davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning call., 1892-08-04
THINKS 1T HABITABLE
Lieutenant Tottle Gives His Opinion of
the Red Planet.

the Red Planet.
New HAVEN. Conn, Aug. 8. - Yale is
not we'll enough equipped in its astronom-
ical department to do very important work
on Mars at its present opposition. It's ght-
inch Grubb equatorial simply permits as
tronomers To obtain good general view Of
planetary detail
In speaking of Mars Lieutenant Totten
said to-day: Il think it is habitable, but
not inhabited. l don't think a man exists
on any other planet in this universe Jesus
Christ did not come on this earth to save
men If there were men on other planets"
Mars appeared no larger than the moon
through the Yale telescope, at the observa-
tory tonight, and so far as the scientific
value goes Yale Will be unable TO contribute
to the worlds knowledge this time.
DIR. w. l.. Elkins, astronomer in charge.
saws he does not believe that Mars Is in-
habted or that it has high mountains and
snow masses. Yale will have new
astronomical instrument before Mars comes
again.
1t is now being built at Clarks, Cambridge,
aud will cost $4,000 The glass will b. %
inches, and it will be one of the best ever
constructed.
HANOVER. n. H., Aug. 3-Professor S.
Z. a. Young Of Princeton College and Pro
lessor T.. Is. Frost of Dartmouth are closely
watching the planet Mars tonight from the
Dartmouth Observatory, but up TO a late
hour nothing worthy OF note had been
seen.
Professor Young says that recently with
his large 23-lnch telescope at Princeton he
observed substantially the same features as
the Lick Observatory, but was unable TO
discern the canals of SchiaparelIi, the
Italian astronomer.
The morning call., 1892-08-04

banks of the Lagus Soils ana the surpris-
Fons Juventac.
we might incidentally mention the fact
that where there are now two lakes there
was only one in 1877 and none in 1879; and
we are speaking, 1t must be remembered. OF
Doules or water hundreds OF square miles
In area. All the above and much more
could be said. and it is all possible, no
doubt.
The facts Of observation are correctly
gwen. But the explanation seems to me so
doubtful. with our present knowledge, that
prefer TO simply recite the facts and re-
serve the theory. This seems to be the
proper attitude under the circumstances.
some time during the present autumn we
snail nave finished our observations aud
our map Will have been completed and COM
pared with past maps Of the same sort. 1t
is very probable that we can then draw
some conclusions which are certain, and it
Is possible that con siderable new light may
De thrown ON this very obscure problem.
III thls moderate statement Of what we
eXpect Is Disappointing. l can only say that
the LICK Observatory possesses the greatest
Oh telescopes mounted in the most favorable
SITUATION; that nearly the whole time of the
telescope has been given TO this research.
an" that five perfectly competent observers
nave taken part In the work
think am justified In saving that no
more could have been done than has been
done. Ii at the end the results are not def
nite ana hnal the reason must be sought in
the extreme difficulty of the problem in
halu. EDWARD s. HOLDEN.
The morning call., 1892-08-04
HHH####HEH M FF HH no
BELOW THE SUMMIT

this time at q period when the two planets
were nearest each other, an event that will
not occur again for about Is years.
Take your choice.
The facts are that during the last two and
the next two weeks Mars and Earth have
been and will be, for all practical purposes,
in direct opposition.
In other words, though the mathematical
opposition of Mars, Earth aud Sun occurred
at a certain instant last night, the practic al
period OF opposition began about two weeks
ago and Will last for another fortnight.
According 10 the best local authority an
observation of Mars made week ago had
as much scientific value as the one made
last night.
Yet last night was the night and the eyes
Of all civilized Earth was turned expect
antly upon the great Lick telescope al
Mount Hamilton.
Even the astronomers themselves caught
the popular enthusiasm and they looked
through the big lenses Rt Mount Hamilton
and peered and psered through the millions
of miles of space between them and Mars,
as though they really believed there were
some advantage TO be gained by being on
hand at the precise instant.
Last night the conditions locally were al
most perfect for astronomical observations,
and everybody who possessed a telescope
leVeled ii at the Martial planet.
Everybody" does not include the local
astronomers. There are, perhaps, half a
dozen of these-certalnly not mOre-but so
lar as IS known none Of them went star
gazing last night.
Professor George Davidson of the Coast
Ge0detic Survey had not the time to spare,
being too busy drawing imaginary straight
lines in empty space.
William VI. PiersOn, ex-president of the
Astronomical Society Of the Pacific found
his telescope unavailable for the event
Charles Burckhalter of the Chabot Observ-
atory found it impracticlble to get at his
telescope for the occasion.
Miss Rosa OHalleran had her telescope
packed for moving SO she could not look
If there were others with good glasses
they were probably deferred from using
them scientifically by the fact that the great
Lick telescope is the largest and most pow
erful In the world and so far superior TO
any private glass that their own obserya-
tions would seem puerile compared to those
made by Professor Holden at Mount Ham
ilton.
All interest In the event centered there.
If you have telescope and did -,Ot use it
last night take peep at Mars tomorrow
night; you will see just as much
The morning call., 1892-08-04
HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
Two of the Officials Locked Up In jail
The Coroner's Inquest.

Two of the Officials Locked Up In JAN.
The Coroner's Inquest.
PITTsBURG, Aug. 3.-Dovey and McCon-
nell, who were arrested at Homestead to-
day, were taken to Jail at 10 o'clock this
evening and locked up for the night. The
statement that Potter had been arrested and
later released on call is erroneous, AMI ii is
not probable he will surrender himself until
tomorrow. as it would nrcessitate remain
ing in Jail over night. 1t is said the reason
Potter did not surrender this afternoon was
that the Evidence against him is stronger than
the others, he having been on the barges
with the Pinkerton men, and, it is claimed,
gave the order TO fire. The strikers case
received black eye from the Coroner's
jury this afternoon. when the the verdict
was rendered In the inquest on the bodies
OF seven OF the strikers, TO the effect that
Sllas Vain, one OF them, b ad been killed by
missile from Il cannon while in an unlaw-
full assembly. In the case of the Pinker-
tons, the jury found that L. J. Connors
was fatally wounded by a party or parties
unknown, with felcnious intent.
Heinrich Bauer, the anarchist, charged
with being an accessory to the shooting of
Frlck, was released on 5000 bail to-day,
Judge Ewing refused to accept bail in the
case OF Anarchist knald. as he said there
was evidence that Knold had shown Berg
man the Carnegie officers. The Carnegies,
1t is said will make an attempt to start the
Duquesne plant next Monday.
Ill. Z. Frlck' young son died to-day.
The morning call., 1892-08-04

"Of course / do not believe we can ever
know anything about whether Mars is in
habited. That is a complete impossibility.
cannot entertain such an Idea.
Yes; / think the present opposition OF
Mars VIII enable our astronomers to materI-
ally increase their knowledge Of that planet.
A new map will doubtless be made from
this opposition and IL VIII be more complete
and accurate than that of Schiaparelli.
1T IS not Improbable that new satellite
should be discovered. Something Ike that.
but not as 10 Mars inhabitants. That is
too much.
AT present we do not even know for
certain that the white we see is snow or
that we see land and water.
fnd astronomy fascinating study
without making wild guesses about organic
life on the planets. Mars Is very interest
ing, Without putting people on him, Just to
study as world similar to ours.
There is great deal of absurd expec-
fancy on the part Of the people about the
wonderful things TO be discovered from this
opposition. great many will be disap-
pointed, am afraid.
"In two weeks from now Mars will be In
his periheli0D and consequently nearer the
earth's orbit than at present but then the
exact opposition will have passed. The
earth has passed its aphelion. Could the
aphellon OF the earth aud the perihelion
of Mars be reached at the precise moment
of the opposition. then the two planets
would be as near together as they would
ever be-"
The morning call., 1892-08-04
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS.
Professor Davidson Says CslIfornia Po
sesses the Best ADVANTAGES.

Professor Davidson Says CalIfornia Pos
sesses the Best Advantages.
'No," said Professor Davids on to THE
CALL man when asked whether his glass
would be leveled at Mars during the event
full instant.
'No; l am too busy in my latitude work
TO spare the time necessary to study Mars
tonight. There's been so many cloudy
nights lately that l am behind with the
work on hand.
"Oh, yes; have made drawings Of Mars
10 times past, and OF Jupiter and Saturn
too, and am familiar with their general
features: Mars has certainly cloud sys-
tenn, and at times these clouds must cover
land or water.
''Of course, being newspaper man. you
are going to ask me whether / beievs Mars
is inhabited? That's all speculative rot
Now. | haven't any use for speculation in
scientific research. and don't take stock in
anything can't measure by a foot rule or
count on my 10 fingers, or that some other
man who kno what he is about has
already measured or counted.
"SchlaparellPs canals? They're myths
i never saw through a telescope large
enough to see canals on planet, and I've
looked through Lick's big glass many a
time.
Il don't believe there is satisfactory
evidence to support the Schiap arelli canal
system on Mars. It's queer, isn't il. that
no one else ever saw them and there are
other astronomers with just as good eyes as
Schlaparelli; and much bigger telescopes
''Yes | know: they tel about Schiaparelli
having better advantages for observation
In the clear Italian skies, but that's all
wrong.
''l'ye seen Italian skies and California
skies, and Eve been taking observations for
the last 40 years. There are no better con-
ditions for astronomical observations in the
world than those afforded by the high
mountains Of California.
I'm 1873 j impressed James Lick so
strongly of the possibilities of getting
unique observations at great elevations in
this State that in the fall Of the same year
be authorized me to announce to the Cal
ifornia Academy of Sciences his determina-
ton to build the biggest telescope In the
world and place 1t on point in the Sierras
10000 feet above the ocean.
Yes, Mount Hamilton is only 1000 feet
How did the big telescope come 70 be placed
there? All, that is another story. We're
talking of Mars now.
u know from my geodetic observation
lines on the high mountains in this State
that the atmaapherical conditions have not
been equaled in any other country.
Il have perfect faith In the observers at
Mount Hamilton, and know that they will
The morning call., 1892-08-04
ANOTHER TRAIN ROBBED.
The Southern Pacific Express Held Up
Near COlliS.
The EypreSs-Car Broken Open With Bombs and
Large SHm aOlen-l Messenger
Badly Injured.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

FRESNO, Aug. 4,-Passenger train II.
southbound. was held up by train-robbers
six miles east OF Coils last night. Two of
the robbers crawled over the tank to the
engine-cab and ordered the engineer and
fireman to stop the train.
They made the engineer walk ahead
quarter of a mile and compelled the fireman
70 stay with them.
They then went to the express car and
ordered the messenger to open it. He re-
fused and the robbers threw six or seven
bombs at the doors, completely demolishing
them.
Then they forced open the safe and took
out all the money. The amount Is not
known. They DIade the fireman help them
carry the treasure distance and then the
robbers gailoped off on horseback.
They were of medium height, wore dark
clothes, and had their faces masked with
light cloth.
The engine was also injured by bomb
exploded under it,
The messengers rib was broken. There
Is no clew TO the robbers.
The morning call., 1892-08-04
THE PRECISE TIME.
Mars Was Not I'm Exact Opposition TO
the Lick Observatory.

Mars Was Not I'm Exact Opposition TO
the Lick observatory.
"The exact time OF the opposition?"
II was Miss Rosa O'Halleran who echoed
The CALL mans query. Miss O'Halleran
is teacher Of astronomy, and is held In
high esteem by local star gazers. who know
her as an earnest and conscientious OBJ
server.
''In astronomical time the event occurs Is
hours Greenwich meridian time, on the Attn
OF August. The astronomical day, you
know, begins at noon Instead Of m idnight.
Now. IS hours past noon Of the 81 of Au-
gust would bring the opposition, according
10 Greenwich time, at o'clock on the morn
ing of the 4th.
'But in California we are eight hours
west Of Greenwich, so that brings the event
here at 10 o'clock Tonight
LAS matter Of theoretical fact, Mars
will not be in exact opposition 10 Mount
Hamilton. The opposition will occur on
the meridian Of Mars two hours east of US
or somewhere in Nevada.
when the meridian occurs at Mount
Hamilton the opposition will have been
passed by two hours.
You understand Of course that this IA
pure theory, though perfectly exact, and
that II has no practical bearing on the pres
ent observations.
''iiaye | seen SchiaparellPs canals? No,
/ have not. When at Mount Hamilton Mr.
Sehaeberle tried to point them out 10 me.
but 1 was determined Lot to see ANYTHING
with my Imagination that was not clear to
the vision.
II have no doubt. though, that Mr..
Schaeberle saw them. l lay tile blame to
my own poor vision.
The morning call., 1892-08-04
THE RUSSIAN PLAGUE.
Cholera Spreading in Southern Provinces
The Sarts Insurrection.

Cholera Spreading in Southern Provinces.
The Ssrts Insurrection
ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. 3.-After suppress
sion of the riots in Tashkend several thou
sand insurgent Sarts fled from the city and
tried to cross the province of Syr- Dsrya into
Ferghana, but were repulsed by the local
troops. The insurrection has spread TO
Ferghana and the position of the Russians
there is critical, as they do not possess suffi-
cient men TO cope with the insurgents. part
of their forces having gone to Pamir. Ii
has transpred that the Tashkeud riots weTe
not due solely to the cholera, out that they
were partly due to religious excitement
caused by orders from the Governor inter-
fering with the rites in the mosques.
One death occurred here from Asiatic
cholera. At Nijui-Noyg6rod the disease is
decreasing and many workmen who fed in
fright are returning.
In consequence of the prevalence of the
cholera in Russia the schools are all closed
till September. Medical students will be
sent to the infected districts to help fight the
disease.
The cholera as appeared in the Govern
ment of koOrSk. in the southern part OF
European Russia. 1t is the most denseIy
populated of any Government In Russia,
having q population of about 100000 per-
sons. The epidemic continues to increase
in Asiatic Russia. In Tobolsk 80 new eases
and 80 deaths are reported on August /.
The morning call., 1892-08-04

Mars is inhabited and about communicating
with her inhabitants is 10 look coldly at the
bare facts.
''rhe1e is no telescope in existence that
under the most favorable conditions In the
world would subtend Mars at greater
angle than the size OF thumb-Hail at arms
length.
''In other words. hold 10-cent piece be-
tween your finger and thumb at arms length
and you have the size Of Mars as seen under
the best conditions from earth
"Or take II this way: Wien you see Mars
through the most powerful telescope you
see disk that can be covered by holding
over 1t al some little distance a 10-ceut piece.
Yes, II is true that what appear to be
continents and snOw-caps and clouds on
Mars are pretty well defined in clear
weather during this opposition but there is
no positive knowledge that there is either
snow or continents.
Nv hat is most important about this oppo-
sitioD is that the astronomers have been
able to measure the two satellites of Mars
by the micrometer
Heretofore the satellites have appeared
too small 10 permit their measurement.
ms is the first opportunity ever presented
for this important work, and when it has
been completed satisfactorily it viii add
materially TO our knowledge of Mars.
How is the measurement made? Well,
we estimate the light they send us by the
light sent by Mars. His diameter, you
know, is 1000 miles. Let US say the total
light from the satellite is 1-1000th part OF that
given by Mars. Then. IL their Ieheciiug
powers are the same-of the same MATERIAL
Of course Mars will have 1000 times more
area than the satellite
Heretofore the Martial satellites have ap-
peared mere specks OF light. and their diam
eters have been estimated at from TO 10
miles, but this has been nothing more than
intelligent guesswork.
These satellites are Mars moons. They
are only 1000 miles from the center Of Mars
and 5000 miles from the surface.
"Yes, Mars has two moons; vet for ali
that he has no grand moonlight evenings
The morning call., 1892-08-04
A MAP or MARQ

like Earth. The moons are so small that
they give Mars no more light than two
bright stars would give Earth.
mo; decline To speculate on the proba-
bility Of ever having a telescope big and
powerful enough to show Us whether Mars
is inhabited.
''Do you know that the full magnifying
power OF the Lick telescope has never yet
been used? Well. 1t is fact.
''Why? Because the atmospheric eondi-
tlOns OF Mount Hamilton have never
yet been found so perfect that the maxi
mum magnlfying power the telescope will
stand could be used to advantage
80 you see larger telescope than the
Lick would gain you nothing so far as the
magnfying power goes. And it is not at all
where tie full magniiying power of a
telescope like The Lick could be used.
''Ihe Lick telescope has the highest
magnifyiDg power in the world, the eye-
piece being capable Of magnifying 2700
dlameters.
nor do / think higher altitude would
accomplish more for the Lick glass. Mount
Hamllton's conditions are quite exceptional
Tor astronomical observations. The great
clouds that pour into the Santa Clara Valley
from the ocean tend to keep down the
heated, thick atmosphere from the surface.
ana Tarihes the air at the summit to an ex-
tent that does not prevail at many higher
places. When San Francisco is under a
heavy cloud then Mount Hamilton has the
most perfect nights.
les, the world has great deal TO thank
James Lick for, and the astronomers, at
least, are very grateful for his magnificent
telescope. But the world has also 10 thank
Professor Davidson that the big teIescope
wasn't planted at the corner Of Fourth and
Market streets.
That is fact. Lick would have hid
den away the great glass If it had not been
for the advice Of Professor Davidson. He
saved it.
About those canals OF Schiapprellip
Well. the Italian astronomer used an nm.
fortunate expression when he called them
canals. They are shadow bands and from
80 to 400 miles wide. a canal. an artificial
waterway, could not be seen by telescope
10 tlnfes as powerful as the Lick.
Nor could these shadow bands be seen.
VIDE as they are, were they not so very
The morning call., 1892-08-04
HYDRAULIC MINING.
Two Sacramento Watchmen Return Hung
From the Mountains

Two sacramento Watchmen Return Hungry
From the Mountains
SACRAMENTO, Aug, 3.-John Hagle and
James A. Elder. watchmen employed by
the Supervisors to keep an eye on the
hydraulic mines on the American River
watershed, have returned TO this city after a
nine days trip in the mountains. The tour
was not particularly successful. and IL is in-
timated pretty strongly that the visit was
shortened because the people of Gold Run
refused to feed or lodge the watchmen.
In any event the hotel-keeper at Gold Run
notified the two men that they could not
eat or sleep in his carayansary, and they
wearied Of the yicissitudes of outdoor life
and came home.
They found only one claim-and that un-
der control Of Cbinese-that looked as IL 1t
had been recently worked. The miners
generally professed their intention to stand
by the promises of the Miners convention,
and IL seems that they are doing it.
Hagle says that there is plenty of water
in the reservoirs, and that hydraulicking
could be resumed at once if the miners saw
fit to defy the law. Hagle and Elder have
submitted report TO Robert I. Devlin, the
eounty's special counsel.
The morning call., 1892-08-04
MARS HAS TWO MOONS,
What Mr.. Burckhalter Thinks About the
Schiaparelli Canals.

What Mr.. Burckhalter Thinks About the
Schiaparelli Canals.
I'm afraid Mars will be put down as
failure during this opposition" said Charles
Burckhalter of the Chabot Observatory.
why? Because he is too low in ;he
horizon and we have no great telescopes in
the southern hemisphere. From below the
equator Mars should be studied now.
I'm two years from now there will be an
other opposition of Mars. He won't be so
much farther away from us then than he is
now, and he will be directly over u.s.
MARS inhabited? Pshaw! Do you know
that every true astronomer has been very
sorry to sec all this haberdash that some of
the newspapers have been printing about
Mars being inhabited aud our seeing canals
on the surface, aud all that other rot and
nonsense.
Fairy tales and wild speculations have
no place in q serious science like astron,
Omy, Besides, all these wild stories tend
TO awaken pitch of expectation in the
popular minds that can never be realized in
the One-hundredth part, at least not in our
time.
Now a good way to dispel that popu ar
rubbish about being able to tell whether
The morning call., 1892-08-04
MARS WAS DEAD ON US.
The Great Orb Hung Directly
Over the Earth.
4 PERIHELION And AN APHELIOI.
The Opposition Lasted for the Frac-
tiOn Of a Second,
And Won't Come Again for Fifteen Years.
What Professor Holden Saw at
Mount Hamilton.
A PERIHELION AND AN APHELIOI.

Vulgarly: Mars was dead onto US at 10
o'clock last night.
Popularity: The earth's opposition to Mars
occurred last evening at precisely 10 o'clock.
Scientifically: At the instant of time be-
tween the last tick of the seventh hour and
the first tick of the eighth hour. Green nwich
meridian astronomical time. the planet
Mars being nearly in his perhelion, passed
directly over the planet Earth. which was
nearly in her aphelion. Thus Sun. Earth
and Mars came into direct opposition at
The morning call., 1892-08-04
LIKE A BALL OF FIRE.
atmospheric Conditions at washincto
Dnfsvorsble for Studying of Mars.

atmospheric Conditions at Washington
Unfsvorsble for Studying of Mars.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.-The moonlight
was too strong tonight, and atmospheric
conditions were unsatisfactory to the scien-
tisls at the Naval Observatory, consequently
they could not see the opposition of Mars
very well. The planet had the appearance
OF blazing ball of fire on account of this
disturbance in the atmosphere and no
special phenomena was therefore Ohseryed.
NoRTHFIELD, Mimi. Aug. 3-Observa-
tlons taken at Lovell's observatory have
been unsatisfactory, as Mars has not yet
reached its highest altitude One of the
moons has been visible for 80 hours, but
the other eludes observation. No startling
discoveries are expected. although An at
mosphere is clearly visible,
The morning call., 1892-08-04
A Corner in Wnnl Formed.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. IA story is afloat
here to the effect that a syndicate of local
merchants has been formed to corner quar-
ter-blood woods, and that two prominent
local wool-dealers and well-known manu-
facturer are associated in the movement.
The story Is secuted as ridiculous, but Ii is
credited in some quarters. because all the
parties TO the alleged deal are known 10
have been extensive operators in this grade
Of wool during the present season.