Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-11-11

lof Sahsfa Is ono great plain, ana NAV
IL 10 largo enough for the purpose, and
even supposing that it was possible to
make such an enormous figure, am
IN doubt whether the people on Mars.
with such telescopes Is We use, would
be able 10 SEQ H.
EAT certain times Mara Is but 81, ooo, 900
miles from the earth. but 1t gets further
and further away until tho distance 10
OIL, 500, 900 milea That Ia . good way
of to see triangles. But II Mars 10 in
habited, am inclined 10 believe that
the inhabitants are not fools II they
saw . triangle shsped object on the
face of the earth they would not jump
TO the chimericsl conclusion that there
wero idiots enough down hero to build
such an affair.
1.-THE truth h We DO not know
whether any OF the planets besides tho
earth Is inhabited We think We know
that It might be possible for men to
live on Mercury. The situation aud
condition Of things on the other planets
are altogether different from those on
the earth. So, when we talk about
tho inhabitants of tho planets we
enter the realm of surmise. and Jules
Verne has . better chance than tho
scientist
THE four planets nearest tho sun
are Aercury. Venus. the earth and
Mara Mercary is only IS. 500, 900 miles
from the sun, which isn't very far when
you take the heat into consideration.
Consequently we believe it is . good
many times hotter than Arizona or
Mercury. There are other disadvan-
mountains and no certainty of atmos-
phero Mercury Is only 5000 miles in
diameter, yet there are mountains on
its surface over la miles high
Venus is 66, 134, 900 miles from the
sun and is plenty hot enough, although
nearly twice IS far as Mercury from the
great heater. Then there Is some
question about tho atmosphere as yet.
and the year is only 224 days long.
THE earth comes next, being o.
$50, 900 miles from the sun. After this
planet is Mars, ls0. 1911. 900 miles from
the luminsry.
"All astronomers admit that II peo-
pie like those on earth live on any Of
the other planets Mars is probably tho
one. The reason Why IL easy to tell.
Although Mars is further from the sun
than the earth, his orbit is so eccentric
that ut certain times he il only lea. 3lS,-
600 miles away. consequently the tenn
peratures are, likely, merely little
more moderate than those on the earth.
Then. too. the diurnal motion of the
two planets Is about the same. 90 that
from one years end to another tho
distance from the earth to Mars varies
only from 80. 500, 900 miles 80 81, 500, 600
miles Mars has its seasons and its
polar ice just like the earth
Through the telescope we can watch
ice fields as the poles get larger as the
winter approaches and sec them get
smaller again In the summer Mars has
m atmosphere and clouds like those on
earth. There are continents and oceans
on Mars. so that altogether the analogy
between that planet and the earth isvery
close. the striking difference being that
Mars Is much smaller.
posed TO believe that Mars Is inhab-
tied You ask me IL We know, how
ever. and I promptly tell you we do
not An astronomer named Schiap-
psrelli claims he Is able 70 see . double
line of canals on Mara These must Be
enormous works II he can sec them,
and must represent . stupendous
amount of work on the part Of an al
| most countless number Of people
cannot see them through my telescope,
and many others fail After all, these
equals may be in schiapParellrs eye.
People get what they call astigmatism
aowadays and sec two pencils where
thcre is only on. Perhaps that h what
Schiapparslli haa
But even II there are people on
Mars. and even II they have built
canals az for talking with them" and
the professor repeated the statement
20 make Il more positive, ''ss for talk
ing with them. nonsense. San Fran
cisco Examiner.