The Grenada gazette., 1889-02-28

We come now. however, TO discov
cry announced BY Prof Schiaparelli IN
1881 which presents veritabls mys
terry. Every thing heretofore known,
II not explained. seemed explicable by
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 appear
ance The new map OF the canals was
the old one viewed through doubly
refracting prism, as M. Terby happily
phrases it. In 1886 M. Perrotin, at
Nice confirmed this singular phenom.
enon, and in 1888 both he and Nj. Schia-
parelli have again confirmed it under
now 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 wis 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 of the planet
mot more than thirty degrees). OF its
small apparent diameter not more than
ten seconds) and OF other drawbacks,
we secured 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 Schiaparelli's
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-more than
two months after the season for such
work, and | am only highly gratitied
that so 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 fa-
vorable oppositions will enable us to
do our full part toward solving the
enigmas presented by the marvellous
reported by MN. Schiapa-
relli and Perrotin.
1T would perhaps be superfuous to
attempt an explanation OF phenome-
lon which requires so much further
study But We may simply allude to
he suggestions put forth by various
writer's. The name "canal" has sug-
Iested to several writer's, who should
'e more cautious, the explanation that
hese markings (not known to be wa
er at all, be it remembered) are in
act commercial waterways. They are
one may suppose, to relieve
rattle already too crowded. They have
oeen called rivers by others. But
hese rivers run from one dark mark
ng to another. They do not rise in
he brighter regions (land), and they
lavc no sinuoustes, Their duplca-
ion has been explained as diffraction
phenomenon caused by the fogs lying
Ilong the river valleys. Others again
uppose them to be crevices in the ga-
'icrs (also proved not to exist) in the
planet All these hypothesis are AS
ct without sufficient foundation Wo ,
must assuredly be content to wait for {
mother favorable opposition of this ,,
'lanet 1Sy2) before we can be entirely /
atisted as to all the facts OF the case
nd we must postpone until that time ,,
ny explanation. Edward S. Holden,
IL. d., Director OF the Lick Observa-
ory, in n. T. Mail and Express. ,