most probable view of the case.
Certainty can not yet be said to be at
tanned on any points, except the tenu-
ity and clearness of the Martian air,
and the presence in it of water-vapor.
Still no very strained inference is in
volved in the rest.
But there is one fundamental fact
about Mars which thoroughly battles
explanation. The planet is forty-eight
million miles farther from the sun
than the earth. 1t will receive less
than half the light and heat than we
do. Its tenuous air will not retain the
solar heat as our denser atmosphere
does. The condition of the general
surface will be more like that of some
lofty mountain top near our arctic cir
Gle, than that of our fertile plains in
the temperate zone. 1t should be
clothed with almost constant ice and
snow. Yet the north nd south polar
ice-caps on Mars are very small-far
smaller in proportion than those of the
earth. What strange cause maintains
the warmth of his surface? This is
one Of the problems awaiting solution
by the astronomy of the future. When
solved, it will throw light on many
other perplexing cosmical questions.
Our readers will now be in a better
position to understand the evidence
offered in proof of the vast inundation
to which we have referred. Mars has
been lately favorably situated for OBJ
servation, being near the earth. and
though his position low down in the
sky prevents full advantage being
taken of his proximity, yet in May and
June he was an object of special
regard. A portion of the land
surface of the planet-named
'Libya' in the principal charts
has appeared darker than usual, so
much so, to some observers, as to seem
blended with the neighboring waters.
The ''Tyrrhenian Sea" has also seemed
paler in tint, as if reduced greatly in
depth. From what we have said of the
feeble gravity on the planet, it is evil
dent that the structure of the rocks and
soil, as well as that of the trees and
plants, must be greatly less massive
than with US; indeed, a certain porOSity
of surface structure would seem prob
able, and this, taken with the fact that,
as a whole, Mars is only about half as
dense as our earth, would render such
an event as the subsidence of a con-
tinent not so very improbable. But
our readers must remember that such
a structure infers feebler forces to dis
integrate and destroy. On such a
globe the ''war of elements could not
rage very fiercely at any time. 1t is,
indeed, not likely that on any inhabit-
ed globe the conditions of life are real
ly so precarious as we might imagine
DIR. Terby, of Louvain, a very skillful
observer, is not inclined to favor the
inundation theory, attributing the
slight changes which have been con-
firmed rather to the very oblique view