The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-27
A DESCRIPTION OF MARS.
A PLANET WHOSE CONDITIONS RE
sEMBLB THOSE OF THE BARTH.
Cause Of the Fiery Red Glow-snow-
bound Poles, Violent Hurricanes,
Pouring Rains, sess, Rivers and
Perhaps Trees.
From The ST. Louis Republic.

we are tolo that the planet Mars some
times approaches US within less than 40. Co.,
600 miles. Yet, although this distance is
enormous, modern telescopes have enabled
astronomers 70 span that mighty gulf and to
read the secrets Of this distant world. In
an article written by the French author,
Flammarion. he observes that with the aid
OF a powerful telescope a heavy fell of
snow was perceived on the planet Mars,
which in twenty-four hours covered an ex-
tent Of surface as vast as the area of the
United States. He also refers to a sug-
gestion made about brilliant points sup
posed to have been COMMERCIALLY arranged
by the inhabitants of Mars and intended as
signals from that planet to ours. Flam-
marien looks for unexpected discoveries
whea telescopes of still greater power are
constructed, and TO attain at last to q solu-
ton of the enigma whether Mars is fitted
to be an abode of life or not.
The seasons Of summer and winter in the
northern and southern halves of the planet,
the effects due to the progress of the Martial
day, from sunrise to sunset-nay, even
hourly changes. corresponding to those
which take place in our skies, as clouds
gather over our continents, or fall in rain,
or are disslpated by solar heat--such signs
as these prove that Mars is a world like our
own.
THAT RUDDY GLOW.
We all know that Mars CLOVIS with a
rudy light and is by far the ruddlest star
in the heavens, and 10 scientists the planet
is regarded as passing through geological
era resembling the old red sandstone period.
Yet when observed through a telescope the
surface OF Mars does not appear wholly red
Dark spaces are seen of well-marked tinge
of greenish blue, while at the two opposite
points of his orb there are two bright
spots Of white light, presenting such an
appearance as the snowy poles Of our own
earth might present to an observer on the
planet of Venus. Toward the edge OF these
white points, the ruddy and greenish
tracts are merged into q misty whiteness,
which grows gradually brighter up to the
very border Of the planet.
An English student of astronomy, named
Dawes. who had occasion to refer to Mar
tian regions then unnamed, had, for con-
venience, assigned names tol these regions
after charting them, using the names of
those astronomers whose observations had
thrown light upon the geography Of this
planet, or rather its typography. Thus to
Sir w. Herschel one continent was assigned,
to Secchi another, to Nader a third, and to
Dawes (the eagle-eyed observer 10 whom
we owe the most exact observation of Mars
yet made), fourth Tracts of land were
assigned to Cassini. Dockyer and other as
trohomers. whilst seas and straits, oceans
and rivers, were named after Delarue, Hug
gins, Dawes, Laplace and other well-known
astr Jnomers. This was done simply with
the idea Of giving convenient names to feat
ures which are often referred to.
A Belgian astronomer, DR.. Terby of Lou
vain, prepared an immense number of
-. - AF.r Il do
just referred TO, adding one or two other
names but making no changes. This pro-
voked the patience of a celebrated French
writer, because neither continent nor ocean
had been assigned to any of the French
writer's, though large tracts of lands and
seas were given to Laplace, Leverrier,
Arago and other distinguished Frenchmen
He proceeded to reconstruct the chart and
rename most of the lands. dismissing Hers
chel altogether, and giving the name of
Dawes to small sea. A dark sea, shaped
somewhas like an hour-glass, which had
been assigned TO Kaiser, German astrono-
mer, who had made many interesting OBJ
seryations on the planet, was treated still
worse. His name was placed in q small
corner of the sea and the sea itself was left
nameless.
At this DR.. Terby rose indignant Full
OF astronomic ire and geographic grief, he
solemnly denounced the new nomenclature
He tralv had reason to be annoyed. because
the result Of his lGbors had been freely
used, and, as the only form of acknowledge
ment the French savant mentioned the
name of DIR. Terby niae times in his ac-
count Of the lands and seas of Mars. 1t is
to be hoped the discussion was amicably
settled, aud that it caused no disturba
among the peaceful inhabitants of Mars
A POPULATION THEORY.
A szA- Al. d.
world, and is at present inhabited, and that.
too, by creatures which, though they differ
very much from the inhabitants of this
earth in shape and appearance, may be as
high ia the scale of living creatures A be-
lief likewise exists that among the iDhabit-
ants of Mars there are creatures endowed
with reason. Others consider Mars alto
gether unfit 20 be the abode of creatures re-
sembling those which inhabit our earth I:
neither vegetable nor animal forms known
to US could exist on the planet. In fine, "all
the conditions of life in Mars, all that tends
to the comfort and well-being of Marian
creatures, must differ utterly from what is
human on earth"
We cannot tell what the nature of the
soil OF Mars may be, but it's generally rudy
tinge-so we'll marked that, though the tele-
scope shows an almost equal part OF tbs sur
face to be greenlsh in hue, the red prevails,
giving to The planet, as seen by the unaided
| eye, its obvious rich color-seems to show
that it resembles the red sandstone of our
own earth. This would made it appear as if
Mars had passed through only the earlier
stages of development. and that the later for
ma ions of our earth's surface are wanting
| on its surface. We may believe that the
ruddiness Of the soil of Mars is due to the
same general cause as the ruddiness of our
| red sandstone, whilst some writer's think
| that it is due to the color of the vegetation
| there. A certain support is given to the idea
| by the circumstance that the degree of rud-
| diness is variable, and is somewhat greater
| during the Marian summer than in spring
| and autumn. In this sense we may say Of
| the summer of Mars with the poet Holmes:
The SHOWS that glittered on the disc of Mars
Have melted, and the planets fiery orb
| Rolls in the crimson summer of its year.
But the ruddinsss of the planets summer
can be otherwise and better explained by
| supposing that the Marian forests glow
with fiery foliage during the summer days.
We can see as the sumner proceeds the
white msts which had hidden the lands
and seas of tbs planet breaking up, and the
features of tho surface being gradually re-
vealed with more and more distinctness. 1t
is to the disappearance of these mists and
clouds, not to the red leaves of these Mar
tian trees, that the change in the planets
color must most probably be referred.
BREEZY WORLD.
ntho~ xx-,s+nro oopxtIar that xbara ra Nh