The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-05
FLASH LIGHTS FOR MARS,
II tho People of that Planet Can Road Good
Morse II Ought to Work.
F,om lie CicIJo Duly Tribune

RUM He t"t'HJo Ddhy tTtoue
!, Probably the most intelligent suggestion yet
th"re be- IS made ~ e Me- EswortRy c a suea
miles in diameter not in the vicinity Of hills or
mountains. be covered with uniformly black
area is to be covered with gas lots or electric
arcs. placing the Illuminating points about
u1 ient aIart. Ih.t would IreGuire sSms
to the inha utauts of Mars with II mh2nifyinR
power Of 300 diametr"s when the earth was suf-
while the sun was below the belt Of twilight.
The, plan is to 50 construct and connect these
nstnty "x, n:n or au Isn1 them a TSea
the illumination SHOULD be made toappear and
DISAPPEAR at regular intervals. suppose at
first the interval Tel wcen the flashes WAS three
seconds and the flashes continued five sec.
onds, Then tn" intervals and duration Of light
teen. &c. seconds. and then the series OF in
terval S reversed. Mr.. Carey argues that such
sfn"1 M:%" nsT on be & It's qnE TsSss
be far advanced in Intelligence. develop
nett, and civilization Thny must then con;
light visible to the dwgIers on Mars; 1t also
may be expected that thcy would arrive at the
conclusion that such light was maintained as
signal to attract th"ir attention. FURTHER. 1t
may 10 supposed that in ihe latter case they
nal. if possible" though 1"m". perhaps many,
years might elapSc be'orc they could respond
serves credit for hAvinl: been tho first to show
the world how intrrptln"lary communication
is possible. But there still romans the cues.
ton. Is 1t practir"blct For the present, az
least, that must ho answered, with II decided
negative. II is not ilH"!y that any man. or
association Of mon, "onl undertake tho
enormous expense involved in carrying out
suspicion OF profit. and but problematica!
amount OF glory. moi to be gained till
perhaps years after the death of the In.
Y'stot. If n generation should ever arise on
this earth that loves wisdom more than wealth
it may ind other uses for It's money than In
irving to bridge Ia" gulf that separates us
from tho other n"mIrers 0f the solar system.
but till then it is idle to expect tho costly eff
til" enthusiastic ones t. rcvel in anticipation
OF some such result t. DO achieved by those
who Will como after them. aud there Is another
view of the ease still more entlclng to those
philosophers who have studiad tho appearance
OF Mars thnk there IS 10 lson to suppose It's
inhabitants are much further hdFanced than
Ourselves in tho march OF intellectual
p.oGrnss that planet ha'ing cooled down
from the original nchl.lous heat sooner than
IT. la Ger brother or sister. tue earth Hence
l. Is not absurd to suppose the Inhabitants OF
Mars already have been considering the prob
!oin OF nteicVnnuniratipn with other NOM
hers of the solar system. and for aught We
know they MAJ hav" been maEing suGh signals
TO Us for centuries past without our being aware
OF the met II some OF the lynK-eyed ones who
Mars which they fancy Indicate that signals
ara in progress. tho case would be radically
altered. II might not then DO impossible 70
OF setting up and conducting a, return tels-
ErapA apparatus. hy means of which we may
acknowledge tho salute and raise ourselves
in the estimation OF our neighbors.