The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-03-28

terrestrial analogies. IN 1881, how
ever, the distinguished Italian astron-
omer announced that the known canals
were frequently doubled or paralleled
BY others Of precisely similar.sappear-
ance- The new map OF the canals was
the old one viewed through doubly
refracting prism. as NJ. Terby happily
phrases 1t. In. 1885 NJ. Perrotin, at
Nice confirmed this singular phenom-
enon, and in 1883 both he and NJ. Schia-
pareftEhave again confirmed It, under
new conditions No other observers
than these have as yet seen this phe-
nomenon OF duplication. The season
for such observations in 1888 was the
months Of April and May, The Lick
telescope WAS not ready for such work
until the middle OF July. After that
date the planet was not observed else
where with any advantage; but here. In
spite Of the low altitude-ef-the=pf planet
(not more than thirty degrees), OF its
small apparent diameter mot more than
ten seconds) and of other backs,
we secured a series of forty careful
drawings. These show the submerged
continent Libya in essentially the same
state as my drawings Of 1875, as | have
said; and they also show the principal
canals as in the maps of NJ. Schiapa-
relli, but not single canal was seen
doubled, neither were they like fine
narrow, lines, as depicted, but rather
like broad bands, wide enough to cover
the spaces occupied on Schiaparellis
maps by two canals and the brighter
region separating them.
! am by no means unaware OF the un-
favorable conditions under which our
observations were made-morel than
two months after the season for such
work, and l am only highly gratified
thatso much was shown by this power
full telescope under the circumstances.
/ must deeply regret that the observa-
tory could not have been completed in
time to take its part in this work, for
which its equipment and its situation
are alike adapted. We have, however,
obtained assurances that the next ia
vorable oppositions will enable us to
do our full part toward solving the
enigmas presented by the marvellous
appearances reported by NM. Schiapa
relli and Perrotin.
1t would perhaps be superluous to
attempt an explanation of a phenome-
non which requires SO much further
study. But we may simply allude to
the suggestions put forth by various
writers. e.zname q esaa z has-sag-
gested to several writers, who should
be more cautious the explanation that
these markings hot known to be wa
tor at all, be it remembered) are in
fact commercial waterways. They are
doubled, one may suppose, to relieve a
traffic alreadylto crowded. They have
been called rivers by Others But
these rivers run from one dark mark
ing to another They do not rise in
the brighter regions DANDY, and they
have no sinuousities. Their duplica-
ton has been explained as diffraction
phenomenon caused by the fogs lying
along the river valleys. Others again
suppose them to be creviees in the gla.
ciers (also proved net to EXIST in the
planet. All these hypothesis are as
yet without q sufficient foundation. We
must assuredly be content to wait for
another favorable opposition OF this
planet 1892 before we can be entirely
satisfied as to all the facts OF the case,
and we must postpone until that time
any explanation. = Edward s. Holden,
LII. d., Director of theLick Observa-
tory. in N. Y. Mail and Express,