Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-13

tione showed this region to be of its nor
NAL form just as it is depicted in my own
drawings of 1875. This experience, to-
gether with others, should, L think, lead
us to receive all such announcements with
scientific caution, as things to be in
vestigated, proved or disproyed; though
never with unscientiic incFedulity, as
matters to be passed by without respect
full attention If there is a domain
where a sheer is impairment, degrading
and totally out of place, that domain is
science.
The changes of color of the seas appear
to be no less certainly established than
those of the continents, but they are of
more gradual and progressive character,
and seem, at least, To depend upon the
season at the Martial year.
In fact it is the opinion of the critics
who have made the most thorough study
of the changes on Mars that the aspect of
the planet varies iii many respects as the
season changes from spring TO summer,
from summer to autumn, etc.
THE CANALS ON MARS.
During the opposition of 1877 N .
Schiaparelli, not content with laying out
the boundaries of the various continents
and seas with precision as yet unreached !,
gave his attention also TO the deIineations
of the very finest details of the planet $
markings. He was soon rewarded with
the striking discovery of a whole net
work of fine dark lines, which for want
of better name he called ''canals -
They usually ran from one dark sea or
bay to another. Their courses were not
sinuous like those of rivers on the earth
They are, however, far toe broad (about
fifty miles, to bear any real analogy to
terrestrial and artificial canals, and we
must repeat that this designation is a
mere name of convenience.
The credit of the discovery of these ca
mails is entirely due to NJ. Sehiapareli,
who first studied them with sufficient care
and made adequate maps of their
courses. Many of them had been laid
down, however, III the drawings of OBJ
servers previous TO 1871; and recent OBJ
seFvations made by large telescopes may
be said TO entirely confirm the map of
Schiaparelli, if not in every detail, yet in
every essential respect. We have then TO
regard the topography of Mars as singu-
larry complex considering the eircum-
stances under which we view it). To the
continents, the seas, the polar caps of
Maedler, we have TO add the complex net
work of canals. No new mystery was
added by their discoyery-only n greater
oomplexity. We must remember that
the distribution of land and water on the
surface of Mars is as yet unknown; that
continents, - 'sseas'' and canals
are alike in being mere names for mark
ings OF various colors.
DUPLICATION OF THE CANALS.
We come now, however, To discovery
announced by Professor Schiapareli in
1881, which presents yeritable mystery.
Everything heretofore known, if not ex-
planned, seemed applicable by terrestrial
analogies. In 1881, however, the dis
tinguished Italian astronomer announced
that the known canals were frequently
doubled or paralleled by others of pre-
cisely similar appearance. The new map
of the canals was the old one viewed
through a d0ubly refraeting prism,
as NJ. Terby happily phrases it.
In 1886 n. Perrafin at Nice con-
firmed this singular phenomenon,
aud i'll 1888 both he aud II !. Sehiaparelii
have again confirmed il under new
conditions. No other observers than
these have as yet seen this phenomenon
of duplication The season for sucl OBJ
servations in 1883 was the months of April
and May. The Lick telescope was not
ready for such work until the middle of